Page 106 of I Dare You
They won’t let this go.So here goes nothing.
“At the time of the”—I take a moment—“rape, I knew nothing about them.I didn’t see their faces.I didn’t know their names.So I could only distinguish them from the limited clues I had.Smokes, Lisp, and Whiskey.”
Kit closes his eyes, pained, while Dandy sniffs beside me.
“The man I killed was the leader.He was Smokes.He’s the one who…raped me first.”
God, that’s such an ugly word.
Kit’s hands furl into fists by his sides.He remains quiet.
“The one I…ran over was Whiskey.Smokes told me his name was Freddy.And that Lisp is Jack.”
“What was Smokes’s name?”
The room is still.
“Arthur Singleton,” I finally reveal.
I wait for horror.
Disgust.
Judgment.
I don’t get any of the above.
What I do get, however, is Dandy looking at Kit, mouth agape.
“Do you know him?”I ask, surprised.
Dandy ignores me and instead, with urgency, asks, “You said there was someone else.You said someone was directing the men.That it wasn’t random.”
I nod, unsure where he’s going with this.“Yes, but I don’t know his name.All I know is that his name is Legs.I found a lighter in Arthur’s car with the initials L11.I assume it belongs to Legs.”
Kit slumps into the recliner while Dandy leans back, cupping his mouth with both hands.
“What’s going on?You know who Legs is, then?This is good, right?”Both men look like they’ve seen a ghost.
They don’t say a word.
“Dandy?Kit?”I ask, my worry growing.
Kit clears his throat before speaking.“Hallie, I need you to tell me everything Arthur said.”
Suddenly, recalling minor details seems impossible.
“Hallie!”he presses, leaning forward in his seat.
“He said that Jack is Legs’s b-brother and that I was a homecoming present as he came back from boot camp and wanted to lose his virginity.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.”Dandy dry retches.
“What else?”
“I’ve told you everything!”I scream, jolting from my seat.“Arthur seemed terrified of Legs’s family, which is why he didn’t tell me who he and Jack are.Now tell me what’s going on!”
I prepare myself for the worst, but as Kit stands slowly, I realize nothing can prepare me for this.
