He felt a warmth come over him at the words.
Sean went out into the thrashing rain and climbed into the SUV. He was met with the smell of smoke and something sickly sweet. Sean looked at Kenny, whose pupils were saucers. Then he saw the glass pipe in his lap. Then the blade Kenny was holding, and Sean knew he’d made a terrible mistake.
CHAPTER 52
“I ain’t here to hurt you,” Kenny said. “I just need some money to get outta town, and I wanna set some shit straight with you.” His grip tightened on the small blade.
Sean couldn’t help but think of that night in Japan.
“Drive,” Kenny demanded.
Sean considered fighting his way out. But the cabin of the SUV was too small and he wanted to get this man as far away as possible from his family. He started the vehicle and reversed slowly down the driveway. Kenny crouched low in the seat as they reached the street in front of the house. Sean studied the man in the weak light. His teeth, covered in metallic braces when he was a teen, were now decayed. He was puffier in the face, but the rest of him was too thin, all ropey muscles and bone. He had crude tattoos and sores on his forearms.
Sean pulled from the drive and proceeded down the street, the wipers slashing away the heavy rain. When they were a few blocks from the house, Kenny sat back up. He was twitchy, agitated. His glance kept flicking to the side-view mirror, like he was worried someone had followed them.
Sean said, “Money is no problem. I’ll give you whatever you want. Just take it easy.”
“Don’t tell me to take it easy, motherfucker,” Kenny shouted. His eyes bugged and a vein in his neck kept bulging. Kenny gestured with the blade for Sean to turn right, taking them to Connecticut Avenue.
Sean kept his eyes on the road, playing out his next move. Should he crash the SUV into a lamppost or another car? Should he jump out at a light? Or should he take the risk and hear the man out? Before he could decide, Kenny said, “Pull onto the interstate.”
Sean veered onto the Beltway and the SUV picked up speed, streams of rain racing over the moon roof. Ahead was a blur of brake lights.
Kenny turned to Sean and said, “I didn’t fuckin’ touch her, you got that? And if he says I did”—Kenny pounded the dash with his fist—“he’s lying. I just told her what he wanted me to say. He’s trying to set me up. I ain’t goin’ down for this.”
Sean’s jaw clenched, realizing that Kenny was referring to Abby. In the most calm tone he could manage, he said, “You talked to my daughter?”
Kenny started ranting. “The deal was I’d fuck with you. Let you see me, mess with your head. Tell your daughter about what we did in Misawa. But that was it. I didn’t touch her. The dude’s lost his mind.”
“Who, Kenny? Who are you talking about?” Sean’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel as the SUV accelerated.
“Who do you think, man?” Kenny spat out, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
Sean thought about who else knew what had happened in Japan. Sean had never told anyone other than his father, and he was dead. That left only Sean, Kenny, and the other boy there that night.
“Juan?” Sean said.
“Pfft. You really did just leave and never look back, didn’t you?” Kenny pushed the wet hair out of his eyes. “Juan offed himself right after you left Misawa.”
Sean took that in. “I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Kenny said in disgust. “Your daddy made sure of that.”
“What are you talking about?” Sean felt Kenny’s stare on him as he pushed down the interstate, the wipers swishing full speed.
“How did you think no one ever found out ’bout us? Your dad wouldn’t let the Japs on base to question anybody. They needed his permission. The General shut it down. Saved us both.”
Sean thought back to that night, to the time after he’d confessed to his dad. The General had disappeared for a while, but Sean had assumed he’d gone to the O Club, where he spent every night drinking. You will tell no one. Ever. This is about more than just you, Sean. It had all seemed so irrational. A plan built more on convenience and fear for his job than Sean’s well-being. A decision to keep quiet—keep it buried—not an actual cover-up.
“Then who, Kenny? Who had you do this? Is it Senator James?”
Kenny shook his head and pointed the blade to an exit sign. “Get off here.” He directed Sean to the parking lot of a roadside motel. The place was a two-story flophouse with rows of rooms facing a parking lot filled with old cars and U-Hauls. Water poured down from sagging gutters on the flat roof. Across the street, a group of men huddled in the doorway of a caged liquor store. All stared at the luxury SUV as if an alien ship had landed on the block.
Sean pulled under a lonely street lamp, leaving the engine on. His heart was thumping and he was scared, but something made him think that Kenny wasn’t going to hurt him. Kenny seemed scared himself.