Chapter summaries A Flicker in the Dark Stacy Willingham

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Riley Disappears and Chloe’s Guilt Deepens

⚠️ 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 wakes at 10 p.m. on Friday, disoriented to discover she has slept for an entire day after taking two Xanax on an empty stomach. She sees missed calls from Aaron, Shannon, and Daniel. Realizing her lie about the bachelorette party has been exposed, she calls Shannon. Shannon sobs and reveals that Riley is missing—she snuck out her window the previous night and hasn’t returned. Chloe asks if Shannon called Daniel; Shannon confirms Daniel believed Chloe was with her. Stricken with guilt, Chloe believes Daniel may have taken Riley. She listens to a voicemail from Daniel saying he will be gone by morning. She decides to go home to confront him and notify the police, forcing herself to walk toward the truth despite the darkness.

Key Events

  • Chloe wakes at 10 p.m. on Friday, realizing she has slept over 24 hours.
  • She discovers multiple missed calls and texts from Shannon and Daniel.
  • Shannon calls; she tells Chloe that Riley snuck out and is now missing.
  • Chloe learns that Daniel thought she and Shannon were together at a bachelorette party.
  • Chloe suspects Daniel is responsible for Riley’s disappearance.
  • She listens to a voicemail in which Daniel says he will leave by morning.
  • Chloe resolves to go home and contact the police.

Character Development

Chloe shifts from passive avoidance—medicating herself to sleep—to active determination. Her guilt over lying to Shannon and Daniel, and her fear that her actions enabled Riley’s abduction, propel her toward confrontation. She stops hiding from the dark and chooses to pursue the truth, even at personal risk.

Shannon reveals her vulnerability and fierce maternal instinct. Her raw grief—“her voice croaky, like she’s been gargling nails”—underscores the cost of Chloe’s deception. Shannon’s priority is finding her daughter, not resolving Chloe’s relationship drama.

Daniel is absent but looming. His voicemail mixes love with escape: “I love you … more than you know.” His decision to run before morning solidifies Chloe’s suspicion. His earlier comment about Riley becoming a “distant memory” now reads as a threat.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Deception and its consequences are central. Chloe’s lie about the bachelorette party gave Daniel an alibi-free window. The press badge she finds in her sheets—a symbol of Aaron’s investigative role—contrasts with her own failure to be truthful.

Darkness and visibility recur. Chloe hesitates in the parking lot, “instinctively uneasy of the darkness,” but then forces herself forward. The streetlights turn tree branches into “gnarled shadows,” reflecting her distorted fear.

Guilt as a driver propels the action. Chloe thinks, “How do I tell her that her daughter is probably dead because of me?” This self-blame replaces earlier denial and motivates her to act.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks the narrative’s turning point: Riley’s disappearance transforms Chloe’s theoretical suspicion into a tangible crisis. The clock is now literal—Daniel plans to flee by morning. Chloe’s choice to stop running and instead walk “toward the truth” sets up the climactic confrontation. The chapter also deepens the parallel between Chloe’s own teenage trauma (the disappearance of girls in her past) and the present danger to Riley.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Chloe reflexively ask Shannon if she called Daniel, and what does this reveal about Chloe’s state of mind?
    Chloe asks because she knows Daniel is the prime suspect. Her question reveals that she is already mentally building a case against him, even as she tries to hide her suspicion from Shannon.

  2. What does Daniel’s voicemail achieve in this chapter?
    The voicemail confirms that Daniel is aware of Chloe’s lie and plans to flee. His professed love contrasts with his actions, making him seem manipulative. It also gives Chloe a narrow window to intercept him.

  3. How does the motif of darkness function in Chloe’s decision to leave the motel?
    The darkness represents both the danger Chloe faces and her own fear. By forcing herself to walk into it, she symbolically embraces the uncomfortable truth she has been avoiding, taking control of her investigation.

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