Bag of Bones

Mattie calls Mike while he is writing. She is pleased to hear that he hasn’t given writing up and is equally pleased to report that her conversation with Storrow has left her feeling optimistic. Mike is secretly happy to hear Mattie’s expressions of gratitude, as he interprets them as being flirtatious. Mattie also apologizes for upsetting him about Jo, but Mike dismisses it.

Mike thinks back to his dream, where all three women had invited him to do whatever he wanted to them. He acknowledges the illicit nature of his fantasy, but also tells himself that it is an indication of how dire the other issues in his life feel.

Storrow calls Mike and rebukes him for meeting Mattie at her home rather than somewhere public. Although the town will suspect that they are sleeping together, Storrow indicates that it won’t disadvantage Mattie in court. The biggest advantage he currently sees for their case is that Max doesn’t have a strong position to become Kyra’s guardian if Mattie is deemed unfit.

Storrow has hired a local lawyer named Romeo Bissonette to accompany Mike to the deposition. Storrow reminds Mike to stick to the truth and let Bissonette step in to object if necessary. Mike arranges for the legal bills to be sent directly to him, instructing Storrow not to tell Mattie how much it will cost him. When the call is over, Mike feels alive again.

Mike returns to writing his new novel, which is about a private investigator who tries to exonerate a yardman accused of being a serial killer. Mike instinctively knows that his novel will go in the direction of proving that someone else framed the yardman for the murders.

Mike goes down to the lake for a swim and suddenly realizes that the empty years he has spent grieving for Jo are over. He bursts into tears as he enters the lake, feeling like he has experienced a resurrection.

Mike attends the deposition in Durgin’s office. Mike’s attention is drawn to the stenographer, who is using a Stenomask over his face rather than a typing machine. Before Durgin can ask Mike any questions, Footman delivers a tape recording, presumably that of Max’s phone conversation with Mike, to Durgin. Durgin condescends to Mike, prompting Bissonette to step in.

Mike admits to his conversations with Mattie and Kyra. Mike also admits that he has spoken to Kyra over the phone, which Durgin asks him to elaborate on. During a recent call, Mattie had given the phone over to Kyra because she said she wanted to talk to Mike. Kyra told Mike that she was taking her first bubble bath. Durgin asks if she told Mike that she had coughed. Mike cautiously admits that she did, but before he can explain that it was because she and Mattie were having a playful bubble-fight and that she was laughing when she coughed, Durgin cuts him off. Bissonette steps in again to allow Mike to finish his explanation.

Mike tries to allude to Durgin’s awareness of his private telephone conversations. Durgin deflects by asking questions that frame Mattie as a neglectful parent, emphasizing the danger that Kyra had been in when Mike saw her on the highway. Mike argues that Kyra wasn’t in any pronounced danger when he spotted her. He carefully denies knowing how fast Mattie actually went down the highway and emphasizes that his attention was directed toward Kyra.

Bissonette calls Durgin out for asking questions that favor Max’s position in the case. Durgin uses this to probe into Mike’s engagement with Max, asking him about their phone conversation. When Mike realizes that the tape recording that Footman delivered is a bluff, he immediately denies remembering anything about their phone call. Durgin reminds him of what he said, prompting Bissonette to point out that Durgin could be held liable by the judge for pressing his witness. Durgin backs off for the remainder of the deposition.

Mike goes to the town common to meet Storrow and the Devore girls. Mattie kisses Mike on the mouth. They chat about Mattie’s readers’ circle, the deposition, and the tape recording of Max and Mike’s phone conversation. Storrow theorizes that the recording would have been weak evidence because it wouldn’t have impugned Mattie. Storrow adds that he has been doing his own research on the Devore family, hiring a private investigator to assist in the case. He is trying to arrange a meeting with Max, but he needs Max’s lawyer present to make their discussion count as evidence.

Storrow promises to update Mattie on his next steps. After the Devores leave, Storrow privately tells Mike that he doesn’t think Mattie is lucky, because he can see her hiding a cloud of sadness inside her. Mike wrestles with his lustful feelings for Mattie.

Mike returns home and writes. Before dinner, Mike hears the ringing of Bunter’s bell, followed by the angry shriek of a woman. Mike is terrified, even after the shriek fades away. He suspects it may be Jo and asks if she’s in pain. He is answered by the sobbing child. When he passes by the fridge, the magnets have been rearranged to read “help im drown” (259). Mike initially resolves to leave, but he stays in to write more of his novel.

Despite continued manifestations of the spirits, Mike is afraid to leave the house because he fears losing momentum on his new novel. He titles his manuscript “My Childhood Friend,” alluding to the book’s antagonist.

The Tuesday after his deposition, Mike goes to the softball field to catch a glimpse of Max. Neither he nor Rogette are present, though Mike sees Mattie attending the game with Storrow. Mike feels jealous of Storrow, but then Mattie sees him and greets him affectionately.

Later that night, Storrow tells Mike that Mattie had attempted to find out what happened to Max that day, but some of the townspeople wouldn’t even acknowledge her. Storrow theorizes that Max might give up the case entirely, citing the fact that no custody hearing has been scheduled as of yet.

The next day, Mike learns that his cleaner, Brenda, believes that the lake is haunted. She explains that one of the Red-Top Boys died at the lake, having been caught in an animal trap that caused him to die from blood poisoning. She also recalls one of Mike’s neighbors, Kenny Auster, whose father, Normal, had drowned Kenny’s younger brother and died by suicide around the lake decades earlier. Brenda theorizes that the sounds Mike hears at night could be the cabin logs getting damp.

On Thursday, Mike visits the library to renew his library card. He asks the librarian, Lindy Briggs, for any material on the history of TR-90, as well as Sara Tidwell and the Red-Top Boys. Lindy gives him a book by Edward Osteen, which contains a photograph of the musical group. He sees Mattie working at the library and tells her about his interest in local history. 

