Fox

P. Cady is having nightmares of dying in a car accident, sinking in water and mud as Fox gives her a “wet-whiskered muzzle-mouthed kiss against her mouth” (381). She wakes to Princess Di pushing her muzzle against her mouth. She pushes the dog to the floor, where she growls.

Zwender looks at Fox’s laptop and discovers his website, Sleeping Beauties 2013, which has nearly 7,500 subscribers. In the videos on the website, Fox wears the onyx ring, and the girls are in their Langhorne uniforms. Though the wreck has been tentatively ruled an accident, Zwender’s now believes that it is the site of a “clumsily executed homicide” (386). He’s convinced that Fox’s death is tied to the child sexual abuse videos. Zwender recognizes Genevieve, who nearly died by suicide after Fox’s death, among these girls. He is relieved that no one in Wieland seems to know about Sleeping Beauties. Zwender calls in his much younger partner, Daryl Odom, to show him the evidence. Odom wants to take the website down, worrying that someone will recognize the girls. He tells Zwender that he can get rid of it, but Zwender says that tampering with evidence could get them fired. Odom grows incensed when he notices that the girls are drugged. He argues that since Fox is dead, he can’t be punished. Ultimately, they agree to take the website down but not delete it. Odom leaves in a huff but later explains his reaction. If someone touched his young daughter like that, he’d kill them. Zwender knows this isn’t an apology but feels the same.

During a visit with Zwender, Cady is surprised by the information that Fox was born with a different name and was older than he said. Zwender then reveals that Fox had an extensive library of sexually abusive images of students. He notes that one of the girls is Genevieve, who nearly died from self-inflicted injuries. Zwender says that Cady should be sorry for bringing Fox into the school community. She seems baffled that Fox deceived her. Zwender asks if she knew of all the places he’d been fired. He also mentions that teachers made reports to their department chairs and to Cady’s office and were ignored. She says that she didn’t poke around into the rumors because Fox was a good teacher. Zwender sharply chastises her for not investigating. Cady bursts into tears and says that she will resign. Happy that he’s made her see beyond her privileged rank, Zwender admits that Fox was a sophisticated manipulator. He tells her that serial pedophiles are usually well-liked and unnoticed. He assures her that they will keep everything confidential to protect the girls, not because of Langhorne and her own reputation. From now on, he expects full cooperation with the Langhorne community. Cady wants to believe that Fox killed himself in self-disgust, but Zwender doesn’t think that’s likely. Cady hates Zwender but later sees him as a vehicle for her “redemption” (410).

When Cady gets home, Princess Di is eager to see her but has been nipping lately. Moreover, the little dog keeps nuzzling her mouth and then growling when Cady removes her. Cady dwells on her guilt over bringing Fox to campus, thinking of Katy and Imogene Hood. She cannot confide in them what Zwender has told her about the pedophilia. She contemplates resigning after remembering Fox’s flattery and her own foolishness. While asleep in her armchair, she dreams that Zwender forcefully kisses her and awakes to Di butting against her mouth. She’s horrified to realize that Di wants to get at her tongue. 

While talking later, Katy asks if there is any news about Fox’s death. Cady talks about the students’ grief but doesn’t mention Zwender. Mary Ann has disappeared, although her family thinks she’s in Atlantic City, and Eunice recently collapsed due to low blood pressure. She worries about further injuries like Genevieve’s. She expresses to Katy how she knew little of Fox’s past and explains that his estranged stepsister has arranged a cremation and private ceremony over the phone. Katy is distressed by this and says that she wants Fox’s ashes and the ring she gave him. Obsessed with her own grief, Katy finally realizes that something is bothering her aunt. Cady doesn’t reveal that she feels like a guilty party, having “hired a sexual predator” (406). She gets off the phone and, seeking comfort, forgives Princess Di.

Zwender finds a bracelet that Mary Ann made on the floor of Fox’s car. Zwender feels like this bracelet was “unknowingly [made] for him” as evidence (431).

