Excerpt of Included!

JOHN HART“Yes,” I said.“All right.”“Just like that?” I asked.“I never liked him anyway.”“Grantham thinks Dolf ’s confession is bullshit.”“It is.”“He thinks that Dolf is protecting someone. Maybe you.”My father faced me. He spoke slowly. “Grantham’s a cop. Thinking upparanoid, bullshit theories is what he does.”I rose from the chair and leaned against the rail. I wanted to see his face.“Does he have a reason to?”“To what?”“Protect you.”“What the hell kind of question is that?”My father was rough-and-tumble, salt of the earth, but he was also the mosthonest man I’d ever known. If he lied to me now, I’d know it. “Do you have anyreason to want Danny Faith dead?”The moment drew out. “That’s an absurd question, son.”He was angry and offended—I knew how it felt—so I let the question go.I’d said it before. My father was no killer. I had to believe that. If not, then I wasno better than him. I sat back down, but the tension grew. The question stillhung between us. My father made a disgusted sound and went inside for fivelong minutes. When he finally came out, he had two more beers. He handedone to me. He spoke as if the question had never happened. “They’re going tobury Danny tomorrow,” he said.“Who made the arrangements?” I asked.“Some aunt from Charlotte. The service is at noon. Graveside.”“Did you know that he was in love with Grace?” I asked.“I think we should go.”“Did you know?” I repeated, louder.My father stood and walked to the rail. He showed me his back. “She’s toogood for him. She was always too good for him.” He turned, lifted an eyebrow.“You’re not interested in her, are you?”“Not like that,” I said.274