The Last Party

This chapter is stylized as an entry in Sophie’s journal. As part of her sixth-grade summer writing project, she is supposed to write for at least 15 minutes each day.

Sophie divulges a plan to falsify her journal entries. She is a fast writer, but her true dream is to become an actress and live a glamorous lifestyle. Sophie says that her mother doesn’t want her to become an actress because “she wants all the attention for herself” (5). Sophie is good at spotting dishonesty and knows that Perla lies frequently.

The journal entry continues with Sophie stating that she never wants to have children: “No stretch marks, no baby vomit on my clothes […] I’m going to be tall and gorgeous” (5). Though she is “capital N normal” right now (5), she is sure that she’ll be famous someday.

On the way home from the diner, Perla and Grant argue about her actions. Perla lied about being a doctor; in reality, she has no medical experience. Grant believes that it was unethical and dangerous for Perla to lie in a life-or-death situation.

Perla mollifies Grant by suggesting a movie night in the family’s home theater, knowing that “labors of love and family time” are the way to his heart (8). As they continue to drive, she thinks to herself that while saving a life was thrilling, “it couldn’t compare to the inverse” (9).

The Wultz family arrives at their home in the affluent gated community of Brighton Estates in Pasadena, California. Perla recounts the construction of the house eight years prior. She used her inheritance from her adoptive parents to finance the design and construction of the luxurious, 9,000-square-foot house.

Perla prepares brownies and an Irish coffee for Grant. Grant is a man of “order, precision, and consistency” (10), and Perla knows his preferences by heart. While his predictability annoyed her at first, she has come to appreciate the power it grants her.

Sophie enters the kitchen and announces that Grant is still angry about Perla’s lie. They discuss the ethics of lying, with Perla displaying a cavalier attitude toward dishonesty. Rather than telling Sophie not to lie, Perla advises her to consider the consequences of a lie before telling it. She wishes that Sophie were more assertive, thinking, “If you waited for life to give you something, you’d never get half of what you deserved” (12). Perla has taken an active role in her own life, securing her place as Grant’s wife and the heir to the fortunes of George and Janice, her adoptive parents. She has her dream life, except for the existence of Sophie, whom Perla privately loathes.

Grant walks in, and Perla pretends to lecture Sophie against lying, winking at her when he isn’t looking. Grant takes a sip of his drink, and Perla waits for him to smack his lips in approval. She hates herself for needing his approval, noting that she was the same way with her father. Her need for her father’s approval resulted in the dissolution of their relationship: “I had held on to him so tightly, I’d lost him forever” (12). Perla watches Sophie hug Grant and grows viscerally angry and jealous.

In her journal, Sophie claims that she knows when to lie and when to tell the truth. She is smarter than both of her parents and knows to keep certain pieces of knowledge to herself.

This chapter is narrated by Leewood Folcrum, an inmate at Lancaster Prison. A quote from a correctional officer opens the chapter, revealing that Leewood is a child killer and has been incarcerated for 23 years.

After decades in prison, Leewood feels dependent on a set of rules he has created for himself: “Don’t make friends. […] Don’t appeal. […] Don’t talk about what happened on December 6” (16). Additionally, he only reads and writes letters on Sundays, giving himself something to look forward to. Each Sunday, he hopes to open a letter from an unnamed woman referred to only as “her.”

On Sunday, Leewood opens his letters. Several are from female admirers. The final letter he opens is from the brother of Lucy, one of Leewood’s victims. Leewood killed Lucy at a birthday party when she was 12 years old and he was 34.

The letter writer begs Leewood to recount the final hours of Lucy’s life, claiming, “I don’t think you’re a cruel man at heart” (20). Leewood and the letter writer have been corresponding for 23 years, starting when the writer was 17. Leewood has a soft spot for the man that he can’t explain to himself. He knows that the morally correct thing to do is to give the man the information he wants, but Leewood has reasons for keeping “every horrible and beautiful moment of that night” to himself (20). Chief among these is the mysterious “her” referenced earlier.

