The Business Trip

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child abuse, physical abuse, and bullying.

Trent wakes in the middle of the night to the sound of banging on his front door. He is shocked to see police lights out his window and opens his door to find two officers demanding entry. One of the officers frisks and handcuffs him, while the other enters his condo and begins searching. Despite Trent’s insistence that he hasn’t done anything, the officer locks him in a squad car and orders him to wait. Trent begins to fantasize about suing the police department once his innocence is proven and publicizing their incompetence on his news station. As he’s enjoying the idea of moving to the Bahamas with his winnings, the police officer returns and demands to know why women’s jewelry and a cell phone belonging to Stephanie Monroe are buried in his backyard.

Bill, general manager of the news station where Trent works, receives a phone call from the Madison police chief informing him that Trent has been formally accused of murder. He spends the next few hours on the phone with various members of the organization, trying to align statements and calm advertisers.