Tommy looked down at his plate and ate his dinner in silence.

Later he asked Kathy, “What’s with this guy?”

“Mom’s new boyfriend.”

“Well, Jesus, he’s acting like he thinks he can tell me what to do. He been coming around here a lot?”

“He’s got a room in town,” Kathy said, “so I guess no one can really say they’re living together. But I’ve got eyes.”

During the next weekend furlough, Tommy met Del Moore’s son, Stuart, and liked him right away. About Billy’s age, Stuart was a football player and an all-around athlete. But what Tommy liked most about Stuart was the way he handled his motorcycle. He could make that bike do things Tommy had never seen before.

Allen liked Stuart too, and Ragen respected him for his athletic ability and his skill and daring. It was an exciting weekend, and they all found themselves looking forward to spending more time with this new friend, who accepted them without questioning their strange behavior. Stuart never called any of them absent-minded or a liar. Tommy thought he would like to be like Stuart someday.

Tommy told Stuart that after he got out of the youth camp, he didn’t feel he could live at home anymore. He didn’t fhink it was right, with Del spending so much time there. Stuart told him that when the time came, they’d share an apartment together.

“You really mean it?” Tommy asked.

“I mentioned it to Del,” Stuart said, “and he thinks its a great idea. He figures we’ll sort of keep an eye on each other.” But a few weeks before he was due to be released from Zanesville, Tommy learned that Dorothy wouldn’t be coming up for her regular visit.

On August 5, 1973, Stuart Moore had been riding his motorcycle in Circleville. Turning a fast corner, he crashed into the back of a boat on a trailer; both cycle and boat burst into flames on collision. Stuart was killed instantly.

Hearing about it, Tommy went into shock. Stuart—his brave, smiling friend who was going to conquer the world— engulfed in flames. Tommy couldn’t stand it any longer. He didn’t want to be here anymore. Then David came to feel Stuart’s agony and to cry Tommy’s tears …

Chapter Thirteen

(1)

A month after Stuarts death, Billy Milligan was released from Zanesville. A few days after his return, Allen was reading in his room when Del Moore came in and asked if he’d like to go fishing. He knew Del was trying to score points with Dorothy—Kathy said they’d probably get married. “Sure,” Allen said. “Love fishing.”

Del made all the arrangements, took the next day off from work and came by to pick Billy up.

Tommy looked at him in disgust. “Fishing? Shit, I don’t want to go fishing.”

When Tommy came out of his room and Dorothy confronted him with his inconsiderate behavior—first promising to go fishing with Del and then changing his mind—Tommy looked at them both in astonishment. “Christ! He never even asked me to go fishing.”