During a workout, Perla listens to a true-crime podcast called Murder Unplugged. The hosts tease an upcoming episode about the Folcrum Party, an event that culminated in the murder of 12-year-old Jenny Folcrum and two of her friends. Perla already knows what happened to the girls; the events of the Folcrum Party are “the main reason [she has] a long-term and unfulfilled love-fear relationship with Leewood Folcrum” (23).

Unlike the general public, Perla whole-heartedly believes in Leewood’s innocence. She has offered to pay for his appeal, but Leewood refuses to meet her. She is frustrated by his refusal to make a connection with her and angry that Grant and Sophie stand in the way of her ability to form a real relationship with him. Perla wishes that she could get rid of her family, and the thought gives her an idea.

This chapter opens with a quote from a woman named Lydia Lee, a fellow Brighton Estates resident. Lydia says that she always knew something was wrong with the Wultz family and kept her daughter away from Sophie as a result.

Grant, Perla, and Sophie visit the Pasadena farmers’ market. Sophie finds the animal-adoption tent and picks up a brown rabbit, which she refers to as “Piketo.” Grant tenses up at the reference to a story that Perla told Sophie on her sixth birthday. The story was passed down from Perla’s father, who told it to her as a child.

Perla tells the story, which centers on a rabbit named Piketo. Piketo’s family knows of a secret carrot garden where they can go and eat their fill. Unable to keep the secret, Piketo tells her closest friend, sure that the friend would never tell anyone. Three weeks later, the other rabbits, angry at the long-held secret, descend on Piketo and her family as they sleep and brutally murder them. Perla used the story as a lesson, impressing on Sophie the importance of keeping family secrets.

Grant was furious at Perla for telling Sophie such a dark story, but Perla believes that Sophie got off easy. When Perla was a child, her father underscored the lesson by giving her a baby rabbit for Christmas and then killing and gutting it shortly afterward. He did this to create “a relationship of ironclad confidentiality and trust” (27).

Perla takes a bath while listening to the Murder Unplugged episode on the Folcrum Party. According to Grant, she likes her bathwater “unbearably hot.” Perla thinks that Grant’s intolerance of pain makes him weak and wonders, “What did it say about me that I had chosen a man like that to marry?” (30)

The Murder Unplugged hosts discuss the uniqueness of the Folcrum Party murders, which strengthens their belief that Leewood must be the killer. Perla thinks that another suspect might help cast doubt on Leewood’s guilt. This suspect would need to commit another, similar crime involving the murder of three preteen girls at a birthday party. Perla thinks of Sophie’s upcoming 12th birthday and believes that she can “kill multiple birds with one stone” (32). She imagines Leewood thanking her for freeing him and breaks into a wide smile.

Alone at home with her housekeeper, Madeline, Perla watches an old interview with Leewood entitled “The Worst Father In America” (33). Perla is deeply attracted to Leewood. She lives less than 70 miles from Lancaster Prison and often thinks about driving up to visit him.

In the interview, Leewood discusses the events leading up to the Folcrum Party. His wife, Jessica, had died by suicide two years prior via a lethal dose of sleeping pills, and he was raising their daughter, Jenny, alone. Since the Folcrum Party, there have been persistent rumors that Leewood killed his wife, but he vehemently denies this. At the time of Jessica’s death, Leewood was working on a construction site 45 minutes away. The interviewer asks Leewood to walk the audience through the events of his wife’s death; he declines, stating that he doesn’t like to relive it.

Grant calls Perla. She reluctantly closes the interview and accepts the call while clearing her browser history.

This chapter is narrated by Leewood and opens with an anonymous letter signed “your biggest fan” (36). The letter writer states that they are married with a young daughter and insinuates that they also enjoy violence. They ask if Leewood regrets his crimes, stating that the only thing he should regret is “that [he] didn’t finish the job” (36).

