Chapter 16 Summary

As time passes, McTeague becomes more and more abusive to his wife. The beast inside of him is brought to the surface by alcohol, and when he is in this state he hurts his wife terribly. More than that, he begins to enjoy hurting her. That which he had previously loved about her he now loathes. She is nothing more than a bother to him.

One day, Trina decides to go to see Maria, with whom she has become very close, to see how much rent Maria pays for her living quarters. Upon arriving, Trina discovers an astonishing and horrific sight. Maria is dead! Murdered! Trina rallies the assistance of Heise, and together they call the police. As a crowd gathers round, it becomes clear that Zerkow is the culprit. That night, his body is found floating in San Francisco Bay, clutching some...