Chapter 10: But Mae – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Monday evening, Charmaine Potter calls Bea to report that Mae is still missing and that Aaron has not been in touch. Aaron arrives home from babysitting Brock, the toddler son of friends Cassity and Brice. When Bea asks if he knows Mae's whereabouts, Aaron offers a new theory: Mae is hiding deliberately to make him look guilty. He believes she wants everyone to suspect him so she can later reappear and make him grateful.
The next morning, Brice picks Aaron up for work, but Aaron reveals that his father Lloyd (a former sheriff’s deputy) wants him to stop by the sheriff’s substation and talk to police. Rusty advises Aaron to see a lawyer first and offers to pay the retainer fee. Aaron agrees and calls Cap Sabonjian, who schedules a consultation, with Joe driving him.
After the meeting, Aaron is quiet and goes straight to his room. Joe tells Bea and Rusty that Cap’s advice was simple: do not talk to anyone. Bea worries that lawyering up will look suspicious to the Potters and the community. Rusty counters that Mae could have survived with a tent, sleeping bag, and cash, and notes that people from wealthy families often carry emergency money.
On Wednesday, Cap calls Rusty to report that he has informed the sheriff’s office and the prosecutor that Aaron will cooperate only after receiving a non-use letter—a guarantee that nothing he says can be used against him criminally. Cap asks for a $3,000 retainer, and Rusty agrees.
Rusty then questions Cap about Aaron’s theory that Mae is hiding to frame him. Rusty admits a nagging fear: if Aaron actually harmed Mae, that same story could serve as an anticipatory defense, slowing the investigation and explaining his lack of worry. Cap refuses to disclose what Aaron told him but ominously notes that any lawyer who suspected real danger would ask for a much larger retainer.
The chapter also provides a lengthy flashback to Aaron’s troubled history: his first drug arrest (buying Ecstasy and psilocybin from an undercover cop), the suspension from Wisconsin State, his theft of Bea’s engagement ring and the family TV to fund an addiction, a second arrest in 2021 when Aaron and Mae were found in a wobbling Saturn with drugs in his pockets (actually Mae’s), his four months in jail, and his eventual release to live with Rusty and Bea under strict probation. Rusty reflects on his own experience raising his son Nat, who also struggled with drugs and suicidal ideation, and admits he feared Aaron would wreck his relationship with Bea.
Key Events
- Charmaine calls Bea to say Mae remains missing; Aaron has not contacted her family.
- Aaron returns from babysitting and articulates his theory that Mae is hiding to cast suspicion on him.
- Rusty advises Aaron to consult an attorney before speaking to police; Aaron agrees and visits Cap Sabonjian.
- Cap demands a non-use letter before Aaron will give a statement; Rusty pays a $3,000 retainer.
- Rusty privately voices a darker suspicion to Cap: Aaron’s story could be a cover for harming Mae.
- The chapter recounts Aaron’s drug history, including two arrests, jail time, and his current strict living arrangement.
Character Development
- Rusty Sabich: Demonstrates his prosecutorial instincts by questioning whether Aaron’s theory is an innocent hunch or a premeditated defense. His offer to pay for the lawyer shows growing trust in Aaron’s recovery.
- Aaron: Presents a paranoid but self-serving explanation for Mae’s disappearance; remains evasive about his own actions and refuses to eat after the lawyer meeting. The flashback deepens his portrait as a repeat offender who has only recently begun to behave responsibly.
- Bea: Torn between empathy for the Potters and protective instincts for Aaron; her usual open-handedness clashes with the need for legal caution.
- Joe (Bea’s father): Bluntly supportive of Aaron; dismisses Mae and the Potters as rich troublemakers. His pronunciation of ‘Beatrix’ irks Bea.
- Cap Sabonjian: Experienced defense attorney who plays his cards close; his parting remark about the retainer size hints he may know more than he is saying.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Paranoia and Suspicion: Aaron’s theory that Mae is “getting even” reflects the corrosive mistrust that addiction has sown in his relationships. Rusty’s own suspicion that the theory could be a cover-up amplifies the theme.
- Legal Consequences vs. Family Loyalty: The chapter contrasts the open, trusting approach Bea prefers with the mandatory wariness of the criminal justice system. Rusty’s advice to lawyer up illustrates how even innocent actions can look guilty.
- Wealth and Class Tension: Joe’s contempt for the Potters’ money, and Rusty’s assumption that Mae may have had hidden cash, highlight class dynamics in Kindle County.
- Recovery and Relapse Risk: Aaron’s structured life with Rusty and Bea is presented as a fragile success; Mae’s disappearance threatens to shatter it. The flashbacks remind readers how easily he could slide back.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 10 escalates the central mystery of Mae’s disappearance while deepening Aaron’s character and Rusty’s internal conflict. It introduces Cap Sabonjian as a key legal player and sets up the possibility that Aaron may be guilty of more than just a drug relapse. The chapter also provides crucial backstory for Aaron’s addiction and his relationship with Mae, making his current predicament feel both tragic and perilous. Rusty’s private fear—that Aaron may have harmed Mae—casts a long shadow over everything that follows.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Rusty advise Aaron to talk to a lawyer before going to the sheriff’s substation? Rusty knows that any statement Aaron makes to police could be used to revoke his probation or even charge him with a crime related to Mae’s disappearance. He also wants Aaron to have someone who can hear the full story and protect his rights, and he offers to pay because Aaron cannot afford Cap’s fees on his own.
2. What does Cap mean when he tells Rusty that a defense lawyer who suspected real trouble would ask for a “much, much bigger retainer”? Cap implies that if Aaron had confessed to harming Mae, Cap would demand a far larger fee to handle the serious charges that would follow. By naming a modest retainer, he signals to Rusty that he either does not suspect such a crime or is deliberately not revealing what he knows. The remark leaves Rusty unsettled.
3. How does the flashback to Aaron’s 2021 arrest and his jail time affect the reader’s view of him in this chapter? The history shows Aaron as a long-time drug user who stole from his own family and went to jail. The fact that he is now living lawfully under Rusty and Bea’s roof suggests genuine progress, but the chapter also reveals that Mae was with him during that earlier bust and that he carries a grudge against her. The flashback thus makes his current theory about Mae “getting even” feel rooted in a troubled, potentially dangerous relationship.
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