The Green Mile

Back at E Block, William Wharton sings a crass song about Delacroix’s execution, which deeply annoys Paul. Coffey is crying in his cell, mourning Delacroix’s death. Mr. Jingles is nowhere to be found. At the end of the chapter, Paul thinks of walking away but instead calls out Coffey’s full name, gets on one knee, and undoes one of his shoes.

When Paul returns home from Delacroix’s execution, he cries into Janice’s arms. Janie suggests they have sex, to help soothe him. Paul falls asleep, dreaming of Delacroix, Melinda Moores, and Coffey. In his dream, Coffey is holding one of the twin girls in the crook of each arm. In his fists are the wooden spool and Paul’s shoe. He says again, “I couldn’t help it,” and, “I tried to take it back, but it was too late” (313). This time, Paul understands that these words are not an admission of his crimes, but rather his lamentation for not being able to save the girls. 

The next morning, Paul receives a call from Hal Moores, who has heard reports of the faulty execution and Percy’s transfer. Moores reveals that Percy should be transferred to Briar Ridge within a month, which Paul privately laments is too long of a stretch of time. Paul asks about Melinda’s condition. Moores reveals that Melina is not doing well and that the brain tumor is making her swear. Paul offers words of consolation before hanging up. Janice inquires after Melinda, and Paul reports on her progress. Janice points out that Paul has a look on his face that seems to be contemplating something that could potentially get him into trouble. She excuses herself so that Paul can make a phone call, presumably to set out to do the very thing she suspects.

Paul calls Brutal, Dean, and Harry over to his house for lunch. When they arrive, he tells them his plan to have Coffey cure Melinda of her brain tumor. They go over the risks, including what might happen if Percy tells on them. Paul assures them that Percy will not tell. He also says that the best plan may be to figure out a way to bring Coffey to Melinda as opposed to bringing Melinda to E Block. Brutal, Dean, and Harry are skeptical at first, and are concerned about losing their jobs. However, Paul convinces them that saving Melinda’s life will be atonement for their complicity in Delacroix’s gruesome death. Harry offers his pickup truck to help shuttle Coffey to Melinda. The rest of the guards are still concerned about Coffey being a murderer and that he may pose a threat to their lives on the road. Paul assures them of Coffey’s innocence and sets out to prove it at the end of the chapter by telling them about a test he conducted with the inmate using his shoe.

In later chapters, Paul reveals to the other guards that since Coffey was unable to tie the laces of his shoe, the inmate could not be responsible for luring the Detterick dog out of his doghouse during the murders using sausages from his lunch pack as suspected. He elaborates that the lunch pack was found tied neatly in Coffey’s pocket, which meant that he could not have taken the sausages out of the pack to lure the dog and tied it back up so carefully. As Coffey’s lunch pack was a large piece of incriminating evidence for the sheriff department, Paul believes that his shoe test supports Coffey’s innocence.