Suttree finds a rundown but warmer rented room in which to spend the winter. During the day, he strolls the streets and passes by people without housing and street preachers. He meets two female tourists from Chicago who take him out dancing. One of the women, Joyce, and Suttree start sleeping together. Joyce reveals that she can’t return to Chicago because she’s wanted by the police for sex work. After many nights together, Joyce suggests they move in together. She knows someone who will pay her $1000 for two weeks of work, so she goes off to Athens. Suttree is mostly alone now, J-Bone and many other friends have traveled north to work in factories. While Joyce is away, she mails Suttree considerable sums of money. When she returns, she tells him about her past. She had grown up in Kentucky, is attracted to women, and has had a few run-ins with the law because of her role in sex work. She shares her money freely with Suttree, buying him new clothes and good food. Joyce goes away for day-long stretches to work while they build their life together. In the newspaper, Suttree sees that an old friend of his, Hoghead, has been shot and killed.