Chapter Two: Summary & Analysis – A Flicker in the Dark

⚠️ 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

Chloe Davis finishes a therapy session with a new patient, Lacey Deckler, and processes the recording. She emails Dr. Shannon Tack about prescribing Prozac for Lacey and calls in prescriptions for Lacey and another patient, Daniel Briggs. On a Friday evening after hours, she receives a phone call from Aaron Jansen, a New York Times reporter. He asks to interview her about her father—a serial killer who murdered young girls twenty years ago. Chloe firmly refuses, corrects him when he uses her first name, and hangs up. Shaken, she realizes that the anniversary of the crimes is approaching. The chapter ends with Chloe turning off her desk lamp and stepping into the dark of her office.

Key Events

Chloe completes her first session with Lacey Deckler and emails medication recommendations to Dr. Shannon Tack.
She calls the pharmacy to submit prescriptions for Lacey (Prozac) and Daniel Briggs (Xanax).
After hours, she answers a call from Aaron Jansen, a New York Times reporter.
Aaron explains he is writing a story about Chloe’s father and the twenty‑year anniversary of the murders.
Chloe refuses to comment, insisting that her father remains in prison and that she has nothing to say.
She hangs up, her hands shaking, and leaves her dark office.

Character Development

Chloe Davis: The chapter deepens Chloe’s conflict between her professional identity and her traumatic past. She insists on being called “Doctor Davis,” using her title as a shield. Her shaking hands and defensive tone reveal lasting vulnerability. She has not visited or spoken to her father, indicating a firm emotional distance.
Aaron Jansen (minor): Though he appears only in a phone call, he represents the media’s persistent interest in Chloe’s family. His polished persistence and mention of the “public” suggest he will push boundaries despite her refusal.
Shannon Tack (minor): A colleague who collaborates on patient care, showing Chloe’s professional network and the normalcy of her work life—contrasted with the intrusion of the phone call.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Clichés in psychology: Chloe reflects that clichés exist because they are true, and she admits to being a cliché herself—a theme that ties her personal trauma to her clinical work. She sees herself as a “twenty‑four‑hour convenience store” for patients, suggesting she has no off‑switch.
Technology and boundaries: The chapter contrasts earlier eras of locked file cabinets with modern digital recording and email, which blur the line between Chloe’s work and personal life. She has deleted social media to escape patients’ after‑hours messages, yet she remains reachable through her office phone.
Intrusion of the past: The reporter’s call literally interrupts her closing routine, symbolizing how the past (her father’s crimes) refuses to stay buried. The dark office at the end mirrors her attempt to shut out that intrusion.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Two introduces the central external conflict: media scrutiny and the looming twentieth anniversary of Chloe’s father’s crime spree. It also establishes Chloe’s coping mechanisms—her clinical composure, her insistence on formal titles, and her avoidance of any discussion about her family. The chapter foreshadows that Aaron Jansen will continue to push for an interview, threatening the safe, orderly life Chloe has built. It deepens the contrast between her professional competence and her private fragility.

Study Questions & Answers

1. Why does Chloe correct Aaron Jansen when he calls her “Chloe”?
She insists on “Doctor Davis” to maintain a professional boundary and to distance herself from the personal identity linked to her father’s crimes. The formality is a shield against vulnerability.

2. What does Chloe mean when she says she is a “cliché”?
Earlier in the chapter, she notes that psychological clichés (daddy issues, only‑child syndrome) are rooted in truth. By calling herself a cliché, she acknowledges that her own trauma—the daughter of a serial killer—follows a predictable pattern, yet that does not make it less real or painful.

3. How does the chapter use the setting (the office at dusk) to reinforce Chloe’s emotional state?
The setting sun and the dusty windowsill create a sense of decay and ending. Chloe is “getting over a throat thing,” symbolizing her difficulty speaking about the past. Turning off the lamp and stepping into the dark mirrors her attempt to shut down the conversation with Aaron and to retreat into the shadows of her own history.