Part 1, Chapters 31-35 Summary

Chapter 31: The Crandalls' visit on New Year's Eve marks the last time Norma Crandall is in the Creed house. Louis notes her failing health and is not surprised when Rachel calls him at work a month later with news of her death.

Chapter 32: Louis leaves work to be with Jud. Together they get drunk, and Jud reminisces about Norma while making the funeral arrangements. Louis realizes how important Jud has become to him, as both friend and father figure. Rachel takes the death badly and tries to hide it from Ellie. Louis has a father-daughter chat with Ellie, which Rachel overhears. His honesty with his daughter inspires Rachel to finally share the gruesome details of her sister Zelda's death. From what Louis can tell, Zelda was clinically insane due to the horrendous pain of her deadly spinal meningitis, and...