I was thinking about the part of the ms that's bothering me, and I realized I don't have to peel away anything. All I have to do is back up and change the circumstances slightly--just have my guy arrive a little sooner. That would mean he gets there before the part that sends him halfway off his rocker happens. His being there prevents it from happening.

D'oh.

I'm not sure whether this is what I'll end up doing, but it would tighten up the story a little and make it move more directly into the next part.

I think the reason I'm stalling out is that I need to have a grip on everybody's state of mind as the next part gets rolling.

The next time I hear somebody say, "I always wanted to write a novel, but I just haven't had the time to sit down and do it," I think I may strangle them.