Cooper spends the morning exhausted and mentally foggy after learning Debbie went to the shipyard during the night. Cooper does not believe Debbie was meeting a lover, but Cooper cannot explain why Debbie would secretly go there. Because Cooper is too tired for a serious confrontation, Cooper avoids Debbie for the moment.

Cooper decides that the secrecy in the marriage must end. Cooper plans to tell Debbie everything Cooper has been hiding, accept the possibility that Debbie may hate Cooper, and offer counseling or any other path that might help them repair the relationship.

At work, Cooper arrives on time despite being worried about Ken Bryant’s absence and needing the final paycheck after giving notice. Mrs. McCauley is carefully tracking employees while Ken is away, and Cooper fears being pushed out before the two weeks end.

Cooper finds Jesse and Mrs. McCauley studying her computer because Mrs. McCauley has discovered that a large amount of money is missing from the company account. The withdrawals appear to have happened over several months and may have been made internally. Mrs. McCauley has tried to reach Ken, but unlike his usual habits, Ken is not answering while supposedly on a fishing trip.

Jesse jokingly asks whether Cooper stole the money, but Cooper feels dread rather than amusement. Ken’s sudden, unreachable trip, the internal missing funds, and Debbie’s unexplained nighttime visits make Cooper suspect the events may be connected, leaving Cooper with the sense that a trap is tightening.