Leewood believes that, despite their protestations otherwise, most people “[love] to hear about little girls dying” (38). He has learned how to manipulate their curiosity for personal gain. Leewood recalls his first meeting with Dr. Timothy “Tim” Valden, a doctoral student who pays Leewood regular visits on Tuesdays. Dr. Valden initially introduced himself as writing a dissertation on “confessions and deceptions” (38). He asked to speak to Leewood about December 6. In return, Leewood asked for a meal from Arby’s. Looking back, Leewood thinks that he should have asked Dr. Valden for “a lot more” (38).

This chapter opens with a quote from Tina Anthrow, an administrator at the soccer school where Sophie was once enrolled. The woman speaks fondly of Perla, stating that they were “both private-school girls […] cut from the same cloth” (41). She recalls how well-mannered Sophie was in their meetings and then expresses her devastation at the death of an unspecified “her.”

In her home office, Perla begins to write an outline for her copycat crime. She divides a piece of paper into two columns: “TRUTH” and “FAKE.” Under the “TRUTH” column, she outlines her intention to recreate the Folcrum Party murders at Sophie’s 12th birthday party, which will occur on August 13. Her motive is both to free Leewood and give herself a reason to enter his life, framing herself as another victim of the “true” Folcrum Party killer. Perla eagerly looks forward to the attention she will receive after Sophie’s death.

Perla is surprised by Grant entering the room. As he steps toward her desk to read the paper, Perla fakes a bad cramp, successfully distracting him. After he leaves the room, she fills out the “FAKE” column. At first, she plans to frame Grant as the killer, but she’s unable to come up with a motive. She decides to make him a scapegoat instead, framed by the true Folcrum Party killer. Perla is unconcerned about whether or not Grant will be convicted, as she does not expect their marriage to survive Sophie’s death.

Perla memorizes her outline and then shreds it, noting, “For the first time in a long while, I was no longer bored” (47). As she imagines the interviews and media appearances that will follow the crime, she becomes fixated on improving her appearance. Perla plans to remove a mole on her right cheek in addition to getting rhinoplasty and liposuction surgery.

Perla reflects on her life in Brighton Estates, where she is indistinguishable from the other well-groomed housewives. Though there are a few “outliers” in the neighborhood—women who do not conform to the community’s exacting standards—such women are never accepted into the inner circle of wealthy wives. Perla considers herself the queen bee of her community and hopes that her reputation will aid her in the aftermath of her crime, with her friends giving “the right answers” to the inevitable questions about her character (49).

Perla believes that having an expert come to her defense will be especially helpful. She decides on Dr. Leslie Maddox, a therapist at the local Stony Brook Medical Center. Perla arranges for an appointment with Dr. Maddox, during which she paints herself as a dutiful mother and devoted wife while casting suspicion on Grant’s character. She plans to plant the idea that Grant is obsessed with the Folcrum Party murders and has displayed increasingly concerning behavior. Leaning in close to Dr. Maddox, Perla confesses that Grant sometimes scares her.

This chapter ends with an email from tfk@hotmail.com to info@murderunplugged.com. Dated June 15, the email reads,

Thirty days has September

April June and November

I framed a Folcrum in December

The next event all will remember (54).

This chapter opens with a quote from Christina Shutter, a childhood friend of Jenny Folcrum’s. Christina recalls the time she met Jenny’s father, Leewood. Leewood took her to the corner store and bought her candy, holding her uncomfortably close the entire time. Christina says that there was definitely “something off” about him. After the incident, Jenny never invited her over again.

Leewood receives another letter from Lucy’s brother. The letter writer says that, in a way, Lucy’s death brought him and his wife together, as they have both experienced traumatic losses. The loss of his sister has affected the letter writer deeply. He struggles with grief and rage, finding it hard to trust anyone, even his own wife. The letter writer contemplates the decades when Leewood lived in relative peace before he committed the murder. He wonders if “we’re all just psychopaths waiting for our trigger” (55).

