Part II: Section 36 Summary

Behrani thinks how quickly and purposefully Nadi left her room for the broken woman in Esmail's. He hopes this will be enough to deflect Kathy's attention to the tax office and away from him and his family. Nadi scolds him to put Lester's gun-now on the kitchen counter-out of sight. He instead remembers back to the American-built firing range, how his own aim had always been more accurate than Pourat's (Pourat would laugh at himself in front of even the junior officers and later gave Behrani a nickname, "Duke," after the American actor John Wayne).

When Esmail returns home, Behrani shows him the unloaded gun and explains everything he can. They sit at the waiting meal while Nadi goes to knock on the bathroom door. Behrani hears the quiet after Nadi's knock and is on his feet down the...