CHAPTER FIFTEEN In twenty-eight years, I’ve seen death. Lily and Sunny, the countless fish that died in the hands of my father. And all the loved ones that people carry around in their heads. Their parents, war buddies, their best friend from college. But I’d never seen human death in person. I’d never been face-to-face with a human corpse. Steven, my first real friend, was dying, not dead, and when he passed, I only saw the casket, his school picture. Not like the past twenty-four hours. Robert and Rachel. Two people who made the mistake of coming into my life. Without question. Rachel was my fault, and even though I don’t have any hard proof, I’m sure Robert’s death is also on me. Robert heard my thoughts of escape, knew about my plans. I didn’t know him very well, but I can’t believe he took his own life, even by accident. One final jerk-off before his hunt for Wayne King. Wayne must have set up his death, made it look like some perverted attempt to get off that simply went awry.
