At school, Tom Brewer spends the morning listening to other students being called to the principal’s office for questioning about Brandi Healey’s murder. Because many of the names belong to Brandi’s friends and boys she had been involved with, Tom panics and assumes the police may eventually focus on him.

When Tom’s name is finally called, he tries to steady himself on the walk from English class to the principal’s office. A classmate jokes that Tom must be worried Daisy will think he was secretly dating Brandi, and the laughter briefly reassures Tom that other students do not seem to suspect any connection between him and Brandi.

Tom’s confidence collapses when he sees that Chief Driscoll is the one waiting to question him. Driscoll asks about Tom’s past math tutoring sessions with Brandi and how well Tom knew her. Wanting to protect himself, Tom lies and downplays their contact, claiming Brandi often skipped sessions and insisting she would not have confided in him.

Chief Driscoll then reveals that Brandi had told friends she liked a boy in Tom’s class and had planned to meet him the night she disappeared. Tom denies knowing anything about that boy. Driscoll shifts tone, saying he trusts Tom with Daisy and even invites Tom to dinner, which momentarily reassures Tom that he is not under suspicion. Even so, Tom understands the danger is only temporary and silently vows never to accept the invitation.