Drake’s eyes followed his son as he paced the room. Once in a while, he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand.

He really regretted dragging Angelo through all this. When the guard came to ask him a while back if he wanted to see his brother and his son, he had almost said no. He wouldn’t let his mother see him in jail, and he felt the same way in a sense about Angelo. But he said yes because he missed him.

Angelo had been in Europe almost a year, and to see him and not even be able to hug him was hell. He had changed in that year, and not only physically. His features had matured into that of a man, but Drake could see other changes that could only come from being exposed to different geography and different cultures, and he was proud of him.

“Dad,” he was saying now, “Ms. Thomson wants to help you. She wants to work with you. Why are you being so goddamned stubborn? We want you out of here.”

Pepi, who had been quietly sitting in the corner of the room, stood up now. “She’s going to question Nancy Dobson.”

Drake blinked and looked up. “Nancy Dobson?” His eyes widened. “What in hell for?”

“You threatened suicide in front of her. The gun came back with two sets of prints on it: yours and Johnny’s. Your lawyer thinks you tried to kill yourself, and Johnny tried to stop you. You struggled for the gun, and it went off. Is that how it happened, Drake?” Pepi met his older brother’s eyes.

There was a long silence, then Drake said quietly, “There is no need to drag Nancy into it. I don’t want her involved in this.”

“Well, if you don’t want her involved, give Francine something to work with. You were distraught when you walked into the police station. The warden told me he put you on suicide watch when you came in. Is that true?”

Angelo came to stand closer to his uncle.

Drake glanced at his brother, then his son. “I suppose they do that with all nut cases that....”

“No,” Pepi shook his dark head, “they don’t. He told me that you were very depressed.”

“Of course I was depressed,” Drake snapped. “I just shot my brother in the head. How was I supposed to feel, happy?”

“Did you put the gun to your head the other night in front of Johnny?” Pepi placed the palms of his hands flat on the table and looked directly into Drake’s face. “Did Johnny try and take the gun away from you? Come on! For fuck’s sake, Drake, you rotting in jail won’t help Johnny. Johnny needs you, and I need you. Help me!”

When Drake lowered his head, Pepi threw up his hands and cursed, then gave Angelo a look. “I need some air. Talk some sense into your father, will you?”

He barked at the guard to let him out. The door opened, then slammed shut.

Angelo sat down.

Drake looked across at his son, then said, “Call that lawyer. I’ll tell her what happened, okay?” There were tears in his eyes.

“Thanks, Dad. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get you out of here, and then everything will be all right.”

Drake listened to the conviction in his son’s voice. He didn’t understand that nothing would ever be all right. It had never been all right to begin with.

Drake’s eyes followed his son as he paced the room. Once in a while, he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand.

He really regretted dragging Angelo through all this. When the guard came to ask him a while back if he wanted to see his brother and his son, he had almost said no. He wouldn’t let his mother see him in jail, and he felt the same way in a sense about Angelo. But he said yes because he missed him.

Angelo had been in Europe almost a year, and to see him and not even be able to hug him was hell. He had changed in that year, and not only physically. His features had matured into that of a man, but Drake could see other changes that could only come from being exposed to different geography and different cultures, and he was proud of him.

“Dad,” he was saying now, “Ms. Thomson wants to help you. She wants to work with you. Why are you being so goddamned stubborn? We want you out of here.”

Pepi, who had been quietly sitting in the corner of the room, stood up now. “She’s going to question Nancy Dobson.”

Drake blinked and looked up. “Nancy Dobson?” His eyes widened. “What in hell for?”

“You threatened suicide in front of her. The gun came back with two sets of prints on it: yours and Johnny’s. Your lawyer thinks you tried to kill yourself, and Johnny tried to stop you. You struggled for the gun, and it went off. Is that how it happened, Drake?” Pepi met his older brother’s eyes.

There was a long silence, then Drake said quietly, “There is no need to drag Nancy into it. I don’t want her involved in this.”

“Well, if you don’t want her involved, give Francine something to work with. You were distraught when you walked into the police station. The warden told me he put you on suicide watch when you came in. Is that true?”

Angelo came to stand closer to his uncle.

Drake glanced at his brother, then his son. “I suppose they do that with all nut cases that....”

“No,” Pepi shook his dark head, “they don’t. He told me that you were very depressed.”

“Of course I was depressed,” Drake snapped. “I just shot my brother in the head. How was I supposed to feel, happy?”

“Did you put the gun to your head the other night in front of Johnny?” Pepi placed the palms of his hands flat on the table and looked directly into Drake’s face. “Did Johnny try and take the gun away from you? Come on! For fuck’s sake, Drake, you rotting in jail won’t help Johnny. Johnny needs you, and I need you. Help me!”

When Drake lowered his head, Pepi threw up his hands and cursed, then gave Angelo a look. “I need some air. Talk some sense into your father, will you?”

He barked at the guard to let him out. The door opened, then slammed shut.

Angelo sat down.

Drake looked across at his son, then said, “Call that lawyer. I’ll tell her what happened, okay?” There were tears in his eyes.

“Thanks, Dad. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get you out of here, and then everything will be all right.”

Drake listened to the conviction in his son’s voice. He didn’t understand that nothing would ever be all right. It had never been all right to begin with.