The Life We Bury

Joe drives to Douglas’ home, an old farmhouse north of the city. He wears a hidden recording device to interview Douglas in hopes of capturing his confession. Douglas and Danielle divorced 25 years ago. Douglas cites a bible passage in reference to the divorce: “It is better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome woman. Proverbs 21:19” (207). Joe tells Douglas he knows the truth about Crystal’s death. Douglas responds in a rage, comparing Crystal to the Whore of Babylon. Joe tells him they have Douglas’ DNA from Crystal’s fingernail, lying to get a confession. Douglas takes a bottle and hits Joe. Joe’s last thought: “I had let this old man—this whiskey-soaked child molester—beat me” (211).

Joe regains consciousness. He’s in the trunk of his car, with cinder blocks chained to his ankles. Douglas is driving, presumably planning to dump Joe’s body into a river. Using tools he has in his trunk, Joe manages to undo the cinderblocks from his ankles and open the trunk (by removing a taillight). As soon as he feels the car slowing down, he pushes open the trunk and runs. Douglas shoots at him as he flees.