When Family Secrets Turn Poisonous A family torn apart many long years ago. Two brothers, each sure they know who to blame. On opposite sides of the divide, now and forever. Unless uncovered secrets alter their memories and reality, and push them both back to the beginning. Originally appeared in Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem: Sins of the Father, Knotted Road Press, 2020 An excerpt from An Overdue Truce: Digging Out the Toxins of the Past The truth was Sean had always quietly wondered why his mother didn’t get the house, or any kind of spousal support that anyone knew of. She never actually talked about it, but Sean knew she hadn’t minded if people believed his father was just too cheap. Or that she’d refused his help. Sean figured then and now he just didn’t understand. Brad figured their father had done something to weasel out of it. With both parents gone now and himself nearly into his fifties, the time for waiting and wondering had surely come to an end. Before another fifteen minutes passed, Sean had his phone out again. “Hey Brad, Sean here. ... Yeah, I’m at Dad’s. I think you should come over. ... No, not to help clean up, don’t worry. There’s some things here you need to see.”