Clown in a Cornfield

Matt and Ronnie carry a barely conscious Quinn back through the cornfield. They discuss how their plan was nearly ruined by the truck driver until Matt thought to scare him off. They discuss their plan to frame Quinn as one of the Frendo killers, putting her in a clown costume before smashing her face in with a rock. This will also exonerate them from their crimes, making it appear as though they fought back the killers to save each other.

They return to the clearing at Tillerson’s barn. Matt expresses his regret that Janet died so brutally. Ronnie reassures him that they survived because they chose to be on “the right side of history” (274). They identify Janet’s stepfather as the Frendo killer, who was chasing them after the silo explosion. They guess that he returned to the Baypen factory to await Dunne’s delivery. Quinn is left on a pile of corpses, but because she moves, Matt and Ronnie immediately try to kill her. Quinn tries to wrestle the rifle away from Ronnie’s control and manages to shoot it at Matt’s hand and ear. Ronnie refuses to give up the rifle, so Quinn escapes unarmed from the clearing.