After listening to Luke Strauss's tape, Tricia is struck by how sincere and smitten Luke sounds before his relationship with Adrienne Hale began. Because Luke sounds awkward and decent rather than threatening, Tricia questions whether Adrienne later did something that changed his feelings, even though she still cannot rule him out.

Tricia leaves Adrienne's office to look for Ethan and notices that the second-floor hallway feels less frightening in daylight. The brighter view reveals a pullcord she missed the night before, and Tricia realizes it opens an attic access panel. Because she and Ethan had only checked the visible rooms, Tricia understands they overlooked a possible hiding place.

Although Tricia wants Ethan to investigate, she decides against asking because he has already acted irritated by her fears and blamed them on pregnancy hormones. She tests the ladder, climbs into the attic alone, and finds an ordinary storage space filled with dusty boxes and an old artificial Christmas tree. As Tricia looks around, she wonders whether police searched the area and what would happen to Adrienne Hale's belongings if the house were sold.

While examining the boxes, Tricia notices something hidden behind them and pulls out a sleeping bag. The discovery becomes alarming when Tricia sees that the sleeping bag and a nearby pillow are clean and recently laundered, unlike the dusty attic around them. From that contrast, Tricia concludes that someone has been using the attic very recently.