The Boys from Biloxi

Hugh’s appeal is denied when the Mississippi Supreme Court upholds his conviction in 1980. Meanwhile, Keith gets a letter from Haley, who’s still in prison: Haley tells Keith that he has information about a drug trafficking operation that implicates Fats. Keith turns the information over to the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Fats is arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Before he’s sent away, however, he dies by suicide.

Keith, having effectively completed Jesse’s mission to “clean up the Coast,” becomes bored with the DA job. Hugh, Lance, and Fats are all out of the picture. Keith announces that he’s running for the state’s Attorney General office. The Gulf Coast Register endorses his campaign, as do other southern newspapers. Keith wins the election and, at just 35, becomes “the youngest AG in the state’s history, and the youngest in the country” (418).

Following a 1976 capital punishment appeals case, the US Court “gave the green light for the death states to resume killing. Most did so with great enthusiasm” (419). The first person Mississippi brings to the gas chamber is Jimmy Lee Gray, the man in the cell next to Hugh’s: “Far from a swift and painless death, the execution was botched and it was clear that Gray suffered greatly” (420). On “The Row,” the prisoners’ mood shifts: The men become more apprehensive, realizing that they may actually face execution and that it may be painful. Meanwhile, Nevin, under the alias “Lou Palmer” (to protect him, since he cooperated in Hugh’s case) is still in prison and is making plans to escape with the help of another inmate, Sammy Shaw.

In 1984, Keith is sworn in as Mississippi’s Attorney General. As AG, he’s eager to fast-track Hugh’s execution. At the same time, Henry Taylor—the man who actually planted the bomb that killed Jesse—is doing his time, protected with false alibis and frequent relocations to different prisons (part of the deal he got with law enforcement in exchange for cooperating in the case against Hugh). However, Lance figures out Henry’s real identity and where to find him and orders a hit on him. The men who do the job then dispose of Henry’s body in the ocean, for the sharks to eat—however, they first take a photo of Henry’s dead body, hanging over the ocean water. Lance has a copy of the photo sent to “Lou Palmer” (aka Nevin) as a threat, which underscores the theme of The Dangers of Loyalty.

Keith attends another of Hugh’s appeals hearings. His hope is that “Hugh Malco would be strapped down while Keith was still attorney general” (435). Meanwhile, Lance is out of prison and struggling to adapt to civilian life: “He was sixty-two years old. […] His favorite son was on death row. His marriage was long gone. Though he still had plenty of assets, his empire was in serious decline. His friends had deserted him. […] The Malco name, once feared and respected by man, was mud” (435-36).

Nevin and Sammy escape prison. Sammy is captured quickly. Nevin manages to escape completely. Keith isn’t worried, knowing that Nevin will flee far to get away from Lance, now free: “The last place Noll would surface was the Coast. Lance had put a $50,000 contract on his head and he’d made sure Noll knew it. If he had good sense, which he did, he would find his way to Brazil” (442).

Hugh’s series of appeals continue. Finally, the last appeal is finished, without success, and the execution date is set: March 28, midnight, 1985. A media frenzy ensues after the announcement:

The Gulf Coast Register re-ran the old team photo of Keith and Hugh as Little League all-stars, and the background proved irresistible. Stories flourished about their childhood on the Point. Former coaches, teachers, friends, and teammates were tracked down and interviewed (443).

Hugh’s last chance is an appeal to the governor of Mississippi, who could issue clemency. However, the governor approaches Keith first to discuss the topic, asking Keith how he feels about it. Keith tells him, “I want him [Hugh] executed” (445).

On the evening of Hugh’s execution, Keith goes to visit Hugh on The Row. The governor lets Keith borrow his Lear jet for the trip. On the way to the meeting, Keith flashes back to his and Hugh’s shared childhood. During Keith and Hugh’s conversation on The Row, Hugh tells Keith that he didn’t mean to kill Jesse—the bomb was only meant to scare him. Hugh even cries. Keith believes him. Hugh reveals that he doesn’t want Lance or his mother there for his execution: “I can’t stand the thought of either of my parents watching me die like this” (453). Keith won’t stay to watch either, telling Hugh: “For a long time, I’ve dreamed of watching your execution, but I can’t do it. I’m flying to Biloxi to sit with my mother” (454). Hugh replies, “So long, pal. I’ll see you on the other side” (454).