Gary Gilmore arranges for Annette Gurney, age 12, to babysit so he and Nicole Baker can camp, but Ida Damico objects. When Pete Galovan sees Gary walking closely with Annette, he suspects impropriety and warns Ida. Gary confronts Pete and demands an apology. The dispute escalates into a fight behind Vern Damico’s shop. Gary strikes first, but Pete overpowers him in a headlock and injures him before Vern breaks it up. Pete reports the assault and, fearing that Gary is “going to kill [him]” (126), informs Gary’s parole officer, Mont Court.

At work, Gary boasts of prison violence, drinks on the job, and behaves erratically. Nicole learns that Pete is pressing charges and confronts him, threatening retaliation if Gary returns to prison. Pete, troubled by fear and by his own religious conscience, reflects on his unstable past and failed marriage. Moved by Nicole’s plea and his desire for mercy, he drops the charges, obtains an insurance policy naming his ex-wife Elizabeth as his beneficiary, and places Gary’s name in the Mormon temple “so people would pray for him” (133).