American Rust: A Novel

Alone in her trailer, Grace tries to process Poe’s incarceration and the idea that she may never see him again. She blames herself for always giving Virgil one more chance. She realizes that, during the past 20-year roller coaster with Virgil and Poe, she has utterly neglected herself. She decides to save money for a lawyer, even if it means not making payments on the trailer. Harris pulls up and gives Grace an update—Poe’s location, and the fact that his mugshot will probably be in the paper the next day. Harris makes them drinks, and they sit together quietly. Grace runs her hand across his lap, but Harris rebukes her. Why, he wonders, would this time be any different? She agrees to take it slow, and they part amicably. For the first time in a long time, she feels hopeful.

Inside his cell, Poe fights boredom, making a belt out of a torn bedsheet. The noise in the cellblock is disquieting, but he resolves to mind his own business and keep his head down. The next morning, a guard lets him out for breakfast. The cafeteria is chaotic, not a guard in sight, “a place you could get away with anything” (196), but there is no other option for seating.