Summary

In Chapter 22, Penny learned that Burt had been taken to the ER after collapsing at the barbecue place. She got Dale on the phone. They were both heading to Tyler.

In Chapter 23, after landing in the States, Penny received messages from Arlo, warning that Gaspard might show up at the airport. Disinterested in an encounter, Penny hid in the bathroom. She felt like her 10-year-old self “sitting across a desk from Dr. Fountain-Goose” (268). She remembered trying to explain Gaspard’s abuse and Fountain-Goose’s unhelpful response.

When Penny emerged from the bathroom, she saw Gaspard, said hello, and ran away.

In Chapter 24, Penny traveled to Tyler. While waiting for Dale at the airport, she talked to Storke about the case. Storke had been trying to reach her, as more disturbing developments had materialized.

Penny dismissed thoughts of Pincer and Gaspard by imagining “an...