Summary

This section takes place in 2004, more than two decades after Catherine's murder. Franny Clare is in her surgical residency in Syracuse, New York, but has found that "the work has become unbearable" (401). Her life feels isolated, lacking any meaningful human connections, and seems emotionally stunted.

Franny lives in an old tenement building with "leaky faucets and mice" (401). She has a lover, a married surgeon who she shows fairly little interest in. She "resents their strange closeness" (402) when they are in bed together.

One night, she is paged by an unfamiliar number, who turns out to be Mary Lawton. Mary explains who she is, and tells Franny she has finally sold the farmhouse and invites her down to go through all of Catherine's old things, which were left untouched in the house.

It is revealed that George is a diabetic who is nearly...