Thirty-Two

On the last Sunday in February, Van drives Arthur to Yorrick, Vermont, for Arthur’s mother’s parole hearing. They check into a bleak Best Western near the prison. That night Van sends Arthur to the 7-Eleven for snacks, inadvertently giving Arthur a clear, time-stamped alibi he never needs.

In the morning, Arthur goes alone to Black Cricket penitentiary. He presents a prepared statement highlighting his mother’s lifetime of service, her pastoral work in prison, and the void her incarceration has left in his life. The board—led by a former congresswoman—questions him about remorse and responsibility, and a retired state policeman challenges how anyone can make amends for a death.

Arthur answers that further punishment will not ease anyone’s pain and asks for the chance to reclaim his life. The congresswoman offers no decision but acknowledges his mother’s exceptional record and, crucially, notes that a “weapon” once found in her cell was likely planted by a resentful lifer over a book club dispute. The remark gives Arthur cautious optimism even as she warns him to stay out of trouble.

Arthur returns to the hotel, unsettled but hopeful. Van, energized, tells him Colin called: there has been a costly library break-in back at school. While it’s a “fuckin’ outrage,” Van assures Arthur he won’t be blamed—news that both relieves Arthur and underscores the growing turbulence around them.