Zwender places the bracelet in front of Blake Healy, Mary Ann’s father, who has been brought in for questioning. Mary Ann’s mother, Pauline, has identified the bracelet, but Blake doesn’t recognize it. Mary Ann has assured her mother that she is safe in Atlantic City, but she won’t say exactly where. The police have found evidence of Mary Ann’s visit to Fox’s apartment and know that teachers at Langhorne observed her going into Fox’s office. Blake, who had little contact with Mary Ann, doesn’t know who Fox is. Zwender thinks that Blake may be Fox’s killer and questions him relentlessly, but it soon seems that Blake isn’t guilty. However, when Zwender lets his guard down at the end of the interview, Blake suddenly attacks him, knocking him to the floor and giving him a concussion. Odom leaps across the room and subdues Blake.

Demetrius has learned that both his brother and father have been questioned by the police. Marcus has revealed that it was Demetrius who discovered the Acura and that Demetrius cleaned Fox’s office. Demetrius rehearses what he will say to the police, who have called him in. He prays for guidance from both his dead mother and Jesus.

Since Eunice made her accusation, Martin Pfenning has begun to think that perhaps he wasn’t meant to be a father and husband. Kathryn did not report him, but he exists in a kind of in-between state. He thinks that all the trouble really began with the start of school and the bad grades that Fox was giving Eunice. Even if Kathryn and Eunice wanted him back, he’s unsure if he would return.

This resolution is put to the test when Kathryn calls and tells him that Eunice has admitted that she lied and wants to see him to apologize. When he arrives at his old home, Eunice remains in her room. Kathryn tells him that the kids at school are claiming that they can see Fox’s ghost and that while Eunice doesn’t believe this, she has been under a lot of stress due to Fox’s death. Kathryn didn’t tell him, but Eunice has shown signs of bulimia, has been unwell, and even fainted at school. Pfenning is annoyed that she didn’t inform him of this, but Kathryn reminds him of how difficult things have been. Pfenning says that he should leave. Kathryn gets Eunice to agree to talk to Pfenning via the landline. She tells her father that she did a bad thing and told a lie about him. He asks why she did so, and she can only answer that she doesn’t know. She becomes panicky again and hangs up. Kathryn wants him to stay, but he’s fed up and leaves, no longer trusting his wife or daughter. From the upstairs window, Eunice watches him go.

The next morning, Kathryn must bring Eunice to the police station for questioning. Eunice would like Pfenning to come, too. A female investigator asks Eunice questions about Fox. The girl denies meeting Fox in his office or seeing anyone go to his office, which Pfenning finds strange, remembering that they had tutorials. When the officer asks if Fox was special, Eunice lauds him, showing off select poems from her Mystery-Journal. As they drive home, Pfenning wants to ask Eunice about her tutorials with Fox, but Kathryn tells him not to. 

Several days later, Pfenning returns for further questioning. Zwender harshly drills him on whether ever met Fox and whether they’ll find his prints in Fox’s apartment. Pfenning assures him that he will not. While Pfenning is told that he’s not a suspect, he thinks he might be. Pfenning calls Fox a “parasite” who seemed to turn Eunice against him (475). He also admits to his separation from Kathryn. Zwender asks Pfenning about the hike in the Wetlands and asks to see Pfenning’s shoes. He then asks if Pfenning is a subscriber to Sleeping Beauties 2013. Pfenning has no idea what he is talking about. Zwender concludes the interview but has Odom fingerprint Pfenning before he leaves.

Odom insists that Pfenning isn’t capable of killing anyone and notes that Eunice, unlike Genevieve, wasn’t Fox’s type. He jokes that he’s relieved that Pfenning didn’t try to kill Zwender. This remark irritates Zwender, who hates how Odom has taken on a certain celebrity status within the force for saving his life. Blake Healy is now in a detention center and will probably be incarcerated for years. Zwender is self-conscious about his stitches since they seem to indicate his weakness. He’s particularly angry with himself for underestimating Blake’s tendency for violence. Zwender’s computer screen suddenly goes dark, and to his annoyance, Odom comes over and fixes it, telling him that he merely “touched the wrong key” (487).

