The Plot

Three years later, Jake’s new novel Crib is hugely successful. His book tour starts in Seattle bookstores like Barnes & Noble and The Elliot Bay Book Company, but soon expands to bigger events and venues.

Jake gives a lively interview, bantering with a journalist, while internally he feels burnout. In the interview, Jake is terrified when his interviewer questions him about where he gets his ideas. Jake has had many foreboding feelings since writing the novel, despite not using any of Evan’s words—only his plot structure. Jake repeats a made-up anecdote about seeing a mother and daughter arguing in their car while taking out his trash and getting the idea for the book that way.

The twist in his novel startles people: In the story, a mother killing her daughter and steals her identity. This public reaction is part of Jake’s success. His old writer friends have sought him out, asking for favors. In addition to fame, he now also has money. However, Jake remains unhappy because he fears his secret about using Evan’s plot will surface.