Mike finds Osteen’s book less than satisfactory but uses it anyway to verify the stories that Brenda told him. The boy who died of blood poisoning was the only child of Red-Top Boys guitarist Reginald “Son” Tidwell. Looking at their picture, Mike speculates that Son and Sara were siblings. By the time he gets home, Mike forgets about them, refocusing on his novel instead.

Later that night, Storrow calls Mike to tell him that the investigator he hired, George Kennedy, has found evidence of Durgin’s bribery. Storrow shifts the topic to admit that he is smitten with Mattie, which stuns Mike. Although Storrow admits that he cannot court her while he is her lawyer, Mike is crestfallen that Storrow would be a more appropriate match for Mattie because they are closer in age. Mike calls out to Jo’s spirit, asking who the other man was. The television switches by itself to an old episode of the legal drama series Perry Mason, where an actress declares that she isn’t a liar. Mike finds relief in this message. The next morning, he gets up early to write.

While catching up with Bill, Mike learns that Jo had been planning to write something about Sara Tidwell and the Red-Top Boys for the newspaper. Mike wonders why Jo hadn’t told him about this project. Bill cautions him not to write anything that would offend the townspeople, as they had felt offended when Jo started interviewing people. One of the topics she broached in her interviews was Kerry Auster, the boy who was drowned by his father, Normal. Mike can tell that Bill is lying about something, but can’t tell what. Bill speaks about Sara in a way that suggests that he is racist.

Bill warns Mike against interfering in Mattie’s affairs, hinting that the townspeople will start to ostracize him too. Mike defends his actions by reminding Bill that Mattie is being threatened by Max, whose malice Bill recognizes. Bill points out that the town will suffer the consequences if Mike persists in antagonizing Max. In 1933, Max had been the one to set the summer fires that destroyed Tidwell’s Meadow. Mike tells Bill that Sara Laughs is haunted. Bill acknowledges that it always has been and suggests that Mike should return to Derry if it bothers him.

Mike decides to corroborate what he has learned from Bill by contacting his accountant and Jo’s former colleague, Bonnie. Though a fax from Mike’s accountant shows that Jo’s schedule had been filled with organizational work, Bonnie reveals that Jo had quit working with all of her volunteer organizations before she died. Between 1993 and 1994, Jo had secretly been visiting TR-90.

Mike walks along the street encircling the lake, realizing that Jo had brought his typewriter to her studio to work on her project. Mike suddenly experiences the sensation of drowning as a voice begs him for help. Mike smells something bad and sees a Black boy, as well as the white man drowning him, in the lake. As the vision fades away, Mike registers Max Devore sitting behind him, asking him where his “whore” is.

Max sits in a motorized wheelchair, which has a built-in respirator. He is accompanied by Whitmore. An angry Mike deflects Max’s insinuations by bringing up the lake’s history of deaths. He asks if the boy who had been drowned was a Tidwell too. Max ignores his question, offering him the opportunity to leave town and save his soul. Mike rejects his offer, taunting that Max will never have Kyra.

Mike tries to go home, but is physically blocked by Max and Whitmore. Mike fights back, pushing Whitmore away. Max strikes the back of Mike’s head with his cane, bringing him down. To escape being run over by Max’s wheelchair, Mike escapes into the lake. Whitmore starts throwing rocks at Mike, hitting him twice. Mike swims out to escape, though Whitmore and Max follow him back to his house.

Mike tries to shake them off by indicating he will stay out of Max’s business. He soon realizes that they mean to kill him and buy the town’s silence to cover it up. Mike struggles to wait out their departure from the lake. He keeps getting heavier as time goes by and worries that he’ll eventually drown. Jo’s voice promises to help Mike swim to the float near their house. While swimming, Mike feels an unseen hand pick him up from the water and bring him closer to the float. He recovers there. When he searches for Max and Whitmore, they are gone.

Once Mike feels safe, he returns home and thanks Jo for saving him.

Mike treats his injuries and nearly calls the police, before realizing how pathetic it would make him sound to have been beaten by two elderly people. The fact that he has nothing to prove his experience to the press would only work in Max’s favor. Instead, Mike calls Storrow, leaving a message for him when he doesn’t answer his phone. Next, Mike calls Mattie and learns that she has been fired from her library job. Lindy claimed she was firing Mattie on budgetary grounds. Mike is certain that Max secretly ordered Mattie’s dismissal. 

Mike tries to reassure Mattie, but she is worried because of all the bills she has to pay. He promises to take care of her bills on loan. Mike asks Mattie about her earlier statement that Max’s great-grandfather had known Mike’s. Mattie cannot elaborate on it, unable to remember anything else Max said about their ancestors.

Mike plays around with his fridge magnets and finds himself lost in the subconscious trance that writing puts him in. He shakes out of his trance when a car arrives. Mike cautiously arms himself to meet the driver, Richard Osgood. Osgood brings a message from Max and waits for Mike’s response. Mike gives him the middle finger, sending him away. 

Whitmore, who has written the message on Max’s behalf, offers to drop the custody case if Mike gets involved in Max’s legal business. The message ends with a rude question about Mike and Mattie’s relationship, underscoring Max’s mean-spiritedness. Mike calls Whitmore to convey his response. He accepts the deal and warns them not to harass him, Mattie, or Kyra again. Whitmore hints that he will feel differently in a week before hanging up.

Mike sees a new message on his fridge: “Go down 19” (316). He believes it has to do with a crossword puzzle, but can’t find any insight in his puzzle books. While trying to sleep, he hears the child sobbing again. He thinks it’s Kyra and reassures her that she’s safe.