Part 2 Chapter 12 Summary

Early on 10 September, 1931, Clement Owens prepares to return to the city while on the roof of his carriage house, Carl prepares to kill him with a scoped rifle. Unable to go through with it, Carl is relieved. He tells a gas attendant about almost killing someone, but the man misunderstands. Only as he reaches the farm does Carl consider his secret, lifelong cowardice. He is eight and Hilda four when Carl cannot bring himself to tell a man to stop beating his fallen horse; Hilda is the hero. Now, Carl is serene, having followed the trail of evidence and spared the culprit. Now he can think only of Mathilda, whom he had loved. Amanda, on the other hand, is worried that she has driven Carl away. She wants to leave instead, feeling foolish to expect forgiveness from Carl. Laundering Carl's shirts...