Blake continues his ruse as “Mr. Sanders” and speaks with a Telmont High School secretary, who warns that Whitney Cross is extremely dangerous. Despite disclaimers about spreading rumors, the secretary describes Whitney as manipulative, socially influential, and adept at getting others to vouch for her.

The secretary recounts a senior-year incident involving Whitney’s boyfriend, Jordan Gallo, a football player. After a cheating exam was allegedly found in Jordan’s backpack, he was kicked off the team and lost his scholarship prospects. Additional harassment rumors included his locker being filled with insects. Days later, Jordan jumped off the school roof; his parents believed he would not have killed himself and suspected Whitney, with whom he used to go to the roof, might have pushed him. The secretary says Whitney abruptly left town before any investigation could proceed.

Blake, rattled by the parallels to his own recent experiences, receives an offer for Whitney’s transcript and ends the call with shaking hands. He reflects grimly on Jordan’s fate and Whitney’s pattern of retaliation, wondering why she is targeting him.

Seeking composure, Blake goes to the kitchen, where large flies are swarming near the gap between the counter and refrigerator. Suspecting another hidden source of rot, he uses his phone flashlight and spots a paper bag stuffed in the gap, accompanied by a worse odor than before.

After failing to reach the bag by hand, Blake uses a serving spoon to nudge it closer and extracts it. The smell is overpowering and attracts more insects. He opens the bag carefully and sees three small objects, about three inches long, and reacts with horror. The chapter ends with Blake’s realization that the contents are far more disturbing than he anticipated.