Chapter 17: The Electrified Sink
Spoiler Warning: This page discusses plot details from Chapter 17 of 2 Sisters Murder Investigations. If you haven't read it yet, you may want to proceed with caution.
Summary
Baby is in Arthur's kitchen when she touches the faucet and receives a violent electric shock that throws her to the floor and briefly knocks her out. Arthur reacts with alarm, but Baby quickly recovers and warns him not to touch anything. She inspects the sink area, then goes outside, removes a lattice panel, and crawls into the dark crawl space beneath the house.
Following the copper water pipe, she finds the source: an old brick pillar has collapsed, causing a wooden beam to wedge the pipe against an electrical cable. A brick corner has exposed the live wires, sending current through the metal pipe and into the faucet. As Baby examines the damage, she notices that the plastic casing of the cable looks sharp—cut rather than crushed. She also spots fresh tracks in the dirt that lead to a large handprint near the back lattice. The print is much bigger than her own hand or Arthur's. Realizing the hazard was no accident, Baby tells Arthur not to go back inside because someone is trying to kill him.
Key Events
- Baby gets shocked by the kitchen faucet and blacks out briefly.
- She warns Arthur not to touch the sink or anything else.
- She opens the under-sink cabinet but finds no immediate cause.
- Outside, she pulls away a lattice to access the crawl space.
- Under the house, she follows the copper pipe to a fallen brick pillar.
- The pillar collapse forced a water pipe and an electrical cable together, exposing live wires.
- Baby sees that the cable’s plastic casing appears cut, not smashed.
- She discovers unfamiliar tracks and a large handprint in the dirt.
- She concludes someone deliberately rigged the sink as a trap and alerts Arthur.
Character Development
Baby:
She demonstrates quick recovery, immediate investigative thinking, and physical courage. Instead of panicking, she analyzes the situation, crawls under a dark house, and pieces together the evidence. Her attention to detail—the sharp edges of the cable casing, the stranger’s tracks—reveals her sharp mind. She also shows protective concern for Arthur, taking charge of his safety.
Arthur:
He is rattled and confused, relying on Baby’s competence. His exclamation “What in the holy goddamn hell!” underscores his shock. He follows her lead without questioning, though he suggests mundane explanations like calling an electrician, highlighting his ordinary, non-detective mindset.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Domestic Danger: The kitchen sink, a mundane household object, becomes a deadly weapon. This inversion symbolizes how safety can be subverted in a world where hidden enemies strike close to home.
- Appearance vs. Reality: A seemingly accidental structural collapse is exposed as a deliberate act of sabotage. The chapter reinforces that nothing in this mystery should be taken at face value.
- Physical Investigation: Baby’s willingness to dirty her hands—literally crawling through dirt and examining wires—mirrors classic detective work and grounds the procedural elements of the story.
- Scale of Threat: The oversized handprint signals a physically formidable antagonist, raising the personal danger for Arthur and the sisters.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 17 transforms a suspicious electrical incident into an unambiguous murder attempt. Until now, threats may have been insinuated or indirect; here, the killer’s method is laid bare, and the target is clearly Arthur. The discovery of cut wires and an intruder’s handprint gives the investigation concrete evidence and a sense of urgency. This cliffhanger ending—"someone is trying to kill you"—pushes the narrative into a new phase of active defense and raises the stakes for the next chapter. It also reinforces Baby’s role as a proactive, fearless investigator who will not shy away from physical danger.
Study Questions and Answers
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What evidence convinces Baby that the shock was not an accident?
The electrical cable’s plastic casing looks cut—with sharp edges—rather than crushed by falling brick. Fresh tracks leading from the back of the house and a large handprint indicate someone else was recently under the house and likely tampered with the wiring. -
How does Baby’s response to being shocked reflect her investigative personality?
She recovers rapidly, calmly warns Arthur, and immediately searches for a cause, even unwilling to wait for an electrician. She crawls under the house herself, demonstrating tenacity, hands-on problem-solving, and a refusal to delegate danger to others. -
What is the significance of the oversized handprint?
It suggests the intruder is physically larger than Baby or Arthur, likely an adult male. Combined with the cut cable, it proves premeditated sabotage. The handprint becomes a crucial clue that may help identify the would-be killer.