Summary

Part II is called “Object Permanence” and corresponds to the bargaining phase of grief. Crosley lives across from the restaurant where she ate with Russell the last time she saw him before she died, meaning that she relives their final encounter whenever she walks past. She does not know where Russell’s ashes are and finds it difficult not having anywhere to visit him. Crosley develops heart palpitations and visits a cardiologist who asks her if she has been under any unusual stress lately. She initially forgets to mention the suicide because it is so constantly at the forefront of her mind that she has ceased to think of it as something out of the ordinary.

Out of the blue, Crosley receives an email from a fan of her writing, who has been doing some investigating into the jewelry theft after Crosley posted about...