Holly

Randy Holsten calls Holly to relay a brief interaction he had with Bonnie at a party. When he asked her what she’d done over Christmas break, Bonnie said she’d been working as an elf. Holly calls Keisha, who says that Bonnie worked in the Harris home for several months after their Christmas party. She also confirms that Ellen cleaned the Life Sciences building where Rodney had an office.

Holly gets a call from Tanya Robinson, Barbara’s mother. Barbara is in the hospital with Olivia, whose cancer has spread to her brain and lungs. Olivia is on hospice care and will be brought home the following day to spend her final days at home.

Emily’s sciatica has made her bedridden. Rodney serves Emily a pudding made of Peter Steinman’s fat, then rubs it over her legs, hoping that it will restore her strength so that she can help him dispose of Bonnie.

In the basement, Bonnie wakes naked and shackled to Rodney’s worktable. Rodney and Emily are standing by wearing butchers’ aprons. Bonnie observes that Emily’s face is “little more than a skull” (333). Bonnie asks if they are going to rape her, but Emily gleefully tells Bonnie that they are going to eat her.