We Begin at the End

With the revelation in court of his Parkinson’s, Walk accepts his reassignment. Martha challenges his decision to lie under oath and manufacture evidence to acquit Vincent. Martha dismisses his heroism: “You’ve lived the past thirty years for someone else” (321).

Duchess heads back to Montana. She hitchhikes—an old couple picks her up. Desperate for money, she breaks into their hotel room through the window and steals their money. The old woman wakes up while Duchess is rifling through her purse. She says nothing. Duchess exits—she had let them know “the world was not good” (326).

Walk drives to Montana to pick up Duchess and Robin. He is determined to keep them safe.

Thomas, home alone, is watching television when suddenly the power goes out. Then he hears a window break downstairs and is terrified. A man calls to him—tell me what I want to know, and I will leave, he growls. Where is Duchess Radley? Thomas knows this is the man in Escalade looking for the girl he loves. Suddenly a gunshot shatters the silence and Walk storms into the home. He chases Darke out the door and into the woods. Walk shoots and clips Darke in the shoulder. Walk demands to know what happened.