Final Girls: A Novel

At the station, Detective Hernandez asks Quincy about the purse, which the police traced to Sam through labels in the paperbacks. Quincy delivers the alibi that she and Sam had lost the purse while drunkenly walking through the park. The purse was intended as a decoy to protect their real valuables from robbers. Sam is waiting outside the station, so Hernandez asks her to come in as well.

Hernandez explains that an unhoused man named Rocky Ruiz was nearly beaten to death. Asked about her relationship with Sam, Quincy describes Sam as a close friend who understands her experience. Hernandez brings up Sam’s arrest record, which includes a recent speeding ticket in Indiana, Lisa’s home state. Quincy registers that Sam might have visited Lisa before her death. Nevertheless, Quincy covers for Sam.

While waiting outside the station, Quincy thinks it unlikely that Sam might have killed Lisa. Sam reassures her that everything is fine. Sam bristles at Quincy’s insistence on saying Rocky’s name but not the name of the Pine Cottage killer. Only then does she realize how tense the thought of the killer makes Quincy feel.

Quincy asks Sam where she had been before coming to New York. Sam says that she came from Maine, where she has been living for years. They pass the site where Quincy had assaulted Rocky. Quincy accuses Sam of withholding the truth. Sam makes Quincy feel guilty for what she did, then leaves.

The group dance and pass around a bong. Quincy abstains from smoking pot and talks to Betz, who tells her that she doesn’t have to have sex with Craig if she doesn’t want to. Betz points out that Janelle is the one who really wants to have sex with Craig. She just wants Quincy to go with him on her behalf.

Quincy goes to the kitchen, where she finds Joe. She offers to bring him back to his car, but Joe is having fun. He admits that he is attracted to Quincy, which makes her realize that he is cute. The others rope Quincy and Joe back to the party. Craig proposes sex. Janelle watches Quincy leave with Craig.

Quincy returns home alone, exhausted. Jeff takes her out to dinner, during which she explains the bruising on her hand as a burn. They return home, have sex, and watch the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo. Jeff invites Quincy to come with him to Chicago. He repeatedly expresses his concern that Quincy isn’t telling him what’s wrong.

Later that night, Quincy looks up “Samantha Boyd” and “Tina Stone” on Google. She is startled when Sam suddenly shows up behind her. Sam paints Quincy’s nails in the guest room. She asks if they are friends, hinting at the blackmail Sam could leverage against her.

Quincy calls Coop for advice. Coop suggests confronting her challenges directly. He affirms her strength and her ability to save herself. This convinces her to arrange a meeting with Jonah.

Quincy meets Jonah at Bryant Park. Jonah reminds Quincy that they went to college together, though Quincy doesn’t remember him. He also recalls Janelle but describes Quincy’s relationship to her as “passive-aggressive” before remembering that Janelle died at Pine Cottage.

They agree to talk only about Sam. Jonah intends to write a profile, but Quincy wants to keep their conversation off-the-record. Jonah offers to trade information about Sam. Quincy gives him Sam’s legal name, prompting Jonah to reveal something related to the article he previously published.

Quincy returns home, furious after learning that Sam helped Jonah to get their picture on the front page. Sam explains that she wants Quincy to “wake up” from the illusion that she can ever be normal again. She wants Quincy to accept herself as a Final Girl. Overcome by fury, Quincy picks up a knife, which terrifies Sam. When Quincy realizes what she’s done, she collapses in shame. 

Detective Hernandez visits to ask more questions about Rocky Ruiz. She claims that two witnesses identified the Final Girls in relation to the assault. When Quincy gives a new alibi on the spot, Hernandez encourages them to come forward if they are guilty. She promises to treat them fairly but makes this conditional on their cooperation.

Sam and Quincy debate over whether to confess the truth. Quincy tries to confront Sam about being in Indiana, but Sam avoids the conversation, leaving the apartment. Quincy realizes that she had seen Sam in one of Lisa’s Facebook photos.

Quincy accepts Jeff’s invitation to visit Chicago. When Sam returns home, Quincy informs her about her plans and begrudgingly agrees to pay her a thousand dollars to house sit the apartment.

In Chicago, Jeff encourages Quincy to buy a nice dress. They go to one of the city’s most expensive restaurants and have sex when they get back to the hotel. Quincy wants Jeff to be more forceful and is disappointed when he isn’t. She later pretends that she will go sightseeing while Jeff is at work. She really plans to drive to Indiana.

Quincy drives a rental car to Muncie, Indiana. She shoplifts a lighter at a convenience store. At Lisa’s house, Quincy meets Nancy Scott, the state trooper who supported Lisa after the sorority house killings.

Nancy is trying to clear Lisa’s belongings on behalf of her family. Nancy had been the first to suspect that Lisa was murdered. They still have yet to identify a suspect, however. What complicates the investigation is that Lisa was very sociable, supporting many girls who had survived troubling domestic situations. Lisa never seemed to have problems with anyone. Quincy offers to help Nancy pack Lisa’s belongings.

Quincy goes through Lisa’s bedroom, briefly passing by the bathroom where Lisa died. Quincy looks at Lisa’s photos, seeing one where someone wearing a red ring reaches out for her shoulder. Quincy goes through Lisa’s dresser and finds a secret lockbox similar to her secret drawer. Quincy deduces from scratch marks around the keyhole that Sam must have attempted to pick the lock.

The lockbox contains folders on each of the Final Girls. In Sam’s folder are clippings of reports on the Nightlight Inn killings, as well as two reports of seemingly unrelated murders. Quincy recognizes the report about the murder of two campers; Betz had mentioned it during their hike before Janelle’s birthday dinner.

Quincy finds her contact details in her folder, as well as a copy of the threatening letter she received two years ago. The folder also contains a transcript of Quincy’s police interview. She hides the folder under her clothes before leaving.

Detective Freemont antagonizes Quincy while Detective Cole tries to act more sympathetic. Quincy denies that anyone did anything to provoke Joe Hannen. The detectives confirm that Quincy had sex that night, but Quincy indicates that the sex was consensual.

The detectives ask Quincy to recall the Pine Cottage murders to the best of her ability. Quincy fails. Cole asks Freemont to get them coffee. When Freemont leaves, Cole antagonizes Quincy, threatening to harass until she can remember what happened. Cole suspects that Quincy is protecting someone. He adds that Quincy might have been involved since her fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. Quincy refutes the evidence, so Cole reminds her of how her friends died. This upsets Quincy so much that she cries out, summoning Coop to her aid. Coop affirms her as a survivor.