Chapter 3
On the drive down the hill to Riata, Perry kept quiet. What could he say? Even though pain radiated from Ike in suffocating waves, Perry knew he could not assuage it. He might wish he could, but wishing wasn’t doing. He sensed how private his temporary guest was, how accustomed Ike had become to keeping everything locked within. You didn’t bawl your eyes out in the pen. You tried not to flinch or show any sign of weakness, no matter what happened. Even the smallest crack in a person’s armor became an invitation to cruel exploitation. Ike had probably learned that the hard way, although Perry suspected he’d been self-contained since childhood.
Instead of going home, he swung in to park at Dot’s. He really didn’t feel like cooking, and anyway, Dot needed the support of local cust
