By the time the painter has returned home, he has so lost his sanity that he begins to suspect his wife of mistreating their 5-year-old son, Tobias.

At times, he feels as though he is witnessing a mysterious male figure interrupting the crime scenes; this may be Death incarnate.

As a form of parity, the Old Man resolves to force the painter to kidnap his son, Tobias, and bury him alive inside a suitcase underground.

One of his last acts in life is to paint a self-portrait, on his cell walls, of himself with a dog's face, and the hair of his female victims.

In a televised interview with Charlie Rose, Rabe explained that he got the idea for the story after a friend told him about having to deal with an acquaintance who'd shot his neighbor's dog.