Chapter 13 Summary

Mary's exile in Colorado nears its end as the adults around her behave more extremely. Charlie and Hector stay out late drinking, and Mary anxiously waits every night for their car to careen safely into the driveway. Not only is the drunken drive home treacherous, but the atmosphere inside the bar can be dangerous as well. The last time Lecia and Mary are allowed at Charlie's bar, the Longhorn, is the night a depressed Joey points a gun at his own temple. After that, most of the patrons start carrying guns. This includes Charlie, who keeps a pearl-handled pistol in her bag. Mary is familiar with guns, having handled them in Texas, but the edge of desperation to the gun-holders at the Longhorn makes her nervous.

This seething air of violence comes to a sharp point the night that Charlie decides to shoot...