François Loubet writes a private note in a deliberately jaunty voice, explaining that he likes recording his thoughts and that he wants his crimes understood, even if he cannot claim credit for them openly. He then reproduces a new email from someone calling themselves Joe Blow, who begs him to make Andrew Fairbanks the last death and offers to return the money.

François explains that Joe Blow is his criminal partner, though Joe’s real identity and gender remain unknown to him. What François does know is that Joe works for Maximum Impact Solutions and has been taking François’s money in exchange for providing couriers and information useful to his operations. Joe’s message tells François that the murders have gone further than Joe intended, which François treats as cowardice and hypocrisy.

François composes a reply that both reassures and threatens. He argues that three deaths are not many, insists that Joe cannot take his money without accepting bloodshed, and says Andrew Fairbanks’s murder should finally frighten Jeff Nolan into backing off. François tells Joe that their arrangement is over unless Jeff continues to pursue him, but he also makes clear that Joe shares responsibility for the killings because Joe enabled them.

Most importantly, François states that Amy Wheeler will be the last person who needs to die, because her death would close off loose ends. He even wonders whether Jeff Nolan should also be killed. After sending the message, François reflects that many layers separate him from the actual murders, but he still feels safer once Amy is dead, so he resolves to contact his hired man soon.