Alison comes over for dinner and Jodi, who has not confided in her other friends, tells her everything. Alison says that they can make this problem go away without the help of the law if Jodi is still the beneficiary of Todd’s will. What she’s proposing is a hired murder—she claims that her ex-husband, Renny, knows people who will kill Todd for a price. She advises Jodi to sell her jewelry and household goods to raise the money, telling her to find buyers online and insist on cash payments. She also advises Jodi to book a trip for the time of the murder so that she’ll have a solid alibi.

At the office, Todd feels anxious, though he thought being with Natasha would “banish his anxiety forever” (270). Todd tells Stephanie to cancel all of Jodi’s credit cards. Stephanie asks if Todd is going to warn Jodi, but he says no. When Stephanie leaves his office, Todd paces, trying not to scratch at his penis. He worries that it’s caused by HIV, which he now thinks is the only plausible explanation for his symptoms. He falls onto his knees and weeps, praying for the itch to stop or for the will to endure it.