Summary

Chapter 20 is subtitled “October 17, 1975, New York.” This chapter begins with Babe reading the Esquire article. She had heard the rumors that Ann had killed herself after reading it, but Babe had not believed it. Now she did. Not only had Truman’s vitriol led to Ann’s death, but it had left Babe feeling humiliated and betrayed. She read the article again and was then more certain than ever that Truman had written about her friends and her husband. She was especially horrified reading about a husband having sex with a mistress who, because she was menstruating, bled all over the sheets. The man washed the sheets in the tub and dried them in the oven to elude his wife. Babe considered this story for a long time, finally calling Slim to discuss it. Babe suspected the man was Bill but refused to...