Pretty Girls

After 17 and a half years of sobriety, Lydia considers using again upon learning of Paul’s death, remembering an incident where Paul propositioned her. Dee tells Lydia that her college plans have changed; she wants to be a veterinarian like her grandfather, Sam. Lydia takes advantage of the rare, vulnerable family moment and opens up about her missing sister Julia, who was studying journalism at the University of Georgia when she disappeared. After taking Dee to school, Lydia drives to Magnolia Hills Memorial Gardens and finds Paul’s grave. She drops her skirt to urinate on the grave in spite, but Claire interrupts. The two sisters are not close; Claire resents Lydia for her poor behavior while struggling with addiction, and Lydia resents Claire for not believing her about Paul’s attempted rape. The two women realize their childishness and talk about Ginny’s dementia and the missing Kilpatrick girl. Claire leaves abruptly, crying, although Lydia can sense Claire starting to doubt Paul’s perfect lies.

Sam Carroll returns to the narrative in another undated letter. He admits that he became enough of a nuisance to the police that he was arrested for stalking a man who bused tables the night Julia went missing.