The World in Reverse Read Online Free Page B

we have to.”
    “What a fucking Saturday, eh?” Johnson said, wiping his eyes. “You want to follow me over in your truck? I know you don’t like cigarette smoke, and after this I plan on chai ning like a motherfucker for a few days.”
    “Yeah, I’ll drive,” Nicola said, scratching his neck. “This shit has to end, man.”
    “Sooner than later,” Johnson said, as he watched the coroner’s truck pull off.
    ***
    The rain seemed to come down harder as Nicola pulled into the driveway of Dr. and Mrs. Naples. He put his truck in park right behind Johnson’s unmarked squad car and gazed out of the window grimly.
    The house had been newly built, and r eminded him of the bricked homes on Chicago’s east side with a quaint little swing and pots of flowers on the closed-in porch. There was a University of Tennessee orange flag waving in the wind and two Volvo station wagons in the curved drive.
    Everything about the place screamed no rmal, middle-class family. It would be a shame to have to shatter their dreams today with the news that nothing would ever be the same for them again.
    Johnson was the first to jump out of his car. Throwing down his cigarette on the well-kept lawn, he looked back at Nicola and motioned for him to join him. Nicola did so quickly, stepping back out into the miserable weather.
    “You do the honors,” Nicola said, as they hiked up the sidewalk to the front door.
    “That’s what I brought you for,” Johnson said, pulling his badge from under his shirt. “I’m horrible at this shit.”
    “Are n’t you supposed to be the homicide detective?” Nicola asked.
    “I don’t do the kid thing well,” Johnson mumbled. He loo ked over at Nicola and frowned. “But then again, who does?”
    Nicola shrugged. 
    “Well let’s see who they warm up to first. Whoever they like gets the job,” Johnson said with a huff. “Agreed?”
    “Yeah, yeah. Sure thing,” Nicola said, sucking his teeth.
    The knock on the wooden door was hard and foreboding. Standing side-by-side, the two men waited as a petite white woman in a ponytail came peering out of the door. Her eyes had dark, black circles under them, and her face was white as a sheet.
    Nicola knew that she had been worrying herself to death, just like Ivy would have. 
    “Yes,” she said, voice quivering.
    “Mrs. Naples,” Johnson said, void of emotion. “I’m with the Memphis Police Department. Do you mind if we come in?” He held his badge up where she could see it. 
    She looked at the badge and then back up at Johnson. “Did you find them?” she asked, opening the door a little wider.
    “It’s best if we talk inside,” Nicola chimed in. He looked over at Johnson and stepped forward.
    Moving out of the way hesitantly, she a llowed them inside of the house.
    Nicola looked around at all the tables covered in MISSING flyers with pictures of their sons on them and walls that were papered in maps and post-it notes. Evidently, they had teams of people helping them search.
    No matter how trained a cop was in doing this, there was no way to describe being the messenger of such horrid news.
    Dr. Naples entered out of the kitchen quickly looking as tired as his wife. As soon as he made eye contact with Nicola, his shoulders sank. He went to his wife and put his hands around her. “Officers,” he said gloomily.
    “Why don’t we all have a seat,” Johnson o ffered as he motioned towards the sofas in the living room.
    “I prefer to stand,” Mrs. Naples said, tears flowing.
    Johnson reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Ziploc bag with a photo inside. “I’m very sorry, but I need to make a positive ID.” He couldn’t wait a second longer. This was killing him. He just wanted it over already.
    Nicola looked over at him with a what-the-hell glare in his face.
    Mrs. Naples nearly fainted. Her husband caught her in his arms, but could not push back the grieving moans that pushed up from his aching diaphragm. “Oh Lord, no,” he