Willy fixing in Max’s Room — What Could He Have Done?

Was just reading about “Crime-Free Housing” initiatives of the 80’s which were allegedly used to evict tenants if a single family member, or even a guest, committed a crime on the property. I do understand that people — especially renters who do not own the property they live in — have some responsibility for the behavior of guests they allow inside.

That said, what was Max supposed to do?
Seriously, all his options suck.

1) Tell Willy to leave and never come back? Pretty hard to do to a best friend, and too late anyway. The evidence remained.

2) Call his parole officer and tell him? Yeah, that’ll go well. Same friend problems as #1 plus a whole lot of new ones. I’m sure the neighborhood will appreciate him snitching on a best friend.

3) Call the police? Slightly better than #2, but most of the same problems. They’ll virtually force Max to give up Willy and probably arrest and charge him anyway. As a felon, he has no cred with the cops.

This is the precipitating incident that ends Max’s sincere try at going straight. See that look in his face when Earl Frank visits him in prison and asks how he’s doing? “How you think I’m doing?” replies a steel-eyed Max. Fuck it. Nobody cares that he did nothing wrong, that he tried like hell to go straight. They just threw him back in the slam anyhow. What’s the point of even trying?

I really don’t see how Max could have successfully navigated this, even with the best of intentions. Maybe that’s the whole point.