My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Elsa finds Granny’s letter to Alf in the wardrobe. After he reads it, Dad comes in and says that Mum is at the hospital and has had her baby. All the neighbors decide to visit her in the hospital “because they’re sort of a team now” (325).

Alf goes to the garage to get his taxi, while Elsa and the boy with the syndrome climb into Dad’s car, which is parked out front. The wurse is about to get in as well when Sam emerges from the back seat, where he has been hiding. He grabs Elsa, realizing as he does so that he has confused the two children. As he reaches for the boy, the wurse bites his hand. Elsa grabs the boy and runs toward the apartment. She hears the wurse “howling in horrendous pain” (328). The boy runs upstairs with his mother, while Dad holds Elsa in the entryway.

Outside, Wolfheart appears and pounds Sam into the ground until it appears he will kill him. Britt-Marie gets between them and says “with authority, ‘We don’t beat people to death in this leaseholders’ association’” (329-30).