American Rust: A Novel

As Harris drives to Grace’s house, he thinks about all the times he’s pulled strings to keep Virgil and Poe out of trouble, partly out of his feelings for Grace and partly out of respect for Virgil’s pride. Everyone in town has been reduced to something less than they were, and Harris feels obliged to acknowledge that. He pulls up to Grace’s trailer with a bottle of wine. Despite Grace’s romantic overtures—dinner, perfume—Harris insists on talking about the case. He keeps his emotional guard up. They debate the case: Grace clings to the hope that Isaac was involved, but Harris reminds her of her son’s history. Grace cries hopelessly. Harris’s attempts to comfort her turn intimate. He reassures her that “[i]t’s early in the game” (239) and tells her not to lose hope until Poe talks to a lawyer. After dinner, they make love. Harris feels happy for the first time in a long while.

Isaac wakes from a dream to find the Baron stealing his cash. He chases him past the trailer park and along a four-lane roadway. Although Isaac has his knife, he knows he won’t use it. A police officer sees the chase and pulls his car across traffic and up onto the curb ahead of them, yelling at them both to stop.