Early the next morning, Bill informs Mike that Max has died by suicide. Mike wonders if Whitmore was involved in his death, but there is nothing to suggest that is the case. Mike is glad about the outcome. He asks Bill if they are still friends, which Bill acknowledges, though he reminds Mike that people will attribute Max’s death to him. Mike realizes that the letter Max and Whitmore sent was a suicide note. This makes Mike wonder what Max’s plan had been if he was going to die anyway. Bill advises Mike to leave town, but Mike is too deep into his writing process to risk affecting it. Mike reassures Bill that what he is writing is unrelated to TR-90.

Mike calls Mattie, who weeps over the news. She asks Mike to keep her company over lunch. Mike declines because it will look bad in the eyes of the town, but they agree to have dinner with Kyra out on the common.

Mike writes downstairs instead of in his office. He is initially worried that he will suffer another anxiety attack, but it does not happen. Mike writes smoothly for two hours, forgetting his troubles in the real world. He comes out of his writing trance when he gets a call from his brother, Siddy.