Chapter 3 Summary

Although Denny Adler would rather be panhandling, he works a job at a deli so he can look legal when reporting to his parole officer. In three months, his parole will be finished. He gets a call from Big Charley Santino, a former fellow inmate, wanting to meet with him.

Seamus Lambston is emotionally spent after a tumultuous weekend where the check he sent the college for his youngest daughter's tuition bounced. The thousand dollars that Seamus pays Ethel each month for alimony is a point of contention between himself and Ruth. When Ruth learns that Ethel has signed a half-million dollar book contract and the college check bounces, Ruth demands that Seamus go to Ethel to try to convince her to stop requiring the alimony payments. When Ruth asks, Seamus says that he has talked to Ethel who has agreed to stop...