After handling the immediate aftermath of Deputy Marnes's death, Juliette fills out reports, learns that Marnes has no next of kin, speaks with the coroner at the dirt farm, and answers questions from neighbors. Back in her office, she struggles to work because the space feels haunted by loss. Juliette tries to distract herself with Sheriff Holston's computer files, but Marnes's absence hits harder than she expects, and she feels abandoned by the man who brought her into this job.

As the day passes, Juliette keeps glancing toward the wall screen and thinking about the stars and Lukas, the star-watcher she met the night before. She forgets to eat until Pam from the cafeteria brings her soup and a biscuit, refusing payment. Seeing Pam's grief reminds Juliette that the cafeteria workers may have been among Marnes's closest companions. Juliette returns to Holston's records, devises a new global spellcheck search for names, and lets the computer process the data while she moves to a cafeteria table near the screen.

Juliette watches the cloudy night alone until Lukas quietly joins her with his board and paper. Their shared silence becomes comforting after her terrible day. When Lukas finally speaks, he offers condolences for Marnes, explains that no stars will be visible because of the clouds, and admits he knew that before coming up. His presence eases Juliette's loneliness, though Juliette also recognizes that her sudden yearning for closeness comes from shock and grief rather than true intimacy.

Lukas asks what happens next, and Juliette tells him that Marnes's funeral will be the next day. Because Marnes left no will or family, Juliette has chosen to bury him near Mayor Jahns. Juliette then confides her belief that Marnes and Jahns may have been secret lovers, and Lukas agrees that people had suspected as much. Their conversation broadens into talk about love, permission, and the lottery system, revealing Juliette's skepticism about social rules and Lukas's youth and lack of romantic experience.

When Lukas asks about Juliette, she briefly fears he is asking about her hidden past, but he only wants to know her age. Juliette lies when she says she has never found the right person, then admits she is thirty-four, while Lukas says he is twenty-five. The two sit together in an unexpectedly easy silence, each seeming less alone in the other's company. The chapter ends as Juliette's computer beeps from her office, signaling that the search through Holston's files has finally produced results and that her investigation may be moving forward.