Dr. Valden returns to visit Leewood on the Tuesday after their first visit, bringing him the Arby’s meal he requested. During their conversation, Dr. Valden attempts to ask about December 6. Leewood is combative and insulting. When he accuses Dr. Valden of being a pedophile, Dr. Valden angrily ends the visit. Leewood knows that he will show up again: “There was only one Leewood Fulcrum. Even if I wasn’t the monster they thought I was” (59).c

In Dr. Maddox’s office, Perla paints a picture of Grant as being both doting and obsessive. She relates an incident in which Grant stalked a contractor named Frank, believing that Frank was attracted to Perla. Perla is twisting a real story and doctoring the truth to make Grant sound dangerous. Privately, she thinks that the Frank problem was solved “more by [her] but in part by Grant” (62).

Disappointed that Dr. Maddox isn’t asking her more probing questions, Perla excuses herself from the appointment. Before she leaves, she and Dr. Maddox schedule a visit for the following week.

Grant takes Sophie and Perla on a birdwatching hike. In the car, Perla makes a disparaging comment about Sophie’s journal likely being full of inane musings about boys and the mall. She believes that she was more mature at Sophie’s age, especially after “[her] father left and [she] was a ward of the state” (65),

Both Perla and Sophie are bored by the hike. Perla challenges Sophie to lie to Grant, pretending to be interested in the birds for a full hour. She is disconcerted by the ease with which Sophie accomplishes this.

In the car on the way home, the family passes Lancaster Prison. Grant catches Perla staring and asks if she has ever been to the prison. She denies it and flips the question onto him—he likewise denies it. Perla thinks to herself that even if Grant discovers her fixation on the Fulcrum murders, she has “more than enough right” to be interested in them (69). She is thrilled by the thought of one day entering the prison to meet Leewood face-to-face. From the backseat, Sophie vehemently states that she will never go to prison.

In her journal, Sophie recounts the tense car ride on the way home from the hike. She reiterates her conviction that she will never be incarcerated, stating that if she commits a crime, she will just lie her way out of it.

Sophie closes the entry by musing that she should probably tear up the page and stating, “If you’re reading this, I would confess to any crime I committed” (71).

Unable to find a plastic surgery appointment within the next three weeks, Perla calls her friend Morayi for help. Morayi is a fellow member of the Brighton Estates inner circle. Her husband, Dr. Kellan Keita, is a well-known plastic surgeon. Dr. Keita also does philanthropic work, repairing cleft palates pro bono, which Perla finds irritating and self-righteous. Perla asks Morayi to get her an appointment with Dr. Keita. She lies and says that Grant suggested a rhinoplasty and liposuction.

When Morayi says that she cannot get Perla an appointment within the next month, Perla threatens to expose an illicit favor she did for Morayi several years ago. She has Morayi backed into a corner and is sure that she will get the appointment.

In her journal, Sophie confesses a secret. Her friends have told her that Grant’s sister is famous “and that there is a movie about her and everything” (76). Sophie is determined to find out who Grant’s sister is and what she’s famous for.

Sophie’s newfound proximity to celebrity has earned the attention of Mandolin, a wealthy and popular girl. Sophie contemplates whether to replace her current best friend, Bridget, with Mandolin; Mandolin is cool, but Bridget “goes along with everything [she] says” (76). Sophie has learned from Perla that it’s important to have friends who submit to her.

Perla attends a consultation with Dr. Keita. He confirms that she is a good candidate for her desired surgeries. When she removes her hospital gown to show him the areas where she wants liposuction, he asks about the origin of a scar on an unspecified part of her body. To Perla, the scar is “proof that those who love you the most can be the ones who hurt you the most” (78). She refuses to tell Dr. Keita the scar’s backstory. Dr. Keita says that scars “can be the most beautiful parts of us, if we learn to love them” (78).

Dr. Keita gives Perla a recovery timeline of two to three weeks. She is pleased to hear that she will be healed in time for Sophie’s party.