The Last House Guest

The narrative returns to the Plus-One Party in 2017. At 9:30 p.m., the power goes out. Ellie Arnold falls in the pool, and Parker helps her out. Avery flips the breakers and restores power to the house. Ellie’s friends help her find dry clothes, and Avery and Parker clean up the wet clothes and dirty towels that Ellie used in the bathroom. Parker asks Avery if she thinks he is a good person. Parker says a man is at the party looking for her, and when Avery leaves the bathroom, he tells her to be careful.

When Parker leaves for the day, Avery uses the key from the lockbox to enter the Lomans’ house. She searches each room as thoroughly as she can, but she does not find the box of Sadie’s belongings. She races back to the guesthouse just as Parker returns home with Erica, one of the people working on Sadie’s memorial. Erica reveals she worked the same party where Avery met Sadie years ago and that Sadie had asked for Avery by name. Avery is confused and assumes Erica has misremembered.

Once Erica is gone, Parker asks Avery if she had been in the house and left the back patio door open.