“A dog will look at the ground when he’s done you wrong. A snake will look you in the eye.”
I can’t remember where I heard that saying — it wasn’t that long ago, I’m pretty sure — but at any rate, these are the first words of Sewerville: The Dark and Bloody Ground, and they ought to tell you something about where the story’s headed.
And, the first chapter is about a former U.S. Senator. That ought to tell you something, too.
So there you go.