apartment was quiet, the early morning light filtering through the thin curtains. Sarah was already gone, her shift at the hospital starti

he'd left it, looking out of place among the bills and junk mail. He picked it up, rereading the words. Victor Langston. New York. Mat

r stayed on his mind, nagging at him like an itch he couldn't scratch. By the time he got to Tony's shop, he'd made up hi

d rock song. Ethan clocked in and got to work on a pickup truck with a busted transmission. His hands moved on autopilot, but his thoug

tter, dialing the number. It rang

iates, this is

the lawyer himself to pick up. "Uh, hi

thank you for calling. I've been hoping to hear from yo

"Look, I don't know what this is about. Who's V

e influence. He has personal reasons for wanting to meet you, but I'd prefer to explain i

Chicago, except for a school trip to Milwauke

h your time. Mr. Langston is prepared

t, but it still felt off. "I need more than

e connected to his past. I can't say more over the phone

? His life was hard, sure, but it was his. Still, the idea of answers

"I'll send details for a flight this w

phone in his pocket, his head spinning. He didn't t

. But the letter, Kline's voice, the name Victor Langston wouldn't leave him alo

sandwich from the diner across the street. He

ndwich. He didn't want to tell Jamal about

w. "You look like you

letter last night. Some lawyer wants me to go to New York

Like skyscrapers and taxis in New

rd of him. The lawyer wouldn't sa

ounds like a movie. What if he's

s forced. "Yeah, right.

l said, grinning. "You could be

stuck, ridiculous as it was. He finished his sandwich a

hole in his pocket. Sarah was in the kitchen when he walked in, stirring a p

," she said. "Ho

arah had never talked about his father, not once. Anytime he'd asked as a kid, she'd changed the subject. If t

d about the hospital, a patient who'd made her laugh, but Ethan barely liste

rah said, setting down he

table. "Got this yesterday. Some lawyer wants me to go to New

ze on the table. Then she looked down, picking up her spoon again. "No idea

before, when she didn't want to talk about his dad. "Mom, if you know somet

you don't need to chase some stranger's

per than he meant. "If this is

ly, she turned, her eyes tired but firm. "Your father's gone, E

. "This isn't the past. This is now. If

udge. "Do what you have to, but be care

e letter. "I'm going to

bed, staring at the letter. Sarah's reaction proved it-Victor Langston wasn't just some rand

e: I'm in. Sen

ght booked for Saturday, 8 a.m. Det

n't understand. He thought of Ava, her smile at the fundraiser, and wondered what she'd think of this. He thought of Ma

and he could feel it. But whether it was for better or worse, he