No Return

65

Wes had actually broken the promise he’d made to Lars and Mandy not to tell anyone about that night. But he had never mentioned their names, only his own involvement. Of course, his father wasn’t dumb, and though he didn’t say anything to Wes, he would have known who else was involved.

They had sat in silence after Wes had finished telling him what had happened. Wes was sure his dad was going to force him to go to the cops and confess.

“This girl, you’re positive he raped her?”

“One hundred percent.”

Wes’s dad drew in a deep breath, then exhaled loudly through his nose. “There are times we’re faced with near-impossible situations. Ones where no matter which choice we make, neither direction feels like a good one. But most times, even in these circumstances, while there might not be a good choice, there’s always a right one. And I’d say you made the right one.”

His father didn’t make him go to the police. He saw things in much the same way Lars had seen them. “I’ll take care of this.”

Two weeks later his parents sat him down in the living room and told him they were splitting up. Wes was to move to San Diego with his mother, while his dad would be staying in Ridgecrest. Wes had known things were bad between them, but it was still a shock. Several hours later his father found him in his room.

“Two things you need to know,” his father said. “First, you had absolutely nothing to do with the problems your mother and I are having. It is what it is, and what we talked about tonight has been a long time coming. The second thing, and I want you to listen to me very carefully, once you get to San Diego you are never, ever to come back here again.”

“Never? But when will-”

“No,” Wes’s dad said. “There’s no questioning this.” He paused. “I went out last week to the mine near … what did you call it? The Rocks?”

Wes stared at his dad, too surprised to confirm.

“I found some timbers farther back in the shaft and tossed them in the hole. The chance that somebody will find what’s down there is almost zero. But if they do, I want you away from here. There’s nothing there that’s going to tie you to the body.”

“My blood is on him.”

“I took care of it. Your job is to just stay away.”

In that instant Wes realized what his father had really done. He had gone to the mine, left footprints there, touched items that were now down the shaft with Jack’s body. If the body was found, his father was going to take the blame.

“I can’t ask you to-”

“No, you can’t,” his dad said. “I don’t want to hear any more about it. This subject is closed.”