The Last Party

Perla and Grant watch Sophie play with her friend Jordan in the pool. Grant asks why Sophie can’t invite Jordan to her birthday party. They begin to argue, but Perla assuages Grant by straddling him and giving him a seductive look. They are interrupted by Sophie, who shouts in disgust. When Grant pushes Perla away, she thinks, “[I]f I could have drowned my daughter right then, I would have” (160).

This chapter opens with a quote from Dr. Aubrey Jones, a psychiatrist and expert witness from Leewood’s murder trial. Dr. Jones reveals that Lucy Wultz and Kitty Green, Jenny’s two friends, were killed much more aggressively than Jenny herself. They were stabbed and mutilated, while Jenny was killed quickly via a cut to the throat.

Dr. Valden meets with Leewood again. He muses over the fact that, prior to the crimes, many people described Leewood as a good man and father. He asks whether the real Leewood is “the monster behind the mask” (164). This phrase jogs something in Leewood’s memory; he’s sure that he read it before in one of his letters.

After the visit, Leewood reviews his collection of letters. He finds the familiar phrase in a letter from Grant: “Sometimes it’s not the people who change. It’s the mask that falls off” (166). Leewood begins to wonder if Dr. Valden and Grant Wultz are the same person. He tries to recall how Grant looked at his trial, but his memory is hazy because his attention had been focused on “searching the audience for her” (168).

In another email to Murder Unplugged, Perla reveals a detail from the Folcrum Party that law enforcement has withheld from the public, claiming to have carved an “S” into Kitty’s stomach.

One day, Perla comes home from grocery shopping in time to see Grant and Paige working on a crossword puzzle and standing close together. That night, Perla sabotages Paige’s car so that she can offer a ride home. She blames the damage on Sophie.

In the Wultzes’ Mercedes, Perla interrogates Paige about her father, encouraging her to ask him about the most dangerous criminal he’s ever worked with. She encourages Paige to go to Lancaster and sit down with one of the inmates, framing it as a way to build up her criminology résumé. Before Perla lets Paige out of the car, she arranges for Grant to drive her home the following night.

In her journal, Sophie writes that all adults “suck,” even Paige. Paige has accused Sophie of damaging her car, and their previously close relationship has become cold. Sophie tells Perla that Paige is being mean, and Perla promises to fire her after Sophie’s birthday.

Perla catches Paige in Grant’s office, looking at a picture of Grant and Lucy. Paige admits that she had been researching some of the Lancaster inmates whom her father told her about and came across the story of the Folcrum Party. Perla makes Paige promise not to tell Grant anything and to ask her father to keep everything confidential.

After Paige leaves the room, Perla picks up the picture. She recalls Lucy’s beauty and how “[s]he got it the worst” (179), maimed beyond recognition.

In Sophie’s room, Perla looks at the American Girl dolls on her shelf. She feels that Sophie is too old to play with dolls and is annoyed by her request to receive another doll for her birthday. Still, she agrees, “loving how easy it [i]s, being able to […] promise things for a later date that w[ill] never happen” (180).

Perla reflects on the layout of the house. During the design process, she specifically requested that Sophie’s bedroom be placed as far away from her and Grant’s as possible. The bedrooms are separated by a long catwalk. Grant will not be able to hear the girls screaming, especially if Perla drugs him with Ambien beforehand.

The chapter ends with another email from tfk@hotmail.com to info@murderunplugged.com. The email contains a poem that includes the lines “I slashed the girls on birthday night / Poor Leewood had a terrible fright” (183).

Perla continues attending appointments with Dr. Maddox, noticing as the therapist warms up to her. During one session, she tells Dr. Maddox that she found a file in Grant’s office that was full of crime scene photos from the Folcrum Party. She adds that she has twice caught Grant watching interviews with Leewood and expresses concern that Sophie is nearing the age of the victims. Dr. Maddox asks if Sophie’s age might have triggered concern that “something similar might happen to her” (184). Perla tries to convince her that there is “something dark and twisted” about Grant (184), but Dr. Maddox refuses to take the lead. Frustrated, Perla ends the appointment early.

This chapter opens with a quote from Rachel, one of the hosts of Murder Unplugged. After receiving the latest email from tfk, she contacted the police. After confirming that Kitty was indeed found with an “S” carved onto her body, they began to take tfk’s emails seriously.

Perla is usually annoyed by planning Sophie’s birthday parties, but this year, she relishes the chance to design a “rich-girl version of the Folcrum Party” (189). She knows that “poverty produces empathy” but hopes that the general public’s fascination with wealth will work in her favor (189). Careful to keep her own hands clean, Perla asks Paige to help her plan the party. Paige agrees and indicates that she and Sophie are patching things up. Perla tells her not to deal with Sophie firsthand, encouraging her to come to Perla with any issues.

Perla recalls that Jenny Folcrum invited her entire class to the party, but only Kitty and Lucy showed up. Perla thinks that Jenny was “a loser” and feels sympathy for her (187). She reflects on Leewood’s “idiotic” decision to stay at the crime scene and his staunch denial of guilt afterward.

