Chapter 17
Contains spoilers
Summary
- The protagonist feels out of place wearing pajamas in the courthouse for their bail hearing.
- They are accompanied by a young attorney, who seems distracted by his phone.
- The attorney is indifferent to the protagonist's concern about their attire and focuses on the importance of the hearing.
- The attorney fires a series of questions to prepare for the hearing, dismissing the protagonist's joke about traveling to the Cayman Islands.
- They instruct the protagonist to deny any intention to flee the country and clarify they are the sole caregiver for a deceased grandmother.
- The attorney assures that bail hearings are routine, even in criminal cases.
- The proceeding is about to begin, so they enter the courtroom.
- The protagonist's imagination contrasts the serious present with a fantasized wedding aisle walk.
- In court, Detective Stark argues that the protagonist is unreliable, likening her to the deceptive exterior of the Regency Grand Hotel.
- The protagonist is offended by Stark's insinuations and internally defends their rule-abiding nature.
- The young attorney defends the protagonist, emphasizing their stable and law-abiding life.
- The judge inquires about who will post bail and learns of a well-connected acquaintance, Charlotte Preston.
- The protagonist apologizes for their attire and the judge reassures that behavior counts more than appearance.
- The protagonist professes their adeptness at rule-following and lack of intention to violate bail terms.
- The judge seemingly appreciates the protagonist's sincerity and grants conditional bail, allowing the protagonist to go free.