The main character cannot sleep due to haunting thoughts about Emmy's disappearance and the discovery of criminal, James Finley's body in her car in the lake.
The character is conflicted, fearing Emmy could be dead or on the run due to her involvement with Finley.
She recalls Emmy's troublemaking past and wonders whether her bad choices have caught up with her.
A past conversation where Emmy presented a hypothetical scenario reveals her black-and-white worldview. This memory makes the main character think about her relationships with others.
The main character discovers a white container with cleaning supplies and a small buried hole under her porch, further stirring her fears and questions about Emmy's disappearance.
She feels present danger when she hears footsteps around the house while she is under the porch.
The character finds a padlocked door in a hidden crawl space under the house. She decides she needs to break it open, suggesting there might be answers inside.
The footsteps lead her to hypothesize that someone was regularly spying on her and Emmy prior to the latter's disappearance.