Molly, a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, explains her devotion to cleanliness, her love of the uniform that lets her blend in, and her difficulty reading social cues. She reflects on her late Gran’s guidance and the emptiness since her death nine months earlier, finding purpose and comfort in the hotel’s routine.

On this workday, Molly cleans the Blacks’ penthouse in the morning while Giselle Black showers, noting Giselle’s red, puffy eyes. Unable to access the occupied bathroom, Molly restores the rest of the suite, then continues her rounds, briefly visiting Juan Manuel in the kitchen and restocking supplies. Near 3 p.m., she returns to finish the bathroom.

Receiving no response at the door, Molly enters and finds the sitting room disordered—drawn curtains, minibar bottles, a half-empty tumbler, and an unsmoked cigar. In the bedroom corridor, a robe lies on the floor; the closet safe remains open, with some contents missing compared to the morning. In the bedroom, Charles Black lies on the bed in his suit. Molly first assumes he’s sleeping, but notices Giselle’s open pill bottle with blue tablets scattered, Mr. Black’s ashen, puffy face with pinpoint discolorations, and his stillness.

Molly checks for breath and a pulse, finds none, and realizes Mr. Black is dead. She calls Reception, then calls Mr. Snow directly to report the death and request emergency services. A glimpse in a mirror unsettles her further, and she faints. Roughly thirteen minutes later, Mr. Snow arrives with medical personnel and police and leads Molly away.

Now seated in Mr. Snow’s office, Molly trembles, sips tea, and eats a shortbread biscuit, missing her Gran and reminding herself that actions can change outcomes. The routine of service contrasts sharply with the seismic discovery that has upended her orderly day.