“Driver took the wrong entrance.”
Marcus almost smiled.
Then the awkwardness returned.
“I read your parole reports,” Victor said.
Marcus’s face changed.
“Why?”
“Professional curiosity.”
“You checking if I’m behaving?”
“No.”
Victor considered him.
“I wanted to know whether consequences changed anything or merely hurt you.”
Marcus looked down.
“That’s a harsh distinction.”
“It’s an important one.”
Rain ran from the awning.
Marcus said:
“I lost everything.”
Victor’s expression remained calm.
“No.”
Marcus looked up.
“You lost your career.”
“Your marriage.”
“Your freedom for a period of time.”
Victor paused.
“Those are serious losses.”
“But they are not everything.”
Marcus said nothing.
Victor continued.
“You still get to decide what kind of man finishes the rest of your life.”
Marcus looked toward the empty parking lot.
“I used to hate you.”
“I assumed.”
“I blamed you for prison.”
“You assaulted me.”
“I know.”
“You lied about why you stopped me.”
“I know.”
“You had prior complaints.”
Marcus winced.
“I know.”
Victor waited.
Marcus looked at him.
“I watched the footage.”
Victor’s expression shifted slightly.
“All of it.”
“Yes.”
“What did you see?”
Marcus’s voice became rough.
“Myself.”
The rain seemed louder.
“I saw how my voice changed when I found the badge.”
Victor said nothing.
Marcus continued.
“I used to tell myself I treated everybody the same.”
“I didn’t.”
“No.”
Victor’s voice was quiet.
“You didn’t.”
Marcus nodded.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that now.”
Victor looked toward the rain.
“Use it.”
“How?”
“Recognize yourself earlier next time.”
Marcus gave a humorless laugh.
“I’m not a cop anymore.”
“That was never only advice for cops.”
The driver glanced at Victor in the mirror.
Victor raised one finger.
One moment.
Then he looked back at Marcus.
“For what it’s worth, the department became better after Oak Creek.”
Marcus lowered his eyes.
“I’ve heard.”
“That does not make what you did useful.”
Marcus looked up.
Victor was firm.
“Do not turn harm into destiny just because something good happened afterward.”
Marcus swallowed.
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Good.”
Victor’s expression softened slightly.
“But if your worst act finally taught you to see people as people, then make that lesson expensive enough to have been worth learning.”
Marcus nodded.
Victor raised the window.
Then lowered it once more.
“Marcus.”
“Yes?”
“Stop calling it karma.”
Marcus blinked.
Victor continued.
“Karma makes it sound like something mystical happened to you.”