Leewood receives a package from an admirer named Darcy. Darcy begs him to try and recall any details of the crime that could exonerate him, hinting that she has connections who could help him with an appeal. She expresses her love and says that they are “connected in ways that others will never understand” (192). The package contains a Polaroid camera and film, along with a missive from Darcy to send her an updated photo.

A correctional officer named Redd tells Leewood that Dr. Valden is there to see him.

In her journal, Sophie chronicles her search for Grant’s sister, which has so far been unsuccessful.

Sophie wants to buy a training bra to keep up with her friends, but when she asked her mother, Perla reacted in disgust. She considers bribing Paige to take her shopping instead.

This chapter opens with a quote from a woman named Marci Vennigan, a hairstylist. Marci confesses that she kissed Grant once at a Christmas party while they were both drunk. She denies being his mistress but advises, “[Y]ou should really look at the nanny” (196).

Grant’s office contains a locked file drawer that is home to original case files from the Folcrum Party. Perla, who has had access to the key for years, opens the drawer and studies the images, memorizing the details of the party. She then turns her attention to the photos of the bodies, wondering if she really can recreate the murders. Perla closes her eyes and searches her mind for any hesitation or grief about losing Sophie but finds nothing but excitement. She believes that her heart is a “blank slate” and that the party will “upgrade [her] life” (198).

Leewood visits a doctor, who tells him that he is ill and has only two to three weeks left to live. He prescribes Leewood pain medication and advises him to “get his affairs in order” (199), encouraging him to consider the families of his victims, who are still waiting for closure.

Reflecting on the doctor’s words, Leewood decides that he is right. The following morning, he writes a letter to Grant in which he confesses to murdering Lucy. He says that he did it because he is “a sick fuck who likes to hear little girls scream” and apologizes sincerely for his actions (199). Leewood reassures Grant that Lucy fainted after the first stab wound and felt no pain. The confession is entirely fabricated, but Leewood hopes that it will bring Grant closure.

This chapter opens with a quote from Morayi, who says that Perla always kept high walls up and had no close friends.

Perla attends another session with Dr. Maddox. Dr Maddox suggests that Grant join the sessions, stating that everyone has “biases on [their] perspectives” (203). Perla quickly rejects her suggestion, knowing that Grant’s presence would destroy the image she has created of him.

Dr. Maddox asks Perla about her relationship with her father, wanting to understand how it may have shaped her adult relationships. Perla is affronted. She says that her father died shortly after she met Grant and denies having “daddy issues.” When Dr. Maddox excuses herself to make a cup of tea, Perla reads her notepad. On it are just three words: “Is she lying?” (205)

Dr. Valden visits Leewood again, probing for a confession. Privately, Leewood admits to being a pedophile but says that he “lost all sexual inclinations” after the Folcrum Party (209). His memories of drawing a knife across a girl’s throat and holding her dying body in his arms have overwritten his former attraction to prepubescent girls.

Dr. Valden states his belief that Leewood killed Jenny because he was scared of her. Leewood denies killing Jenny. His internal monologue reveals that, though he did try to kill her, Jenny survived.

Perla texts Paige from Sophie’s phone, excusing her from work the following day. Paige calls Perla to confirm, and Perla denies this, telling Paige to show up at her usual time. Perla deletes the text from Sophie’s phone and smiles to herself.

Grant drives Perla to the surgery center. He is nervous and expresses his fear of losing Perla, describing how he spiraled after Lucy’s death. Perla is annoyed at the mention of Lucy, feeling that she is in a never-ending competition with her. Nevertheless, she is impressed by Grant’s words and decides to repurpose them for her own statements after the Folcrum Party.

Perla contemplates whether Grant will be “broken” by Sophie’s death. As she imagines his grief eclipsing her own in the public eye, she decides that Grant has to take the fall for the crime after all.

Perla wakes up after surgery in agony. Grant and Sophie are in her hospital room. Grant reassures her that the surgery went well. She feels a surge of remorse and says, “I’m sorry” (216). A confused Grant tells her that she has nothing to apologize for.

Dr. Valden visits on a Saturday, breaking his usual schedule. When he arrives without food, Leewood knows that he has gotten the letter, confirming that he is Grant. Grant doesn’t believe Leewood’s confession, which “feels too pat” (217). Leewood ends the visit early, telling Grant that he wasted time by visiting undercover. As he exits the room, he looks back at Grant, who looks furious.

On July 29, tfk@hotmail.com sends another email to Murder Unplugged, requesting them to call. The email stresses the shortening timeline and asks, “Is the nanny in or out?” (220). The address grant@dynamictech.com replies to tfk’s email, stating, “I’m working on the nanny. P hasn’t caught on to anything. We’re good” (220).

With two weeks to go before Sophie’s party, Perla strategizes how to stage an affair between Paige and Grant. Perla gifts Paige some of her old clothes and arranges a haircut for her at Marci’s salon. She intends for Paige’s new look to catch Grant’s eye.