A Land More Kind than Home

Two days later, Barefield learns the location of the house where Chambliss is living. He enters the house but doesn’t find Chambliss and then wanders into the barn: Chambliss is there, sitting in the dark. The room is covered with snake skins, and Chambliss turns the conversation to them, evading Barefield’s request to talk about the night Stump died. When Barefield tells him that he’d like to talk about Molly Jameson as well, Chambliss agrees to talk.

They leave the dark barn and step outside into the light. Barefield presses Chambliss to explain what happened to Stump, but Chambliss repeatedly evades his questions, emphasizing the importance of healing. Barefield tells him that the coroner’s report indicates that while Stump suffered three broken ribs, his cause of death was asphyxia, meaning that he was suffocated. He also warns Chambliss that Ben Hall may seek vengeance on him, having shown his anger by attacking the men from the church on the night of Stump’s death.

Barefield returns home. Over dinner, he discusses the lack of evidence or leads in Stump’s death with his wife. She assures him that things will change.

After school on Thursday, Jess goes to Joe Bill’s house, not wanting to be alone. They play “PIG” on Joe Bill’s makeshift basketball court, and Joe Bill asks Jess about his grandfather’s sudden appearance. Jess recalls staying with his grandfather at his trailer during Stump’s funeral, which his parents did not want him to attend. Jimmy cooked hot dogs over a fire for dinner and drank while they ate. He told Jess about Julie’s mother and how strictly religious she was, noting that Julie is clearly the same way.

Joe Bill asks Jess if he believes that Stump is in heaven. This leads to an argument about whether Stump could have been saved given that he could not speak to profess his belief in Christ. Joe Bill’s older brother, Scooter, and a friend arrive then, and though Jess prepares to leave, Joe Bill convinces him to stay. They continue the basketball game until they realize that Scooter is shooting at them with his BB gun. He is certain that Joe Bill has been using it despite his orders not to. When Joe Bill confesses, Scooter orders his friend to chase the younger boys. Jess takes off running.

By the time he returns home, it is raining heavily. Ben is outside, attempting to fix the rain barrel; Jess can tell that he has been drinking. Ben angrily demands to know how the rain barrel became damaged. Finally, Jess reveals that Stump stood on it to spy on their mother. Jess adds that they presumed that Ben was in the bedroom with her but that it turned out to be someone else.

Ben rushes into the house and immediately drinks from the liquor bottle in the kitchen. He throws another bottle across the kitchen, and it shatters on the floor. Then, he rushes to his bedroom and rummages through drawers as if looking for something. He drives off despite Jess yelling after him to come back.

Alone, Jess climbs into bed. He falls asleep after some time but wakes up when Ben comes back. Ben enters his room, asking if Jess is awake, but Jess pretends to sleep.

Adelaide drives away from the church, terrified after her encounter with the snake. The rain has turned into a thunderstorm, and she arrives home to find Julie gone. Not knowing what else to do, Adelaide prays.

She later awakens, not remembering climbing into bed and falling asleep. Ben is knocking at her door, and she can tell that he is drunk. He demands to speak to Julie, yelling about her affair and threatening to kill Chambliss. Adelaide threatens to call the sheriff, and Ben leaves.

Julie appears from a bedroom, having returned while Adelaide was asleep. Having heard Ben’s threats, she tells Adelaide that she plans to leave town the next day with Chambliss.

The sheriff has just showered when he receives a phone call from the station explaining that Julie Hall has requested a police escort at her home. Barefield agrees to meet her at the Hall home and then calls Adelaide in order to speak to Julie. However, Adelaide explains that Julie has already left with Chambliss, headed to the Hall home to retrieve Julie’s belongings.

Jess’s father wakes him suddenly the next morning, telling him that he is late for school. Jess tries to get up but finds himself falling asleep again until the sound of a car outside wakes him.

Ben rushes outside. Jess tries to follow him, but Ben yells at him to return to bed. From his bed, Jess hears gunshots. He rushes outside to see a police cruiser and his father; more shots ring out, and his father falls to the ground. The sheriff runs to Jess and hugs him, trying to direct him back inside the house.

As Barefield arrives, he witnesses Ben shooting at Chambliss, who is still in his car with Julie beside him; Barefield quickly ascertains that Chambliss is dead, having been shot through the head. Then, Ben turns the gun toward the sheriff. The sheriff pulls out his own gun and attempts to convince Ben to relinquish his weapon. Julie crawls out from Chambliss’s car, and Barefield sees that some of her fingers have been hit by shots that Ben fired. Ben yells about her infidelity, angrily reciting a Bible passage. Then, Jess appears. When Ben whips around to look at Jess—still holding the shotgun—the sheriff shoots Ben reflexively. Jess witnesses the shot and cries out as the sheriff carries him back into the house. Another officer arrives, and Barefield asks him to tend to Julie’s injuries while Barefield calls for an ambulance.

Inside, Barefield also calls Jimmy Hall. When Jimmy arrives, Barefield does not stop him from looking under the sheet that has been placed over Ben’s body. When Jimmy asks, Barefield confesses that he is indeed the one who shot Ben. He tells Jimmy that Jess will need him to care for him for some time, and Jimmy embraces Jess, who cries in his arms.

Adelaide attends Ben’s funeral. Jimmy is there, too, with Jess, but Julie is not. Adelaide notes how strange Barefield looks out of uniform and how ironic it is that the graves of both his son and Jimmy’s are in the same cemetery. 

After the death of Chambliss, someone removes the newspaper from the church windows. Adelaide returns to the services, bringing her Sunday school class with her.