In the present day, Tricia reflects on Edward Jamison's abduction and admits that she did not know with absolute certainty that Dr. Adrienne Hale planned to kill him. Still, Tricia knew the situation was sinister because Hale had forced her to drug Edward, bind his wrists and ankles, and cover his head with a bag. Tricia tried to tell herself Hale might only intend to frighten him, but she understood from the start that nothing about the plan was harmless.

Afterward, Tricia repeatedly searched online for Edward's name, looking for any sign that he had resurfaced. For more than a month, she found nothing. When she finally came across a news article about Edward's disappearance, the lack of any other explanation convinced Tricia that Hale had murdered him.

Tricia says she is not shocked that Hale was capable of killing. Hale's presence and intensity had already made Tricia fear her, and that fear deepened after Edward vanished. Even though Tricia had killed before, those earlier murders had been on her own terms; what unsettles her here is that she does not know exactly what Hale did to Edward or where the body ended up.

Because Hale had already betrayed Tricia once, Tricia no longer trusts her. The uncertainty about Edward's fate worsens the sleep problems that originally brought Tricia to Hale, leaving Tricia awake at night and obsessing over the psychiatrist. By the end of the chapter, Tricia reaches a breaking point and decides she cannot endure the situation any longer.