Lowen decides to stop reading Verity’s manuscript. She makes progress on her work as she prepares to begin writing the series. Lowen and Jeremy head to the store together. They briefly separate. When Lowen returns, she sees Jeremy being accosted by two women who introduce themselves as friends of Verity and are suspicious of Lowen and Jeremy’s relationship. Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy continue to grow.

Five days have passed since Lowen’s arrival in Vermont. Lowen hears a cry coming from Verity’s room and rushes upstairs. She finds Crew with “blood on his hands and fingers” and “a knife next to him on the floor” (130). Lowen cares for Crew and asks him about what happened. Crew says that his mother told him not to touch her knife. Jeremy rushes upstairs. Crew denies having a knife. Jeremy asks Lowen to go check to see if there is a knife. She returns to Verity’s room and cannot find a knife anywhere. Lowen catches Verity staring at her and rushes out of the room. Unable to quell her curiosity, Lowen decides to read another chapter of Verity’s manuscript.