Zwender has been granted an interview with Genevieve and her mother, Melissa. Genevieve’s father, David, lives in California and is not a suspect. Both parents are unaware of the abuse. Zwender notices that in person, Genevieve seems much younger than her age, is devoid of spirit, and seems heavily sedated. Zwender quickly realizes that there was no one in Genevieve’s life to protect her from men like Fox. Zwender asks Genevieve if she and Fox ever had private meetings, but she says they didn’t. She also insists that other girls weren’t with Fox alone. He asks if Fox gave her the journal she’s holding, and she admits, with pride, that he did. When Zwender tells her that other girls have journals like it, she notes that hers is one of a kind because “[she] was special. [She is]—special” (505). Zwender realizes that due to Fox’s psychological tactics, Genevieve and the others see him “as a lover, not a rapist” (507).

Zwender asks Genevieve if Fox ever touched her, showed her the Balthus painting in his bedroom, or gave her tarts. Genevieve says no to all questions, but Zwender doesn’t think she’s telling the truth. She grows upset and screams that she hates the adults, calling Zwender an “ugly old zipper-head” (511). She jumps up, slaps at them, and says that she hopes they die before storming out of the room. Zwender tries to convince Melissa that Fox was a pedophile, but she cannot accept this and denies that it could be true. He shows her an image from the laptop, clearly Genevieve, but she says it isn’t her daughter. Melissa screams at him to leave, which he does.

The next day, Zwender returns to Fox’s office. He knows that Fox can never be brought to justice. Besides, the room had been so disinfected that neither DNA nor fingerprints can be found. Zwender suspects Lemuel until he realizes that his arthritis and alcohol addiction would keep him from deep cleaning. At this point, Zwender feels sorry for Demetrius, who works hard and tries to be a good person. Ultimately, he assumes that Demetrius was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

During earlier questioning, he was about to let Demetrius go when Odom told Demetrius that he missed some blood splatter in Fox’s office. Zwender tells Odom that he’s out of line and escorts Demetrius out. He returns to yell at Odom, furious that his partner didn’t prepare him for the revelation. The two men get into a shoving match, and Zwender punches Odom. Odom retreats but continues working hard on the case like a professional. This and an apology earn Odom new respect from Zwender.

Zwender is convinced that Fox’s office is the crime scene. He believes that the crime was one of passion and that the dead body was transferred to the ravine. Whoever transferred the body, Zwender believes, had to be familiar with the back roads that ran to the landfill. Clare Quilty enters and points out that he knew the real Fox, who wasn’t at all nice, and tells Zwender that he suspects Fox was involved with his female students. He says that he and a friend observed Fox’s behavior, but when Zwender asks if they interceded, he admits they didn’t. Quilty did file a report anonymously but says that nothing came of it. Quilty proves useful by suddenly realizing that the bust of Poe is missing, which gives Zwender a murder weapon.

Zwender has gone to the ravine to think. He finds that his balance is slightly off since Blake hit him. He tries to concentrate. Zwender is still convinced that Mary Ann is the key to Fox’s killer. Yet, as Odom has shown, there are no pictures of Mary Ann in Fox’s cache. Odom wonders if Mary Ann pursued Fox, rather than the other way around. Zwender pieces together that the car must have been pushed down the ravine by someone who wore gloves in order to move the body without leaving fingerprints. Zwender is also sure that the bronze bust of Poe is at the bottom of Wieland Pond, dumped by the killer. As he walks away from the area, Zwender discovers Fox’s toe bone and pockets it as a good-luck charm.

