JULIAN He trailed off. "Claire said the same thing to me today," Ethan added quietly. "That I'm like him, like father like son." "Are you asking me to disagree?" I asked. "I don't know what I'm asking," Ethan admitted. "Maybe just to hear that someone doesn't think I'm capable of that." I thought about it, about Ethan and all the ways he'd failed as a person, as a husband, as a man, but murder? "You're not a murderer," I said finally. "You're selfish and cruel sometimes, but you're not that." "Thanks," Ethan said, sounding genuinely relieved. "I think." "Don't thank me," I replied. "I'm not saying you're a good person, just that you're not our father." "I'll take it," Ethan said. Another pause. "How's Claire doing?" he asked. "Why do you care?" I asked sharply. "Because despite

