On his second full day in Golden, Theo takes an early morning walk through the Boughery, a gentrified neighborhood of vintage homes and manicured lawns waiting for spring’s full bloom. He then repeats his new routine by sitting beside the river until the morning rush has passed.

When Theo returns to the Chalice, Shep greets him as a fast-forming regular. Theo hints that he is “under a spell,” leaving Shep unsure whether Theo means the coffee, the pencil portraits lining the walls, or both.

Theo stays until lunchtime, slowly studying the portraits again while Shep watches with growing curiosity. After long deliberation, Theo buys the portrait of a young woman with short hair and familiar eyes for $125 in cash, feeling as if he has stolen it at such a low price.

Asked why he chose that drawing and whether he knows the subject, Theo admits he knows none of the faces but says this one intrigues him most. Back at the hotel, Theo learns the woman’s name from the back of the frame: Minnette Prentiss.

Theo searches for Minnette Prentiss online, discovers she is a CPA in Golden, and finds her mailing address. Over the next few days, he drafts a letter explaining he bought the portrait to give it to her, and he proposes meeting the following Thursday at 7:00 p.m. by the fountain near the Chalice, identifying himself by a heather green flat cap and assuring her he is harmless.