Color of Justice Read Online Free PDF Page A

him greatly, and it was more than the normal reason. There was something not right about it, something that tingled the police instincts he’d inherited from his father.
    â€œI’ve been thinking about Ma lately,” said Danny.
    Robert didn’t respond. He looked over his plate at Danny with an annoyed expression.
    â€œI’ve been having this dream about how she died.” Danny knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he’d never gotten anywhere with Robert by pussyfooting around.
    â€œYou know how she died. We all know, Danny,” said Robert pointedly. “So what’s your problem?”
    â€œI don’t know if what the medical examiner said was right, you know—”
    Robert’s face contorted into mild anger. “It’s too early for that shit,” snapped Robert. “For God’s sake can’t you ever leave it alone! Fuck, just fuck it!” Robert grabbed his juice and stomped off, mumbling.
    Danny listened as his father stomped-cursed his way into the other room. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and said nothing more. Hejust sat for a while, waiting. Then when he felt Robert had calmed down enough, he went into the living room. He took a moment, watching his father, his mind flooding with memory. Danny kissed his father on the top of the head and headed out, leaving the pain and memory of his mother behind.
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    â€œHow are you feeling today, Danny?” asked the therapist.
    â€œI’m cool,” said Danny. He settled into the big leather chair and let it envelop him.
    The therapist was Dr. Donald Gordon. He was the department psychologist and a former detective. A white man of about forty or so, he had a medium build and was beginning to lose his salt-and-pepper hair.
    On Gordon’s desk was a picture of him and his wife of fifteen years, Patty, and their daughters. When he got his degree, he’d left the department after ten years to be a shrink, but he’d been drawn right back into the game a few years later.
    â€œSo what’s on your mind?” asked Gordon.
    â€œI visited my father again today,” said Danny. “He still won’t talk about it.”
    â€œHow does that make you feel?” asked Gordon.
    â€œIt’s fucked up.”
    â€œYou said that you had questions about your mother’s death, that everything didn’t fit. You still feel that way?”
    â€œI’m a cop. Nothing ever fits for us.” Danny was trying to get away from the discussion, but Gordon was right. The death of his mother wassomething he thought about each day. Lucy had descended those stairs thousands of times and never had she slipped. Sure she was old, but she was in good shape. He didn’t like to think about it because if she didn’t slip and fall, then the alternative was too terrible to imagine.
    â€œI only bring it up,” said Gordon, “because you always do at some point. Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of it this time.”
    Danny had successfully completed an anger management course, but it was strongly suggested that he see the department shrink in order to solidify his hold on a gold shield. Danny’s history of overzealous law enforcement was not a help to his career. These days, a violent white cop in a black city like Detroit was a lightning rod for trouble of all kinds.
    Danny didn’t like the idea of seeing a shrink. Crazy. It was an old notion, but one that hung on in the blue-collar world he lived in. A man took care of his own problems, and he certainly didn’t go to a doctor and whine about them. And yet Danny was finding comfort in his weekly visits. Gordon was laid-back and knew the police game well enough never to need explanation. It was like having another partner, or at least that’s what he kept telling himself.
    â€œOkay, Doc,” said Danny. “If my mother didn’t fall down those stairs then my father…he was the only