Holly delays her release on bail for several days until she is ready to leave for Brazil. On the day of her flight, she knows that her apartment is being watched so she goes to Joe Bell's bar. Joe then goes to the narrator, who packs up Holly's possessions. He collects her "going-away belongings" (92), including her cat and the medal of St. Christopher that he gave to her at Christmas. The narrator and Holly share a drink at Joe's bar, where Joe watches on disapprovingly. Though he is worried that Holly is making an illegal mistake, Joe calls for a "chauffeured limousine" (93) for Holly.

The narrator and Holly ride in the limo to the airport, "too preoccupied for conversation" (94). In Harlem, Holly asks the driver to stop. When the car pulls over, she lets the cat out. When she tells the cat to go, the cat stays and rubs against Holly's leg. As she tells the driver to continue the journey, she explains to the narrator that she and the cat "never made each other any promises" (95). During her explanation, however, she changes her mind.