Lucy accepts Ben Owens's invitation to come back to his hotel after Matt assaults Ben outside the bar. In Ben's cold suite, Ben offers Lucy whiskey, and Lucy notices Ben's digital recorder on the kitchen counter. When Lucy asks, Ben confirms that he recorded Matt yelling in the parking lot and plans to use the audio on his podcast, explaining that the recording was legal because it happened in public.

Ben makes clear that he is leaning into the idea that Matt could have killed Savvy, and he is surprised when Lucy pushes back. Lucy admits that the possibility has occurred to her, but she still tells Ben not to focus too much on Matt. Internally, Lucy thinks through the darker truth she cannot share: Savvy had once encouraged Lucy to kill Matt, and Lucy has considered whether something happened that night involving Matt and Savvy. Even so, Lucy believes Matt's behavior after Savvy's death does not fit with him killing Savvy and then hiding the truth.

Ben admits that, despite Matt's violence, he cannot find a convincing motive and does not believe Kyle's suggestion that Matt and Savvy were sleeping together. Lucy agrees that rumor is false. Their conversation softens, and when Lucy notices Ben's swollen cheek, she gets ice from the freezer and tends to him herself, creating a quieter, more intimate mood between them.

After a brief, awkward silence, Ben kisses Lucy. Lucy responds immediately, giving in to the attraction that has been building between them. The chapter ends with Lucy consciously choosing not to blame alcohol for what happens next as she and Ben have sex on the couch, deepening their personal involvement just as Ben is investigating the murder tied to Lucy's past.