Summary
Highlights
The protagonist considers running away, fantasizing about stealing Bobby Stack's Camaro. Upon arriving home, the house is quiet. A white envelope is found pushed under the door. Inside, a piece of paper contains a single word printed in block letters: 'Tell'.
After Mrs. McCandless leaves, the protagonist, trembling with guilt, finds Pauline's missing flip-flop in the hole where towels were hidden. They consider what to do with it, ultimately deciding to hide it in their jacket pocket, haunted by thoughts of Pauline. Gloria Webster is seen jogging by the river, raising suspicions about whether she witnessed anything.
On the way home, the protagonist meets the 'Batman' and Hannah. The Batman asks about the protagonist's head, and Hannah reveals that the police were asking questions about the previous night. She mentions Raul and an unknown policewoman, and that someone observed the incident from across the river, prompting Raul to seek more witnesses.
Hannah speculates about what the witness saw, expressing her dislike for cruelty. She then recounts a traumatic childhood experience in Florida where a gang of older kids, guided by her, used explosives to kill bats in a cave, leaving her deeply affected by the incident and the cruelty of others. She also reveals she attends boarding school in Connecticut.