A Land More Kind than Home

Barefield speaks to Adelaide two days after Stump’s death. She insists that she has no knowledge of the cause of Stump’s death, explaining that the church congregation members who brought him to her house insisted that they were attempting to heal him. Barefield presses, urging her to trust him and reveal what she might know. He is concerned that Chambliss has instructed Adelaide not to speak to him. Finally, Adelaide notes that Stump’s death reminded her of another death: Molly Jameson’s.

Two days later, Barefield learns the location of the house where Chambliss is living. He enters the house but doesn’t find Chambliss and then wanders into the barn: Chambliss is there, sitting in the dark. The room is covered with snake skins, and Chambliss turns the conversation to them, evading Barefield’s request to talk about the night Stump died. When Barefield tells him that he’d like to talk about Molly Jameson as well, Chambliss agrees to talk.

They leave the dark barn and step outside into the light. Barefield presses Chambliss to explain what happened to Stump, but Chambliss repeatedly evades his questions, emphasizing the importance of healing. Barefield tells him that the coroner’s report indicates that while Stump suffered three broken ribs, his cause of death was asphyxia, meaning that he was suffocated.