Chapter Ten: Margot, 2019 – 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

On her first full day of a self-appointed two-week investigation deadline, Margot attends church in Wakarusa hoping to speak with Billy Jacobs, January’s father. She arrives early, buys an apple pie from Granny’s Pantry to use as a gesture of goodwill, and corners Billy after the service. Billy initially resists but agrees to talk after Margot’s persistence and the pie. At his home, they discuss January’s bubbly personality, Jace’s quiet and troubled nature, and Krissy’s suicide. Billy deflects questions about Krissy’s possible guilt and insists his wife loved January. Margot recalls a disturbing childhood memory of Jace crushing a bird. After the interview, Margot inspects the Jacobs barn, but the graffiti message is already faded. Returning to her car, she finds a handwritten note that reads: “It’s not safe for you here.”

Key Events

Margot decides to focus her investigation on January Jacobs’s case rather than Natalie Clark’s, because she lacks press credentials.
She attends Sunday service at the local church, hoping to approach Billy Jacobs, who according to her uncle Luke still attends.
After the service, Margot catches Billy and persuades him to talk by mentioning her childhood friendship with January and offering an apple pie.
In Billy’s home, Margot records an interview in which Billy describes January as a “firecracker” and the glue of the family.
Margot shares a personal memory of January giving her a tiny fabric snowflake to squeeze when scared.
Billy recalls Jace as quiet, shy, and prone to minor trouble after January’s death; he defends Krissy, saying she loved her daughter and could not have hurt her.
Billy admits he has always suspected the killer was a stranger who saw January at a playground or recital.
After the interview, Margot checks the barn and finds the graffiti “She will not be the last” has been scrubbed away, leaving only a black smear.
Margot discovers a handwritten note tucked under her windshield wiper: “It’s not safe for you here.”

Character Development

Margot Davies: This chapter deepens Margot’s internal conflict. She lies to her uncle Luke about her job status and her reasons for going to church, feeling guilt over how her investigation has unsettled him. Her journalistic instincts drive her to use personal connections and a pie to gain Billy’s trust, yet she also wrestles with the ethical weight of manipulating a grieving father. The threatening note at the end confirms that her inquiry is drawing dangerous attention.
Billy Jacobs: Billy emerges as a man trapped by grief and guardedness. He is reluctant to speak with any reporter but softens when Margot appeals to shared memories of January. His answers about Jace and Krissy are evasive and repetitive, suggesting he is still protecting his family from suspicion. His sole theory—that a random predator killed January—shows how he has chosen a narrative that preserves the innocence of his wife and son.
Jace Jacobs (through memory): Although not present, Jace’s childhood actions are revealed in Margot’s memory of him crushing a dead bird with his shoe—a moment that hints at a troubling side hidden beneath his shy exterior. Billy’s description of Jace as “quiet” and “shy” contrasts with that image, leaving the reader to wonder what Billy might be omitting.
Luke Davies: Though mostly off-page, Luke’s presence is felt through Margot’s guilt. His comment about her “journalistic integrity” and his laughter at her church plan show his affectionate but oblivious support, which makes Margot’s deception sting more.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Memory as a trap and a guide: The Jacobs home is a “time capsule of 1994,” preserving the past in every detail. Margot’s own memory of January’s snowflake talisman becomes a touchstone for bravery, yet the scars on her palm remind her that the trauma remains embedded in her flesh. The contrast between preserved memory and faded graffiti underscores how the past cannot be fully erased or rewritten.
Protection and denial: Billy repeatedly shields his family from scrutiny by repeating the same defensive phrases (“good kid,” “good mom”). This pattern suggests that his survival depends on a version of events that excludes the possibility that someone he loved could be guilty. His unwillingness to engage with Margot’s pointed questions reveals how protection can become a form of willful blindness.
Threat and surveillance: The note “It’s not safe for you here” transforms the investigation from a journalistic pursuit into a personal danger. It echoes the earlier barn message and links the two cases, while also putting Margot on notice that someone is watching her closely. The auburn-haired woman from Shorty’s re-enters Margot’s mind as a possible suspect, reinforcing the motif of unseen observers.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Ten deepens the mystery by providing the most detailed portrait yet of the Jacobs family, while simultaneously raising new questions about Jace and Krissy. Margot’s successful interview with Billy yields emotional texture but few concrete leads, underscoring the difficulty of solving a cold case after so many years. The appearance of the threatening note raises the stakes: the investigation is no longer just a story—Margot herself has become a target. The chapter also strengthens the link between January’s murder and Natalie Clark’s disappearance, as the barn message implied and the note reinforces. Finally, the chapter sets up the next phase of Margot’s inquiry, as she must now decide whether to heed the warning or press on despite the risk.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Margot decide to attend church, and how does she use this opportunity to approach Billy?
Margot attends church because her uncle Luke mentioned that Billy still goes to services, and she believes it’s the best place to speak with him privately. She arrives early, buys an apple pie from Granny’s Pantry as a peace offering, and after the service, she follows Billy outside and persuades him to talk by reminding him that she knew January and by offering the pie. This tactic works because Billy is touched by the gesture and by her personal connection to his daughter.

2. What does Billy reveal about Jace and Krissy, and what does he seem to be hiding?
Billy describes Jace as quiet, shy, and someone who got into minor trouble after January’s death, but he avoids giving any specific details about Jace’s darker incidents—such as the bird-crushing memory Margot has. About Krissy, Billy insists she loved January and could never have hurt her, but he becomes flustered when Margot asks about guilt. He refuses to entertain the possibility that Krissy might have been involved, sticking to a script that portrays both wife and son as blameless.

3. What is the significance of the note Margot finds on her car, and how does it connect to the barn message?
The note, which reads “It’s not safe for you here,” echoes the threatening tone of the barn graffiti (“She will not be the last”). Both messages seem to tie January’s murder to Natalie Clark’s disappearance and warn Margot away from investigating. The fact that the note appeared while Margot was inside Billy’s house suggests someone was watching her—possibly the same person who wrote on the barn. The note transforms the investigation from a cold-case review into an immediate threat.