The Breakdown

It’s been two months since Jane’s murder. Cass has scheduled her medical tests—to determine if she has early-onset dementia—for late October. In the meantime, she still takes the pills daily (except on weekends) and still receives silent calls throughout the week. She no longer answers the calls but knows it’s her tormentor when the caller doesn’t leave a message. When Rachel comes by, Cass admits that she’s still getting the calls, though she told Matthew she isn’t. After seeing Rachel, Cass realizes what she and her life have become. Determined to change things, she resolves to start by seeking forgiveness from Jane’s husband, reasoning that maybe then she can forgive herself.

Cass forgoes taking her pills for a while so that she’ll be able to drive to Heston, where Alex (Jane’s husband) lives. She secretly stockpiles the pills Matthew brings her each morning in a drawer. On a whim before leaving, she answers a call from him. The caller seems surprised but then whispers, “I’ve missed you” (200). Cass’s fear returns, but she also feels a sense of triumph for having forced a change in the dynamic.

In Heston, Cass visits Alex at home and tells him everything about the night Jane was killed.