Summary

In Chapter 9, Chess takes Emily on a picnic to apologize for her behavior the night before. Soon the friends are “chatting like normal again” (167). When Chess presses Emily about dating, Emily tells her more about Matt’s cheating. Then, while talking about Mari’s story, Emily has a revelation. Mari was using Lilith Rising to leave clues about the murder. Like Victoria, Emily wonders if Mari hid her diary in the villa. She returns to the house and finds Mari’s journal in the wall.

In “Mari, 1974—Orvieto,” Pierce’s screaming wakes Mari. He had a dream in which Mari was “covered in blood” (175). When he saw her, he repeatedly thought “she’s inevitable” (175, Hawkins’ italics). When she tells him to use the line in a song, he refuses. She decides to use it in her novel instead.

While writing, Mari hears guitar...