an old black prisoner delivers a frosty mint julep to superintendent abernathy who rocks slowly in his chair. at his feet, his 10-year-old daughter mae rose is playing jacks. her long blonde hair makes her look like a little angel. the men of camp 8 paint a fence along the drive leading up to the big house. up on the porch, claude brings a tray of minted iced tea to superintendent wilkins, who sets aside his bible and washes down a couple of pills. ray hacks a rose bush down to the nub. from the garage comes the sound of an engine turning over. wilkins' 1973 lincoln continental convertible lurches down the drive with claude at the wheel. he screeches to a halt inches from ray's legs and climbs from the car. a gurney carrying pike's body is lifted into the back of a van by two county coroners. nearby, a distraught wilkins tells his story to a couple of sheriff's deputies.