Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses offensive language about and descriptions of people with autism. It also discusses suicide and murder.

The novel begins with an overview of the Dorothea Puente case. In the 1980s, this elderly widow rented out rooms in her Sacramento home to disabled people. Puente was well-known in her community and regarded as a sweet and charitable person, until her renters began to disappear. A police investigation revealed that Puente was actually a serial killer who poisoned her renters so that she could steal their disability checks and fund her own lavish lifestyle.

One Saturday morning, a woman called Emma Hunt discovers a fake crime scene in her home that her teenage son, Jacob, has simulated. Emma reflects on the fact that crime scene analysis is one of Jacob’s special interests. As Emma and Jacob analyze the crime scene together, Jacob’s brother Theo bursts into the room, yelling at Jacob and calling him a freak because Jacob stole Theo’s sneakers to create his simulated crime scene. A family argument ensues, and Theo flees the house in anger. Later that day, Jacob and Emma go grocery shopping together because this is part of Jacob’s routine.