Rene Lenier—Jason’s co-worker, and ex-husband of Sookie’s fellow waitress Arlene—is in the bar and comes to Sookie’s defense when someone makes an inappropriate pass at her. Rene tells Sookie that she reminds him of his sister, Cindy.
THURSDAY, JUNE 17. Adele and Sookie spend the day cleaning in preparation for Bill’s visit. After inviting him in, they discover that the vampire is actually a local—just not a recent one. A Confederate soldier, he returned safely from the Civil War only to fall prey to a vampire. As was customary for vampires at the time, he then left the area so that he would not be recognized. Now that the vampires have revealed themselves, he’s finally come back to reclaim his ancestral home, which lies across the cemetery from Sookie’s house. Adele happily questions him about the past and about her late husband’s family, and they set a date for him to speak with the Descendants. Sookie and Bill go for a walk, and he meets her cat, Tina. Sookie is able to completely relax in Bill’s presence, and he admits that he is enjoying her company as well. She carefully asks questions about vampires, and they discover that she cannot be glamoured. She also gets Bill to levitate for her. They speak a bit about Sookie’s telepathy and how hard it has been on her, about Bill’s family before his turning, and about his difficulties in getting workers to come to his house for renovations. Sookie offers to help. She gives in to her impulses and kisses him good night when he walks her back to her door.
FRIDAY, JUNE 18. Sookie finds various contractors willing to be called at night by a vampire. Sam calls to tell her that Dawn, one of the Merlotte’s waitresses, did not show up for work, and Sookie arranges to take part of Dawn’s shift that evening. While at work, she inadvertently reads Arlene’s mind, and Arlene snaps at Sookie, bringing her almost to tears. Sam comforts her, reminding her that it’s not her fault that she can read minds, and she reveals the torment of trying to function with the thoughts of others in her head. After she confirms that she cannot read Bill’s mind, Sam invites her to read his sometime, something she has always tried to avoid doing.
She takes the list of contractors over to Bill’s after work but finds that he has company. She meets vampires Malcolm, Liam, and Diane, along with their human companions, Jerry and Janella. Bill fears for Sookie and claims her as his to protect her from the other vampires. Diane disbelieves Bill’s claim, telling him he obviously needs real blood and offering him the two fangbangers. Janella is busy performing sexual acts with Liam, so Jerry willingly steps up. Bill is tempted, but before he can indulge, Sookie reads the human’s mind and discovers that he has Sino-AIDS, a virus that weakens and can even kill vampires, and that he wants to infect as many vampires as possible in revenge for his lover leaving him for a vampire. Jerry attacks Sookie, choking her, and Bill breaks Jerry’s wrist to free her. Malcolm slings the unconscious human over his shoulder, and the group leaves. Sookie is certain that Jerry will be made to suffer before his death. She is appalled at the behavior of the trio. Bill reassures her that not all vampires are the same.
SATURDAY, JUNE 19. Sookie is dragged out of bed early by a phone call from Sam. He informs her that Dawn hasn’t shown up for work again and asks if Sookie will stop by Dawn’s house and check on her because she is not answering her phone. After Sookie dresses for work, she reluctantly heads to Dawn’s duplex. There Sookie looks in the bedroom window and sees Dawn’s murdered body. Rene is across the street at his home and calls the police and Sam. JB du Rone, a friend of Sookie’s who lives next door, sees her standing outside the duplex and comes out to help. Police officers Kenya Jones and Kevin Pryor soon arrive, with Sam not far behind. Sookie is surprised that Sam has keys to the duplex until JB informs her that her boss owns the building. She also realizes that Sam is able to shut her out of his mind and picks up that he is not quite human. He apologizes for involving Sookie in this situation. Detective Andy Bellefleur comes to the scene and, after questioning Sookie and Sam, allows them to return to Merlotte’s.
Bill is waiting for Sookie in her yard when she gets off work. She informs him of Dawn’s death, and he casually lets her know that Dawn stopped by his house the previous night after the vampires and Sookie left. He also tells her that he doesn’t think he would have bothered to protect Dawn from Malcolm, Diane, and Liam had she arrived while they were still there. Sookie asks him why he protected her, and he responds that she is different—although she is not like vampires, she is also not like regular humans, a statement that sends Sookie into a violent rage. She strikes out at him, but he effortlessly controls her until her rage subsides. He continues their discussion as if nothing has happened. He tells her that while he physically could have killed the murdered women, he would not and did not. Sookie knows that Bill will be a suspect in the deaths, so she decides to have him take her to the vampire bar in Shreveport to investigate other possibilities.
MONDAY, JUNE 21. Merlotte’s is full of talk of the killings, and half the patrons suspect Bill was involved. Jason also falls under suspicion, as he had relationships with both women.
Sookie dresses carefully for the visit to the vampire bar Fangtasia. She finally chooses a bright dress that flatters her figure and her tan, but when Bill sees her, he worries that her attire will draw unwanted attention. Once at Fangtasia, Sookie is able to briefly question the bartender about Dawn, Maudette, and even Jason, asking if they’ve been in the bar. She and Bill find a booth, and she watches with distaste as human fangbangers offer themselves to Bill. He points out that she has caught the eye of the powerful vampire owner of the bar, Eric Northman, and takes her over so she can speak to him. When she shows Eric and his vampire associate Pam the pictures of Dawn and Maudette, Eric acknowledges that he has been with Dawn, and Pam admits to seeing them both at the bar. Sookie thanks them and turns to leave, but Bill remains in front of Eric and Pam, holding her beside him. When Eric asks about Sookie, Bill once again states that Sookie is his.
They return to their booth, and Sookie idly scans the bar, “hearing” that the place is about to be raided by the police. She and Bill quickly exit, and Bill gives Eric a sign to leave while Sookie looks at the bartender who answered her questions and gestures for him to get out as well. Once in the parking lot, Eric questions their obvious certainty of the impending raid, and Sookie admits that she read someone’s mind. After they flee the lot, a sexually excited Bill pulls the car over, and they have a romantic moment, which is interrupted by the police.
TUESDAY, JUNE 22–WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23. The police continue to question men from Bon Temps and the surrounding areas about Dawn. Detective Bellefleur visits Merlotte’s several times, sitting in Sookie’s section and trying to get her to react to his thoughts.
THURSDAY, JUNE 24. While eating lunch at Merlotte’s, Andy thinks an especially disturbing image at Sookie, so she pours a drink down his shirt and goes out the back door in tears. Sam is furious at Andy’s actions. When the detective attempts to apologize, Sam tells Andy to sit in another section if he ever returns. Sam later asks Sookie to accompany him to Bill’s speech to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead that evening and then go out for coffee. Sookie agrees, and they arrange for Sam to pick her up.
Bill’s speech goes well. When he is asked about a member’s great-grandfather, Bill remembers him as a friend and shares the story of his death. Afterward, Sookie and Sam go to the Crawdad Diner for coffee, and Sam suggests that he would like to be more than a friend. Sookie asks why he waited until someone else showed an interest, and they drive back to Sookie’s house in silence. Sookie enters the house and immediately senses that something is wrong. She finds her grandmother’s bloody body in the kitchen. Her screams bring Bill, who comforts her until Andy Bellefleur arrives. Sookie calls several places to find her brother, including Merlotte’s. When Sam hears that she is in trouble, he returns to her house. A distraught Jason arrives, and in his despair and anger, he first verbally assaults Sookie and then slaps her. Bill is about to attack Jason to keep him from hitting her again when Sam tackles Jason, taking him to the ground. Andy manages to calm Bill and tries to defuse the situation.