Content Warning: This section contains graphic depictions of violence, allusions to animal cruelty, and mentions of death by suicide.

Twenty-six years before the action of the novel begins, serial killer Aaron Nierling is arrested in his home in Oregon after an anonymous tip leads investigators to discover bones from 17 victims in his basement. He is sentenced to 18 consecutive life sentences in jail. His wife is charged with accessory to murder but dies by suicide before her trial. In the final sentence, the narrator reveals that Nierling is her father.

As Nora Nierling (now using the name Nora Davis) sits drinking in a dive bar called Christopher’s, she feels someone watching her. It is the 26th anniversary of her father’s arrest, and she is feeling paranoid. Nora ignores the bartender’s attempts to start a conversation with her despite his good looks and obvious interest. As a surgeon, Nora has little time for relationships, and she likes it that way. She wonders if her father is proud of her career.

Nora is approached by Henry Callahan, a former patient who thanks her profusely for saving his life. Uncomfortable with his attention, Nora tries to leave, but he repeatedly asks her out.