After four days without Patch, Saint is worn down to almost nothing. She has barely slept or eaten, spends each day walking the woods from dawn to dusk, and keeps returning to the police station to sit in a wooden chair as a silent reminder that Patch is still missing.

At the station, the investigation has shifted into formal routines: missing-child patterns, tip cards, and school files. Officer Cortez and Officer Harkness talk through Patch's petty record, his stealing, his dagger, and his poverty with casual detachment, even joking while they work. Saint is sickened by how ordinary the police seem while Patch is gone, and she also overhears the name John Stokes, learning that the police are considering dangerous men who fit known predatory patterns.

By Friday, Saint takes matters further and visits Daisy Creason at The Tribune. Instead of dismissing her, Daisy listens carefully for two hours as Saint explains who Patch is and how he saved Misty Meyer. When Saint asks about offering a reward, Daisy promises that if Saint can raise the money, the paper will put the story on the front page, print posters, and contact nearby towns.

Even with that small victory, Saint feels no relief. The chapter ends with her certainty that four days is already too long, and her fear deepens that time is running out for Patch.