Plunkett only confesses to crimes in non-death-penalty states, assuring via an immunity deal that he will never be executed. He is sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole and placed into solitary confinement at Sing Sing. Remaining in a catatonic state for an extended period of time, he finally breaks his silence by contacting a publisher and asking for assistance writing his memoirs (which make up the bulk of the novel). Dusenberg, troubled by Plunkett's motiveless murders, seeks solace in his family, only to discover that his wife has been having an affair. When he confronts her, she attempts to rationalize it before begging for forgiveness, all the while attempting to deflect blame. Dusenberg sells his diary to Plunkett's agent for use in Plunkett's book before committing suicide, leaving his entire estate to his children.