Zwender revisits Pauline to talk to her about Mary Ann. Now in the house alone, Pauline is often frightened and worried about Mary Ann. Zwender assures her that her daughter will likely return, as most runaways do. He searches Mary Ann’s room again, hoping to find her special journal from Fox, but comes up empty handed. Pauline eventually reveals that Mary Ann isn’t in Atlantic City, as she said, but safe somewhere Blake doesn’t know about. When Zwender asks if Mary Ann would talk to anyone else, Pauline explains that she and Demetrius used to be close. Zwender listens with interest as Pauline explains the fight that Mary Ann and Demetrius had right before her daughter disappeared. She notes that Mary Ann seemed distraught. Zwender asks if Demetrius might have hurt Mary Ann, but Pauline tells him how much Demetrius loves the girl.

During questioning, Demetrius vomits all over photos of Fox’s decaying body. When he returns from the bathroom, Zwender and Odom reveal that they have his footsteps near the hill, only going downward. Demetrius confesses that he revealed where Fox was because he wanted Fox’s family to know. Demetrius then confesses to transporting the body in the Acura and arranging the car to plummet into the ravine. Crying, he also admits that he killed Fox. Odom gets up from his chair and asks if Demetrius wants to pray. To Zwender’s astonishment, Odom and Demetrius get on their knees to do so.

Demetrius explains how he discovered that Fox was a pedophile and was stunned to learn that Mary Ann loved him. He explains that he waited for others to save Genevieve, but they didn’t, so he decided to sacrifice his freedom to save the girls. He explains how he crushed Fox’s skull with the bust of Poe and then cleaned up the mess. He destroyed the cards and letters, ate the tarts to get rid of the evidence, and, in a dreamlike trance, cleaned the entire office throughout the night. Later, he wrapped Fox’s body in bags, carried it to the Acura, drove to the landfill, and dropped Fox’s belongings in the river on the way. Demetrius deposited the car in the ravine and then walked back to the school, drove home, and slept.

Zwender is not surprised that Fox was murdered for his crimes, but he doesn’t believe that Demetrius did it. Zwender considers what he should do. He knows that “[h]is function in the community [is] to protect the community even without the community’s awareness” (597). Zwender wonders why Demetrius is lying. He knows that Demetrius is a kind, moral person who doesn’t deserve to be incarcerated. He tries to find a way out of his dilemma, believing that it would be wrong to harm Demetrius to get justice for a pedophile. To his relief, Zwender remembers that the medical examiner can’t rule out the possibility that an accident killed Fox. When he returns to Odom, he tells him that because they didn’t read Demetrius his rights, the confession isn’t valid. The video of the confession has been erased. Zwender says, “I’m not going to let a local kid ruin his life because we ambushed him and he thinks he’s Jesus Christ” (602). He is willing to say that Demetrius is making up stories due to religious fanaticism. Odom says that they can search the river for the evidence, but Zwender points out that they’ve already wasted too many resources on the case: They are going to let Demetrius go.

Demetrius is in a cell dreaming of hell when Zwender wakes him up to tell him that he can go home. Zwender tells him that it would’ve been quite easy for Fox to get lost as a newcomer to the area and crash his car. Zwender then whispers to Demetrius that none of this will ever appear on the record and that he does not need to “sacrifice [his] life needlessly” (605). He tells Demetrius that Jesus forgives him and wants him to live a happy, normal life. He tells him that he will get married, be a father, and “will be beloved” (606). He then has Odom drive Demetrius home, paying for them both to have a meal.

Zwender visits P. Cady and tells her that Fox may indeed have taken his own life. Still, he shows her Fox’s website as proof of his crimes. He assures her that the public will never learn of it, even if the police must maintain their files, but he urges her to accept Fox’s malevolence. Zwender feels peace regarding the closure of the case. He’s also been rewarded for his good work: The chief is retiring and giving his position to Zwender. He has also secured a bonus for Odom. Cady explains that her niece is coming to work at Langhorne and will establish scholarships and such in Fox’s name, which strikes Zwender as ironic but useful. Zwender doesn’t tell Cady what Demetrius did but notes that he saved the school from further harm and that he deserves a job as a personal driver for the school. He also secures a promise that Lemuel’s retirement will come with a sizable pension. Cady agrees, also offering to pay for Demetrius’ tuition at community college. Zwender momentarily thinks that he could become involved with Cady romantically but lets the notion pass.

