As a child, Peter Jenkins was the best pianist his small Ohio town had ever seen. When he arrives at college, however, and realizes he isn't the best nor brightest there, he has to reevaluate his identity. One night, his college piano professor, Luther Stecker, famous for his scathingly accurate critiques, told Peter what he really thought: although Peter has excellent technique, he plays with no passion and will therefore never amount to much musically. Peter takes Stecker's criticism without much pushback, and believes his piano 'genius' period is over for good. He moves to upstate New York, and works for the local newspaper, where he writes music reviews. One day, Peter gets a call from a singer, Karen Jensen, who asks if he could be her accompanist. At their first practice, Peter is appalled by Karen's faulty pitch, but agrees to accompany her for her upcoming recital. He notices scars etched into her wrist. At Karen's apartment for their next rehearsal, she mentions her scars and her history of self-harm, but Peter isn't terribly phased. At the end of the rehearsal, Karen convinces Peter to go to dinner, and the two begin to see one another. The day of the recital arrives, and Peter is worried, not for his own playing, but for Karen's singing. Sure enough, throughout the recital, Karen's faulty pitch ignites a rage in Peter. After she sings her last note, they walk off stage, and Peter berates Karen for her terrible voice. The next morning, Peter wakes up to a hanged body in a tree outside his apartment. He rushes down to find a dummy dressed in Karen's clothing with a note attached from Karen, which tells Peter that she won't stop singing because of his meanness.