The Little Friend

Harriet still has affection for Curtis despite disliking his family. She feels bad for him and suspects the family mistreats him. She talks to him outside the Mormon missionaries’ apartment while Mr. Dial goes inside the building. She looks in the Ratliffs’ truck and sees several boxes of poisonous snakes. Curtis warns her they’re “munsters” who will bite, not “friendly” like Curtis. Harriet doesn’t realize that Eugene lives above the Mormon missionaries, so she thinks the snakes belong to the Mormons. However, Hely tells her that someone else rents the top apartment.

Essie Lee, Hely’s family’s housekeeper, fusses at Hely for being in his closed bedroom with a girl. Hely threatens to twist her words to get her fired and claim she said she would burn their house down. Harriet doesn’t like this because it’s a blatant lie, which she calls out when Hely and Pem enthusiastically recount it. Harriet convinces Pem to drive her and Hely past the Mission, where the snakes are located. The top floor’s windows are suspiciously covered with tinfoil, and as they drive past, someone fiddles with the foil as if looking through it.