Late at night, Tom lies awake thinking about Daisy and their planned meeting. Tom wants to tell Daisy he loves her and would never hurt her, but Tom also admits to himself that he is not a good person: he has killed before, and his feelings for Daisy are mixed with violent impulses. That conflict makes Tom fear that being with Daisy could destroy them both.

Tom then realizes a more immediate danger. Slug overheard Tom’s conversation with Daisy, including when and where they planned to meet, and Tom knows Slug may decide to "take care of" Daisy himself. Because Daisy is not responding to texts, Tom assumes her parents took her phone or blocked him, so Tom decides he must go in person to protect her.

Tom quickly gets dressed and chooses to go on foot rather than take Luann’s Chevy, because starting the car might wake Luann and bring police attention. Before heading to the Dairy Queen, Tom runs to Daisy’s house to intercept her, but the house is silent and Daisy’s dark window tells Tom she has already left. Realizing he has lost valuable time, Tom sprints to the Dairy Queen in growing panic.

When Tom arrives, Tom sees Daisy’s mother’s Lincoln Continental and Slug’s Oldsmobile already parked there. The empty, silent lot convinces Tom something is badly wrong. Tom rounds the back of the Dairy Queen, calls Daisy’s name, and gets no answer. Then Tom sees a motionless body on the ground and another figure standing over it, and Tom understands he has arrived too late.