Eunice submits a variation of her “Mystery-Journal” as a thesis for her bachelor’s degree at Princeton, with Joyce Carol Oates (the author of Fox) as her advisor. The first chapter of it is a reiteration of the opening pages of the novel. She notes, “There was never a time when I was not in love with Mr. Fox” (618), and indicates that he treated her as special, explaining their connection.

Eunice writes of her life at Langhorne at age 13, detailing the gift of the journal with the marble cover and the first kiss shared with Fox. She knew that Fox had other girls but believed that “he adored [HER] most of all” (619). She paints his violation of her in romantic terms. 

Eunice then describes a scene with Fox that was previously rendered from his point of view. She talked about the bust of Poe and the raven and noted that she had read Poe’s work on her own, asking if she could read Fox’s poem. Eunice revealed how deeply her poor grades affected her and that she contemplated suicide. Fox showed her how to improve her grade. He asked her if she knew why he had given her such time and attention and told her that it was because “[she was] exceptional” (625). He then gave her the journal and urged her to keep it private. He emphasized her potential, and when she started to cry, he kissed her.

Eunice describes how Fox would lock her in his office, telling her he loved her “more than anyone” (629). Fox explained to Eunice that they had always loved each other throughout time. She discusses eating the tarts and being visited by “Mr. Tongue” and “Mr. Teddy Bear,” but as she writes from her childhood perspective, the memoir’s narrator paints this as a romantic encounter. She believed that “[she] was the only one Mr. Fox ADORED” (631). She knew she had rivals and thought about killing them. However, she insists that she didn’t mean to act on this desire. One day, she noticed that Fox was locked in his office with someone else but insists that she was not jealous. She notes that she had started to hate her father for abandoning her and that she didn’t love her mother but did not hate her either. Her love for Fox had replaced her love for her parents. Fox recited a poem to her, but unlike Genevieve earlier, Eunice was well aware that it was the work of British Romantic poet Lord Byron. She still took it as a special poem for her.

Eunice received another bad grade from Fox, who had “not been smiling so freely in [her] direction lately” (634). In fact, he hadn’t made contact for an entire week. Eunice noticed how frequently Genevieve was now coming to Fox’s office. She began to write poems to Fox, hoping for his forgiveness. On the afternoon of October 25, 2013, she knocked on Fox’s door, and he opened it, angry. She had seen Genevieve flee and observed how Fox badly wanted her to return. Eunice recited some new poetry, and he seemed bored. He told her that “[s]ometimes magic just vanishes” and that he no longer wanted to be with her (638). She told him that she might die by suicide, and he told her that many famous people had done so and perhaps she should. He told her that she should read Sylvia Plath’s poetry and turned to get the volume for her. Angry, she bashed his skull in with the bust of Poe.

It seemed to Eunice that she had done this in a dream. She noticed that Fox’s ring had fallen off, and she picked it up before it became blood soaked, intent on returning it to Fox after vacation. Eunice started to hyperventilate and went out into the hall, where the custodian (Demetrius) rushed to her aid. He asked if Fox had hurt her and then went into the office to find his dead body. He promised to take care of it for her and told her what to do. He had Eunice give him her blood-spattered raincoat and bookbag to throw away, and then he wiped the blood from her body and fixed her hair. He told her not to tell her mother anything and to pretend she was sick. He assured her that she had acted in self-defense and that Fox had hurt other girls, too. He drove Eunice to her home. She immediately went to the bathroom to wash away the smells, wanting to die.

Eunice notes that she didn’t die physically but died emotionally. She would not let herself get close to anyone. She stopped speaking to her parents. Fox impressed upon her that she “owed nothing to those who love [her]” (649). She feels that Fox’s face remains, whether benign or malevolent, in her consciousness—as does the memory of his office. She remembers that Fox told her that their souls had always known each other and that they would always be joined. She notes there was never a time when “[she was] not in love with Mr. Fox or when Mr. Fox was not in love with [her]” (651).