Chapter summaries A Flicker in the Dark Stacy Willingham

Chapter Twenty-Three Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

After Daniel drives away, Chloe immediately texts Aaron with the news that Bert Rhodes lives in Baton Rouge. She wrestles with whether the connection is meaningful but fears involving the police because she doesn’t want them probing into her own history. Aaron calls back with the results of his background check: Bert has a long record of violent misdemeanors, including a domestic violence incident in which he strangled his wife — the same method used in the recent murders and in his own daughter’s death. Chloe and Aaron debate whether Bert is a copycat or an escalating offender. Chloe insists they need more proof before going to the police, and she confesses she doesn’t want her past scrutinized. Aaron reluctantly agrees. While still on the phone, Chloe hears a car pull into the driveway and assumes Daniel has returned. She opens the door with a playful remark only to find Bert Rhodes standing on her doorstep.

Key Events

  • Chloe sends a text to Aaron revealing that Bert Rhodes resides in Baton Rouge.
  • Aaron runs a criminal background check on Bert, uncovering arrests for assault, DUI, domestic violence, and a restraining order.
  • Aaron tells Chloe that Bert’s wife filed for divorce after he strangled her.
  • Chloe and Aaron argue about going to the police; Chloe refuses, citing her fear of being scrutinized because of her father.
  • The conversation ends with Aaron agreeing to wait for more evidence.
  • Chloe mistakes the sound of a car for Daniel’s return and opens the door to find Bert Rhodes instead.

Character Development

  • Chloe: Her reluctance to involve law enforcement deepens, revealing the lasting trauma of being the daughter of a serial killer. She prioritizes her fragile “normal” life over full cooperation with the investigation, even as the danger closes in. Her empathy for Bert as a grieving father clashes with her professional knowledge of abuse cycles.
  • Aaron: He pushes Chloe further than before, showing personal investment beyond journalistic duty. His agitation hints at growing care for Chloe, and he eventually backs down, respecting her boundaries.
  • Bert Rhodes: Though not speaking in this chapter, his appearance at Chloe’s door transforms him from a background lead into an immediate threat, confirming Chloe’s worst suspicion.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Cycle of abuse: Chloe recalls the statistic that forty percent of abused children become abusers. Bert, who lost his daughter to strangulation, later strangled his wife — mirroring the same violence. This motif underscores the recurring patterns of trauma and power.
  • Power and control: Chloe’s refusal to go to the police stems from a desire to control her own narrative. Bert’s alleged behavior and the copycat theory both revolve around asserting control through violence.
  • Fear of exposure: Chloe’s dread of being “picked apart” by the police reflects her ongoing struggle to separate herself from her father’s legacy. She equates police involvement with loss of her hard-won anonymity.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in the investigation. Bert Rhodes is no longer a distant figure; he physically appears at Chloe’s home, raising the stakes to a personal, immediate level. Chloe’s decision to withhold evidence from the police becomes riskier as the threat materializes. The confrontation also reinforces the theme of cycles — Chloe is forced to confront both Bert’s possible guilt and her own inherited identity.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Chloe refuse to go to the police even after learning about Bert’s violent history?
    Chloe fears that involving the police will lead them to scrutinize her own past as the daughter of a serial killer. She values the normal life she has built in Baton Rouge and does not want to be “picked apart” again.

  2. What specific crime in Bert Rhodes’s record mirrors the method used in the current murders?
    Bert strangled his wife during a domestic violence incident. Strangulation is the same method used to kill his daughter, as well as Aubrey and Lacey, which suggests a possible copycat or escalating pattern.

  3. How does the chapter’s ending create a cliffhanger, and what does it imply about Bert’s intentions?
    Chloe opens the door expecting Daniel but finds Bert Rhodes. The abrupt appearance implies that Bert has been watching Chloe or tracking her movements, and his arrival feels threatening rather than coincidental, leaving the reader anxious about what happens next.

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