born in them. Some seemed sick in the head, seeing things that
other people couldn’t see. Many of the prisoners, though, had been
driven to a desperate act—often, something violent and despicable
—and afterward they were penitent, seeking redemption. In some
ways, these convicts were the most frightening to contemplate, for
they demonstrated that badness could take hold of anyone. Tom
attended a local Baptist church with his family, and the preacher
said that everyone was a sinner—even Emmett, the upholder of
justice. These were mysteries that Tom might never solve, though
he seemed to spend most of his life trying.
Tom watched his father work. At all hours of the day, including
on the Sabbath, Emmett would be summoned to hunt men.
Criminology was still primitive: Emmett grabbed his gun,
canvassed any witnesses to the crime, then mounted his horse and
went in pursuit. He also kept a pack of bloodhounds, which he
sometimes deployed in the chase.