Middle of the Night

This interlude is narrated from the third-person perspective of Russ’s mother, Misty Chen. Misty was awake when Russ snuck into the kitchen and out of the house. She waits for Russ to sneak back inside, then finds the knife. Although she tries to convince herself that Russ would never harm anyone, she slips into her back yard and buries the knife in her garden so that no one can ever accuse Ruse of wrongdoing.

This chapter returns to Ethan’s first-person perspective in the present as Russ is arrested. Ethan feels guilty for upending Russ’s life and thrusting Russ’s wife and child into these circumstances, but he also believes he did the right thing. Ethan doesn’t believe that Russ simply sliced the tent. He remains convinced that Russ bears at least partial responsibility for Billy’s death.

Ethan is standing on the sidewalk, pondering Billy’s case and Russ’s involvement, when Ashley runs out from her own house, calling Ethan’s name. She tells him that Henry has disappeared, and they begin a frantic search. Ethan’s trail cam reveals photos of Henry being dragged out from the tent by a dark figure. The footage reveals that, as he was being abducted, Henry was smart enough to turn in such a way that the trail cam captured his kidnapper’s face.