FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4. Sookie and Sam realize that the shooter has to be a supernatural being of some kind. They decide to investigate the sites of the earlier shootings after work with Sam in bloodhound form. They are searching the alley across from the Sonic, where the first shooting took place, when they are interrupted by Andy Bellefleur. As Sookie is arguing with Andy, Sam barks to let them know someone else has arrived. Sweetie Des Arts, the new cook at Merlotte’s, is in the alley with a rifle pointed at them. She confesses to being the shooter, admitting that she has murdered many other shifters in retaliation for being attacked by a bitten Were, which causes her to partially shift each full moon. She plans to kill Sookie and the dog, but when Sweetie hears a noise and turns to fire, Andy is able to pull his gun and kill her. Sookie rushes over to see whom Sweetie shot and finds a seriously injured Dawson, whom Calvin had told to follow and protect her. Sookie is able to keep him alive until the ambulance arrives.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5. Alcide comes by the duplex in the morning to invite Sookie to the Shreveport packmaster contest, but she is too weary to appreciate his presence and sends him away, telling him to leave the invitation. After finding a note on her door from Sam telling her not to come in for her evening shift, she decides to visit Calvin, who has been released from the hospital.
Sookie prepares a chicken dish and biscuits to take to Calvin, and she is surprised to find a crowd already at his house to welcome him home. After being introduced around, she is led to his bedroom, where he is eating the food she prepared for him. As she is leaving, she finds Patrick Furnan—the other contestant for Shreveport packmaster, who has also been visiting Calvin—waiting for her with a strange warning about her being unprotected. Once in her temporary home and able to relax, Sookie considers the shifter shootings and calls Andy to question him as to whether all the bullets matched.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6. Alcide calls to tell Sookie that the packmaster contest is being held that afternoon in Shreveport. When she arrives at the deserted industrial park, she is relieved to see Claudine and Claude in attendance and stands with them. Before the contest begins, Sookie is surprised to see the handsome bald man she had noticed at the funeral and realizes he is the referee, finally “hearing” that his name is Quinn. As the contestants perform the second of three tests, Sookie realizes that Furnan is cheating. She calls out her accusation, and the contest is halted. When investigation proves her to be correct, the pack sends out the non-pack members, so they can vote on whether the contest will continue to the final test. As they wait, Quinn questions Sookie and learns from Claude that she is a telepath. The pack decides that the final test, one of battle, will continue but must be a decisive victory. Quinn asks Sookie to enter the cage where the final fight will occur to try to determine whether Furnan plans to somehow cheat again. He guarantees her safety, but Furnan lunges at her, and her leg is slightly injured as Quinn pulls her out of the cage. As he administers first aid, a definite attraction springs up between them, and he promises he will see her again at a better time. Furnan defeats and kills Herveaux in the final contest and is declared packmaster. A devastated Alcide rejects Sookie, and she leaves, realizing he somehow blames her for the outcome.
At work that evening, Sookie is surprised by a visit from Bubba with a cryptic message from Eric. As she is talking with Charles, she suddenly realizes that he has been lying about his past. He apologizes as he tries to kill her, but she is able to stuff her silver chain in his mouth, and the male patrons at the bar come to her aid, restraining him and staking him at his request. Charles’s body has already flaked away when Eric dashes into the bar to save Sookie. Eric explains that Charles was sent by a vampire named Hot Rain to kill Sookie in an effort to punish Eric for the death of Long Shadow, who was staked the previous summer for embezzling from Fangtasia. As Sookie recounts the events of the day, they both agree she is a lucky woman.
The Secret Dialogues of Bill and Eric
Phone: Bill calling Eric.
BILL : “Eric, I understand one of your vampires is staying at Sookie’s house.”
ERIC : “I loaned my new bartender to Sam Merlotte. So he’s staying at Sookie’s? Good. I want him to keep an eye on her.”
BILL: “Why?”
ERIC : “I have my reasons.”
BILL : “Well, he has not done a good job ‘keeping an eye on her.’ Her house was set on fire last night.”
ERIC: “Did she get out?”
BILL : “Yes. But she was not rescued by your ‘Charles.’ She was rescued by a fairy. She was able to wake Sookie and get her out of the house.” ERIC : “She?” Pause. “A female fairy. Sookie certainly has interesting friends.”
BILL : “Charles did manage to kill the culprit. He was carrying a Fellowship membership card.”
ERIC : “I see. I’ll need to have a talk with Charles.”
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC : “Bill, I understand that Sookie is no longer staying at your house.” BILL : “True. We had a little . . . misunderstanding.”
ERIC : “So you brought a date into Merlotte’s.”
BILL: “I am free to see whomever I please.”
ERIC : “And who is it you are pleasing, Bill? She was attractive in her own way.”
BILL : “No one you know.”
ERIC : “It’s no matter. She was not my type. Where is Sookie staying?” BILL : “Her brother’s.”
ERIC : “I doubt that will last very long. Please keep me informed as to where she winds up while her house is being repaired. Charles remains at your house?”
BILL: “Yes. I have a place for him to sleep.”
ERIC: “Good. Have you seen Mickey?”
BILL: “I’ve heard he’s in town.”
ERIC: “He’s involved with Sookie’s friend Tara.”
BILL: “That won’t end well.” ERIC: “No, I’m quite certain it won’t.”
Phone: Bill calling Eric.
BILL : “Eric, Sookie has been shot.”
ERIC : “Is she all right?”
BILL : “She will recover. I spent the night with her in the hospital.”
ERIC : “Just to keep her safe, I suppose.”
BILL : “Sookie is staying at one of Sam Merlotte’s rental houses. I believe that a fairy picked her up from the hospital.”
ERIC : “The same fairy who rescued her from the fire?”
BILL : “I don’t believe so. From all reports, this one was very much a male.” ERIC : “Very much a male?”
BILL: “Apparently a quite attractive male.” ERIC : “So yet another fairy. Interesting.”
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC : “Bill, I’m at Merlotte’s rental with Sookie. Mickey broke in. He was angry because I called Salome.”