"Yes, but I'm a cop now, and I can't let my own personal experiences get in the way of doing my job." He paused. "Besides, when my dad found out, he beat me so hard that I couldn't get out of bed the next morning."

His father hadn't been abusive, he just relied a lot on corporal punishment. He had never dished out more than Leon could handle, and never dished out more than what the crime called for. That particular time happened to be the fifth time in two months that he had come home drunk (and on a school night, no less), despite the other minor slaps and warnings.