Chapter 10

## Chapter Ten

This is the tenth chapter of the *Banana Fish* manga.

## Summary

Ash's reason for leaving Cape Cod is revealed as more danger lurks close by.

## Plot

Jim tells the group how his second wife, Ash's mother, had run off with another man as soon as Ash had been born. Max asks why Ash was so hesitant to return home and Jim begins to reveal Ash's mysterious past.

Jim begins the story when Ash was seven years old. He tells how there was a well-loved veteran man in town who was regarded as one of their valued community pillars as he had won several military awards, was well loved by the children, and coached a little league team that Ash was part of. One day, Ash had returned home in a horrific state. Jim was able to tell what happened even without Ash saying anything.

Max asks if they had reported the attack to the police. Jim explains that they had tried to, but the police had believed that Ash had seduced the vet and was lying to try to ruin his reputation. Seeing that no one was going to believe them, Jim instructed his young son to ask for payment if the assaults continued, which they did. But not long after Ash had turned eight, he had shot his attacker with his father's gun. When the police investigated the man's house, they had found the skeletal remains of several children in his basement. The scandal had been quite a shocking story and the man was dubbed "The Bluebeard of Cape Cod". Under the circumstances, Ash hadn't been charged with killing his attacker, but the story still brought negative attention due to small town gossip. Jim had made arrangements to send Ash to live with his aunt in Philadelphia, but the young boy had instead run away.

Well into the night, the group are making their way back to the house, but they are all stunned by the new information regarding Ash. Even though they all have sympathy for Ash and what he went through at such a young age, Eiji feels confident that Ash will not let such an experience keep him down as he is a strong person.

At the diner, Jim and Jennifer begin closing the store when Jennifer asks why he is the way he is toward Ash, especially now that he is his only son. Jim tries to keep her silent, but they are soon interrupted by men in suits.

At the house, Max questions Ibe if Eiji really is his assistant. Ibe answers that the title was just that which prompts Max to next ask why Ibe needed to drag Eiji away from Japan. Ibe tells how Eiji was previously a very talented pole vaulter but fell into a slump after his injury that caused him to lose passion for the sport and lose the numerous scholarships being offered to him. Ibe wanted to help Eiji rekindle his love for jumping and thought bringing him to America might help. Ibe saw this as a form of pay back as Eiji had been the one who provided Ibe the chance to become a camera man. Max suspects that Ibe was a little envious of Eiji and this might have been part of the reason he helped the teen so much.

Elsewhere in the house, Eiji wonders why Ash had not returned. Shorter feels there is no need to worry since Ash is in his hometown. Despite this assurance, Eiji decides to go look for Ash with Shorter joining him. Although Shorter dislikes how cold the night has become, the two begin searching the area for their missing friend when they make their way toward the diner and notice that the lights are still on despite knowing Jim claimed he would be closing. Eiji hopes that Ash is there with his father to talk things over.

As they near the diner, they notice Ash hiding in the shadows of the building. Shorter suspects something is wrong but is too late to prevent Eiji from calling out to Ash. Exposed, Ash is narrowly able to avoid getting hit by a bullet. Shorter forces Eiji to the ground and out of sight from the men he suspects are working for Dino.

In the diner, the men have Jim and Jennifer hostage and order Ash to drop his weapon and surrender himself if he doesn't want the two hurt. On a nearby hilltop, Max and Ibe notice that Dino's men have found them. The men inside become impatient and threaten to harm Jennifer unless Ash comes forward. Hearing his stepmother in danger, Ash willingly surrenders his gun.

Seeing Ash give himself up, Max and Ibe wonder what they can do to help. Ash enters the diner with his hands behind his head. True to their word, the men release Jennifer who rushes to Ash's side. One of the men mock Ash for thinking he could face Dino and warn that they may have to break his arms purely for safety concerns.

Suddenly, Dino's men are blinded by bright lights and someone, Max, claiming they are the police. Ash uses the distraction to attack but the second man shoots and kills Jennifer is the chaos. Jim grabs hold of the man while shouting at Ash to run and is shot in the shoulder. Ash grabs a discarded gun and kills the man. In doing so, he doesn't notice the first man sneaking up behind him but is saved when Shorter appears behind the man and cuts his throat.

The other men enter the diner and are caught off guard by the sight and finding Jennifer dead and Jim losing blood from his wound. They hear shouts from one of Jim's friends. Max hurries out to delay the man. Jim asks Ash to give him the gun he shot the man with. When handed the gun, he wipes it clean of Ash's prints and orders Shorter to wipe his prints from the knife he had and put it in Jennifer's hand. Knowing the cops will be arriving soon, Jim tells the group to get away and out of town.

Figuring Ash is somehow mixed up with a mafia boss that may be responsible for Griffin's death, Jim urges Ash to leave before the cops arrive. He instructs his son to take a box of money hidden on a shelf and collapses on the floor as sirens can be heard. Max urges Ash not to waste his father's actions. Ash starts to leave but father and son warn each other not to die before he leaves. With tears in his eyes, Ash jumps into the truck and they leave Cape Cod.

In New York, Dino and Lee Wang are having dinner together where Dino informs Lee Wang of Ash's recent actions of stealing the Banana Fish sample and running off. Dino is somewhat surprised to hear Lee Wang admit he's aware of the Banana Fish and what it can do but the Chinese man admits it might not be of much use to his organization at this point in time as they have their own supply of poisons.

Dino makes it clear that their paths are different and asks Lee Wang to overlook certain events in exchange for a portion of the European heroin market in the next fiscal year. Lee Wang is surprised to hear what Dino is willing to surrender in order to catch Ash even though Dino claims it's not all done due to pride or spite. He reveals that one of those in Ash's group is a reporter and it would be best to keep information from spreading. Understanding the benefits and risks at hand, Lee Wang agrees to lend any means to Dino.

Dino informs the younger man that Ash's group may be headed to Los Angeles now. With this area being more under Lee Wang's control, he offers the services of a man named Yut-Lung whom he claims will be very beneficial to the apprehension.

In the country, Ash and Shorter escape a chicken farm with several chickens to feed the group. As the two gang leaders defeather the chickens, Max and Ibe try to figure out where they are when Ash senses something and the group notices a light heading toward them. A man with a flashlight approaches and asks why the group is camping in a public park.

Hearing they're in a park catches the group by surprise and they ask where they are. The man answers they are in Los Angeles.

## Characters

* Jim Callenreese
* Ash Lynx
* Eiji Okumura
* Shunichi Ibe
* Max Lobo
* Shorter Wong
* Jennifer
* Dino's men
* Lee Wang Lung
* Dino Golzine

## Trivia

* Jim's unnamed sister lived in Philadelphia.

* Ash's mother was Jim's second wife. Jennifer is his third.