The narrator wakes in the night. He thinks of everything that has happened but, more importantly, that he has no power over anything. He still considers himself “cowardly.”

The narrator wakes up again in the early morning. Trudy and Claude argue with each other. She blames him for the murder, yet he repeatedly points out her own involvement. She is adamant that they get the highest price for the house that they can, while he argues for selling it quickly. The narrator is uninterested, wondering only what will become of him.

When Trudy showers, the narrator is overwhelmed with a feeling of hope and happiness. He considers his impending birth, delighted at the chance to finally experience the world. Shortly thereafter, however, he scolds himself for forgetting about his father. As his mother prepares for the day, he notes that Elodie likely has finished her statement and that the police have already decided whether to pursue the investigation of John’s death. In that moment, the narrator is overcome with a feeling of protectiveness toward his mother, not wanting her to be punished and hoping that they can remain together without Claude.

In the afternoon, Inspector Clare Allison calls to say that she will be coming to interview Claude and Trudy. The two are instantly on edge, reciting their rehearsed story and questioning whether this means that there is going to be a murder investigation. As Trudy becomes upset, reciting their story incorrectly, the narrator kicks her three times to help her focus.

Inspector Allison arrives with one of the officers who came to the home immediately after John’s death. Everyone sits in the living room. She asks them questions about their morning with John, noting that there had been a fight and that they shared coffee in the kitchen. She asks about John’s hat and whether either of them had ever borrowed it, and they both answer no. When Inspector Allison tells them that it is being tested for DNA, the narrator recognizes that Claude gave the wrong answer; the DNA will show his hair in the hat, so he should have said that he borrowed it once.

When Inspector Allison asks more about John’s mental state, Trudy uses the word “confused,” noting that they were unsure whether he was still in love with Trudy or not. She brings up Elodie, noting that her relationship with John was a ruse. However, Inspector Allison denies this, stating that their relationship was “complicated” but offering no further information. Inspector Allison then asks if the house is being sold. Trudy claims that it isn’t, but Allison notes that it is already listed on the market.

As the conversation continues, the narrator wonders what Allison’s goal is. He convinces himself that she is just being thorough and trying to impress her superiors.

While Inspector Allison looks over the house with Claude and the officer, Trudy waits in the sitting room to avoid using the stairs. The narrator senses that she is calm and wonders if it is because she is confident or because she is resigned to her fate.

When Allison returns, she stops to look at the boxes in the hallway. Trudy notes that John was moving some of his things in, mostly books, and Allison looks through them. After, she tells the group that there is only one thing about the case that confuses her: There were no prints on the smoothie cup or on the glycol bottle. Trudy points out that John wore gloves frequently, as he was embarrassed about psoriasis on his hands. Allison produces a picture of the gloves, asking if he had any other pair, and Trudy insists that those were his only ones.

Just before leaving, Allison reveals that they got information back from forensics on the gloves. Inside the finger was a nest of spiders, so there is no way they were worn recently. Allison cheerfully tells Trudy and Claude goodbye, promising to come back with more questions.

The narrator contemplates whether there is a way to save his mother, whom he truly loves, while still convicting his uncle. He had always hoped that the three of them could be free, despite his need for revenge; now, he is certain that he wants his uncle to suffer.

Trudy and Claude discuss their options in the kitchen while drinking scotch. After Claude has several glasses, they decide that they need to act. They move quickly around the house, packing their things and preparing to flee to Brussels. They already have money and their passports ready. The train they hope to catch is only an hour away, so Claude rushes her out the door. However, Trudy hesitates, wanting to bring along a picture of her mother but unable to get it out of the frame. In this moment, the narrator decides to act. He uses his fingers to puncture his amniotic sac.

Claude tries to ignore Trudy’s water breaking, insisting that they can deal with it once they are on the train. However, the narrator forces himself into the birth canal, beginning his mother’s contractions. Trudy lies on the bed and urges Claude to call an ambulance, but Claude insists that he is leaving. He demands his passport, and Trudy tells him that she hid it. She tells him that if he will not call for help, he will need to deliver the baby; she then begins issuing instructions. After hesitating, Claude comes over to the bed. The narrator realizes that Claude hopes that the baby can be delivered quickly enough that they can still escape.

The narrator’s world warps as he is born. He feels the immense pressure from his mother’s pushes, awed at her strength. Finally, he emerges, lifted up by Claude and placed into his mother’s arms. Exhausted, both the baby and Trudy sleep.

Sometime later, Claude wakes them up, announcing that four police officers are at the door. Trudy looks directly into the narrator’s face. He is awed by her beauty and the love that he has for her. He hopes that their “prison cell” will not be “too small” and that he will find “meaning” on the other side of its door.