“Why is this the first I’m hearing about it?”
“I don’t know,” his brother said. “I got pulled in late. I’ve been working out of the Miami Division.”
“So Niall said.”
“I’m currently on loan to Seattle. They’ve got something big going and needed extra manpower.”
“Are you already here?” he asked.
“Yeah. Flew into Seattle last night.”
“Does Niall know?”
“He’s next on my list. I figured I owed you a courtesy call first.”
Because he was police chief, not because they were brothers. That stung, although it shouldn’t have after years of estrangement.
“All right,” Duncan said. “Do you plan to come by the office to give me the details?”
“I’d rather not. I’m trying to fly below the radar.” Conall was quiet for a moment. “I’m hoping we can meet somewhere that looks unofficial.”
“You can come by the house.” The words were out before he could recall them. “You know I’m not in the old place.”
“I did know that. You sent me a check for part of the proceeds when you sold it.”
He had. Duncan had insisted on splitting what he made on their parents’ house, little though it was after the mortgage was paid out. Still, it was the closest thing any of them had to an inheritance from their worthless parents.
“You can meet my wife.”
“I meant to come to Niall’s wedding.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
This silence was a long one, and heavy with everything that hadn’t been said in the past decade. Or perhaps that was in his imagination.
“I was wounded,” Conall said finally.
Duncan’s reaction was visceral. It had been his greatest fear that one of these days he’d get a call from some higher-up at the DEA letting him know that they were very sorry, but his brother Conall had been killed in the line of duty. Niall was the one who talked to Conall from time to time, and he’d admitted he sometimes thought their youngest brother had a death wish. At the very least, he was a cold-blooded son of a bitch who lived for the adrenaline rush risk-taking gave him. Duncan wondered how much else he was capable of feeling.
If that wasn’t a chilling thought.
“You didn’t tell Niall.”
“I didn’t want to worry him. Especially right before his wedding.” Conall laughed. “Both of you married. Blows me away.”
“You know I have a baby daughter now.”
“You sent me a birth announcement.”
“Thanks for the congratulation.”
“Did you expect one?” His brother’s voice hardened.
“No.” Shit. He bent his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe hoped.” His own voice had come out rougher. “Whether you know it or not, I’ve missed you.”
It was so long before Conall responded, Duncan thought he’d lost him. No, I lost him twenty years ago, when I had to rein him in. Become the father he didn’t want.
“You think I don’t know what you did for us?” Tension threaded every word. “Of course I do. That doesn’t mean I have to like you.”
God. Damn. Duncan hadn’t hurt like this in a long time, not since he’d almost lost Jane before he could even tell her he loved her. He had to swallow before he could say with relative calm, “No, it doesn’t.”
“Oh, hell.” Conall sounded ragged. “I didn’t mean to say that.”
“It’s okay.”
“Listen, I have to talk to you about this investigation. Can we keep it to that?”
“Sure. Do you want to have coffee somewhere? Or shall we meet up on a deserted road?” he added dryly.
“No. It would look best if I do come to your house. Gives me an excuse to be in town.”
That ticked Duncan off some. Good to know he was worth something to this brother he’d raised from age twelve on.
“Fine.” He gave Conall his address. “Jane and I don’t go out much. I’m home by six most nights.”
“I’ll make it this evening.”
“Fine,” he said again, and hung up the phone.
He sat there for a long time, unable to decide how he felt about Conall’s call. Or maybe what he couldn’t decide was which emotion was paramount. Anger? Hurt? Resentment? Or the astonished gratitude that might even have been happiness, because he’d heard Conall’s voice again. He was going to see him.