No Coming Back by Keith Houghton Read Free Book Online

mellowed with age, but I can see you’re still just as fixated as you always were.”
    “That’s because it’s in the blood, son. I’m obsessed with the truth. It’s all we have. It defines us, shapes us. It’s the only thing we take with us beyond the grave. Never mind your chivalry and your patriotism, it’s the truth that keeps men like you and me up at night. Someone needs to be its voice. And that’s our job.”
    I’ve heard his little speech before, and I’m still unimpressed.
    I lean back in the booth and drop my shoulders. “Lars, it’s been eighteen years. The people had their conviction. No one’s interested .”
    “And that’s where I beg to differ. There’s no statute of limitations on murder, Jake. Not in Minnesota. The people need to know what really happened to Jenna, where it happened, and by whose hand. Do you want the world to go on thinking it was you who kill ed her?”
    Another killer question. The worst one.
    With heat rising in my belly, I glance toward the kitchen, fearing that the waitress has overheard Lars’s declaration. Thankfully , she is nowhere to be seen, and my speeding heartrate slows a little. My reaction is automatic, and one that has been repeated a hundred times over the preceding six months.
    “Most of the town believe I killed her,” I say, keeping my voice low, even though I have nothing to be ashamed of. “It’s the way it’s been since I was seventeen and I can’t see it changing just because her remains have been found.”
    “It will if you find her real killer. That’s the reason you’re here, isn’t it?”
    “Partly.”
    “So this is your chance to set the record straight. Give the people what they want: the truth. Find her real killer. Expose him. I don’t buy for one second you don’t have intentions to do exactly that.” He sees the darkness in my eyes and adds, “Be its voice, Jake. Work with me. We’re on the same side here. Like it or not. We’re up to our necks in the truth business and there ain’t a damn thing we can do about it.”
    He neglects to say his version of the truth business.
    A smirk tries to force its way onto my lips, but I hold it back. Provoking a cobra is never a good idea. Thanks to his ownership of the local press, Lars has written what he calls the truth in Harper for over fifty years. That’s a long time to warp perspectives without succumbing to your own hype. Listening to him, I’m not sure he can tell the difference between the truth and a donkey in a dress.
    Lars sits back and lets out a long breath. “Okay, so I know what you’re thinking: the truth is whatever people choose to believe. I accept I’ve played my part in that outcome over the years. God knows there are times I haven’t been completely forthcoming with the unabridged version of it. See, my hands are up. I’m a sinner. We all are. When I was younger I had axes to grind and soapboxes to climb. Stupidly, I believed I could make a difference and that the Horn was my way of fixing things. After all, the pen is mightier than the sword, isn’t it? When we peel back the layers of lies, the only thing left behind is the truth.”
    He spreads his hand. “Look, Jake, let me be perfectly honest with you. I’m too old to fight anymore. My time here on Earth is limited; I’m not getting any younger and God knows I’ve had a good run at things. I need to make peace with my maker while I still can. I’ve made some bad choices over the years. We all do. None of us are angels. Before my time expires, I need to set the record straight—just like you. I know you’re not in my fan club. I respect you for it. A man should have his principles and be willing to stand by them, no matter what. I just want you to know I’ve always done my best by you, son. And that’s the God’s honest truth. This job offer of mine, it’s an olive branch. A new start. I’d like it to be long term. I’m not going to be around forever; I need someone to run the Horn