A week after Brandi Healey’s murder, Tom hears that no arrest has been made. Chief Driscoll returns to the high school to question more students, especially Brandi’s close friends, but Tom is not called back. Tom notices that Slug is among the students interviewed, and he understands that the police are still searching for Brandi’s unidentified boyfriend.

Because the killer is still free, Chief Driscoll personally asks Tom to escort Daisy home from school each day until the case is solved. Tom continues tutoring after school while Daisy waits in the library reading. Tom enjoys this new routine and looks forward to seeing Daisy, which gives him something positive amid the murder investigation.

Later, in biology lab, Tom is excited for a fetal pig dissection he has anticipated for months. His enthusiasm is dampened by the fact that Alison is still his lab partner and has become even colder toward him since Brandi’s body was found. When Tom tries to be friendly and offers Alison the scalpel, Alison refuses and mutters that Tom always does the work.

Tom performs the dissection himself, laying out the organs carefully while Alison mostly watches and makes pointed remarks. When Mrs. Shipley checks their station and praises the work, Alison deliberately says Tom did everything because he enjoys it so much. Mrs. Shipley awkwardly tells them to share the work more equally, but Alison’s tone and behavior leave Tom angry and uneasy.

After cleanup, Tom is eager to leave the lab, meet Daisy, and put Alison behind him for the week. Before he can go, Alison grabs his arm, stops him, and says they need to talk immediately. The chapter ends with Tom forced into a confrontation he did not expect.