TUESDAY, JUNE 22–WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23. The police continue to question men from Bon Temps and the surrounding areas about Dawn. Detective Bellefleur visits Merlotte’s several times, sitting in Sookie’s section and trying to get her to react to his thoughts.

THURSDAY, JUNE 24. While eating lunch at Merlotte’s, Andy thinks an especially disturbing image at Sookie, so she pours a drink down his shirt and goes out the back door in tears. Sam is furious at Andy’s actions. When the detective attempts to apologize, Sam tells Andy to sit in another section if he ever returns. Sam later asks Sookie to accompany him to Bill’s speech to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead that evening and then go out for coffee. Sookie agrees, and they arrange for Sam to pick her up.

Bill’s speech goes well. When he is asked about a member’s great-grandfather, Bill remembers him as a friend and shares the story of his death. Afterward, Sookie and Sam go to the Crawdad Diner for coffee, and Sam suggests that he would like to be more than a friend. Sookie asks why he waited until someone else showed an interest, and they drive back to Sookie’s house in silence. Sookie enters the house and immediately senses that something is wrong. She finds her grandmother’s bloody body in the kitchen. Her screams bring Bill, who comforts her until Andy Bellefleur arrives. Sookie calls several places to find her brother, including Merlotte’s. When Sam hears that she is in trouble, he returns to her house. A distraught Jason arrives, and in his despair and anger, he first verbally assaults Sookie and then slaps her. Bill is about to attack Jason to keep him from hitting her again when Sam tackles Jason, taking him to the ground. Andy manages to calm Bill and tries to defuse the situation.

TUESDAY, JUNE 29. Sookie and Jason maintain a truce during Adele’s funeral, the largest ever held in the parish.

FRIDAY, JULY 2. While packing up her grandmother’s things, Sookie decides it would be better to move into Adele’s bedroom than lie across the hall knowing why it is empty. After that job is done, an exhausted Sookie showers and is combing out the tangles in her hair when Bill knocks on the door. Sookie allows him to comb her hair. As they talk and he soothes her with his touch, the mood between them changes, and Bill begins to make love to her. He is surprised to discover her virginity. The two begin a passionate affair.