Later

Therriault appears again on Friday outside Jamie’s school; parents picking up their children veer around him without realizing it. Jamie goes back into the school and waits until Therriault disappears. He doesn’t show up again for two weeks, and Jamie assumes he is gone for good.

One day, when Jamie is waiting for the elevator outside the apartment, the elevator doors open and Therriault is standing there, grinning. He tells Jamie that Tia has lung cancer and will be dead in six months; the elevator doors close. All Jamie can think of is the fact that the dead tell the truth. When he calms down, it occurs to him that the dead might only have to tell the truth when asked a direct question.

Jamie struggles with what to do. He and Tia agreed to stop discussing Jamie’s ability, so he instead asks if she’s been to the doctor lately. She assures him that she had a checkup three months earlier. Jamie knows this isn’t definitive, but it’s the best he can do while keeping his promise.

Therriault continues to haunt Jamie, popping up when least expected. The stress affects Jamie’s performance at school and on the swim team. He begins to think he will have to tell someone, but dismisses telling his mother.