Small Mercies

Mary Pat awakens to a loud knock that proves to be nothing, leaving her with a profound sense of loneliness. She goes back to the Fields of Athenry pub and walks in, ignoring the “Closed” sign. She goes through the back door and enters an outside area in the shadow of a house that is rumored to be the epicenter of Butler’s criminal empire. She and Brian confront one another, with Brian claiming that no one saw Jules walk home, and Mary Pat citing the detectives’ claim that Jules was somehow involved in Auggie Wiliamson’s death. Angry at Mary Pat for talking with the police and citing them as an authority, Brian tells her that she is making a huge disturbance over what is probably just teenage mischief or a trip to Florida, all while they are busy renovating Butler’s living room. He darkly warns her that people who do not behave like good neighbors can expect to have bad things happen to them.

The next day at work, news reports reveal that Auggie Williamson’s car had broken down, and that he likely went to the subway as the quickest way back to Mattapan, but ran into trouble there.