Keep It in the Family

Chapter 25 returns to the stalker’s point of view, 20 years earlier. On this occasion, they murdered a young girl whose father had an addiction to drugs. Days of stalking revealed that the little girl was neglected and malnourished. As the killer carefully puts the little girl’s body in the suitcase, they feel a sense of satisfaction that they have saved the child from a miserable life. Before they close the suitcase and leave, the narrator pauses to take a mental snapshot of the moment. They reflect on their own childhood and their father’s love for art. The stalker recalls their father encouraging them to paint as a child and advising them to “frame what you want the viewer to see […] so they can close their eyes and return to it whenever they want to” (114). This advice drives a portion of their murderous rituals; the narrator is obsessed with taking mental snapshots of each victim.

The narrative shifts to Dave’s perspective in the present as he secretly follows Mia. Having eavesdropped on a conversation between Mia and Finn, Dave suspects that Mia is close to uncovering family secrets that Dave wants to keep hidden.