Bill opened his mouth to protest Lottie's reproach, but then she said he was smart, so he closed his mouth, satisfied, folded his arms and looked at Joe across the table while his wife scolded.

Perhaps Pearl's words and emotions would have softened him a little... if it weren't for Joe's response. It was the last straw. They had watched Joe lose his job and appear before the Magistrate. They had spent the past few days anxious about where Joe was, on top of learning that he had gotten involved in a high profile murder scandal and had conveniently forgotten to mention it. And now bloody Joe ignored his parents' accusations and wanted to lecture them!?

For few seconds, Bill's chest and shoulders seemed to swell. His face turned from red to nearly purple. Nostrils flared. Neck and temples throbbed. His eyes seemed ready to pop out of his head. Perhaps Joe would recognize the warning signs. But there was no time. There was a loud bang when heavy open palms landed on the table; the clatter of cups jumping in their saucers; the scraping of Bill's chair on the hard kitchen floor. Whether Bill moved around the table or jumped right over it, was hard to tell given how fast he moved, but the fact was that a cup was knocked off the table and scattered against the wall while he dashed for his son, and that half a second later, he had pulled him up out of his chair by the ear like a little boy. "Who the HELL do you think you are!?" he bellowed.