Serena lives in a small room with a few disheveled items of furniture. She shares the house with three working class women who have been friends since childhood, though she does not spend much time with them. All three are studying law and the house is quiet and tidy. Serena still reads many books when she is not out with Max or Shirley. The novels provide an element of escapism for Serena, though she searches the books for any similarities to her own life. She treasures a cheap bookmark given to her by Tony as a cure for her tendency to leave books spread open and face down, ruining the spine.

Serena arrives home late one night after a long afternoon spent talking to Max and remembers that her housemates are all away. She dismisses her initial anxiety about being home alone but then notices that her bookmark is in the wrong place. She searches for other disturbances in the house but finds nothing. Before she goes to bed, she drags a heavy piece of furniture in front of her door and sleeps with the light on. By morning, she has convinced herself that she is mistaken about the bookmark.