Saint continues her routine of checking in with Himes once a month after leaving her job. Himes had accepted her resignation calmly and told her he believed she would eventually return, but their calls still revolve around the same unresolved subject: Eli Aaron.

During this call, Saint asks whether there is any news. Himes says there is nothing and explains that before every call he has his team reach out again about Eli Aaron, but they still come up empty. Saint refuses to take that as reassurance and suggests that Eli Aaron may simply have changed his methods.

That possibility keeps Saint in a constant state of vigilance. The chapter shows how deeply the fear has settled into her daily life: when she sits on the porch with her grandmother and a car slows on the street, Saint immediately thinks about Charlotte's safety and feels responsible for protecting her from whatever threat may still be out there.

Himes acknowledges the possibility that offenders can change patterns, then shifts to Sister Isabelle, whose possible identification he now treats skeptically because of her poor eyesight and trifocals. Even so, Saint asks him to send her the case file. Himes repeats what he always says, that it will not help, but Saint's insistence shows she still cannot let the search go.