Defending Jacob

After the trial ends, the Barber family falls into a routine. Andy is still on paid leave. The neighbors continue to distrust the family: “Jacob may not have murdered Ben Rifkin, but they had heard enough to be disturbed by him” (388). Jacob continues to be “even-tempered” (389). They fantasize about moving to Bisbee, Arizona. The lingering effects of the trial hit Laurie the worst: she is “wary” (391) and damaged after the first true difficulty of her privileged life.

Andy visits his father in prison to ask him why he had Patz killed. Billy denies knowing Father O’Leary despite spending six years in prison together. There is a “winking indulgence” (393) to his denial. Andy tells him that Jacob was innocent, and his intervention has done him a disservice—Jacob has been denied his day in court, and there will always be doubt in people’s minds. Billy tells Andy that he is a fool, but invites him to call the cops, tell them the whole story, and try and have Jacob tried again. The grand jury transcripts show that, while Andy confesses to the reader that Patz was murdered, he tells Logiudice there’s no way anyone could know his true fate.