Chapter 20: Tiernan – Summary & Analysis
Spoiler Notice: This page contains a detailed summary and analysis of Chapter 20 of Bad Bishop. If you haven’t read the chapter yet, proceed with caution.
Summary
While Lila is in the shower, Tiernan takes the opportunity to flip through her sketchbook again, still hoping to find a drawing that might capture her attacker’s face and help identify him. Instead of new portraits, he discovers dozens of music sheets. Thanks to childhood solfège lessons from Alex, he recognizes some as Mozart and Beethoven. The true intrigue comes from the sheets he cannot place—completely unfamiliar pieces. Curious, Tiernan downloads a piano app on his phone and plays the unknown music. The melodies are striking: expressive, dramatic, elegant, and Gothic. They possess a raw, original beauty that feels deeply personal. He acknowledges the possibility that Lila might have simply copied someone else’s work, but his instinct tells him otherwise. With a sense of certainty, Tiernan concludes that his wife composed these pieces herself. The discovery exposes a hidden dimension of Lila, one that she has never shared with him, and it fuels his protective determination to understand the woman he married.
Key Events
- Tiernan searches Lila’s sketchbook while she showers, motivated by the hope of uncovering a drawing of her attacker.
- He finds no new portraits but stumbles upon a large collection of music sheets.
- Using basic musical knowledge from his childhood, he identifies some sheets as well-known classical compositions by Mozart and Beethoven.
- The unfamiliar sheets catch his attention; he downloads a piano app to hear them.
- Playing the pieces reveals original, emotionally charged music that is both Gothic and elegant.
- Tiernan considers the possibility that Lila merely transcribed existing works but becomes convinced the compositions are hers.
- The chapter closes with Tiernan’s heightened awareness of Lila’s concealed artistic depths.
Character Development
Tiernan demonstrates his investigative and protective nature. His search is not an invasion of privacy but a methodical effort to find clues that could keep Lila safe. The moment he plays the music, he transitions from guardian to admirer, showing a softer, more appreciative side. His instinctive belief in Lila’s authorship highlights a growing emotional connection—he trusts his intuition about her, even without proof.
Lila remains physically absent for most of the chapter, yet her influence shapes every moment. Through the sketchbook, she emerges as a far more complex figure than previously presented. Her secret musical compositions suggest an inner world of pain and beauty, likely tied to her trauma and her need for private expression. The revelation redefines the reader’s understanding of her, painting her as a woman of hidden, formidable talent.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Hidden Identity and Self-Expression
The chapter strongly conveys that Lila is not who she appears on the surface. The music sheets act as a window into the parts of herself she has locked away—creative, stormy, and profoundly emotional. Tiernan’s discovery is a thematic affirmation that trauma often breeds private forms of expression.
Art as Memory and Recovery
Earlier, the sketchbook served as a tool to process and possibly retrieve traumatic memories. Now, music joins that function. Lila’s original compositions may be her unconscious way of working through feelings she cannot verbalize. Art becomes both a refuge and a coded diary.
The Duality of Perception
Tiernan’s initial, pragmatic search for a criminal sketch gives way to an aesthetic revelation. The contrast between looking for danger and finding beauty illustrates how intimately terror and artistry can coexist within a person like Lila.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a crucial deepening of character and theme. Up to this point, Lila may have seemed enigmatic but unknowably distant. By uncovering her music, Tiernan—and the reader—glimpse a more vulnerable, talented, and true version of her. This insight raises the emotional stakes of their relationship and foreshadows potential future revelations about her past. The discovery also strengthens Tiernan’s resolve to protect her, now knowing that her quiet exterior conceals something truly extraordinary. Moreover, the chapter subtly shifts the narrative’s emotional tone, adding a layer of Gothic romanticism that aligns with the music itself.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Tiernan initially go through Lila’s sketchbook, and how does his purpose change during the chapter?
Tiernan begins searching the sketchbook purely to find a drawing that could identify Lila’s attacker and aid in her protection. When he fails to find such a portrait, his attention pivots to the music sheets. His purpose transforms from a protective investigation into a personal discovery about his wife’s hidden artistry. The shift reveals his genuine interest in Lila beyond mere security, suggesting emotional investment. -
What does the discovery of Lila’s original music compositions suggest about her character?
The existence of original, expressive music sheets suggests that Lila possesses a deep, private creative identity that she has kept concealed. The dramatic and Gothic nature of the pieces hints at an intense inner life likely linked to her trauma. It shows that she channels pain and emotion into art, presenting herself as far more complex and capacious than her guarded exterior would imply. -
How does Tiernan’s reaction to the music sheets reflect his evolving relationship with Lila?
Tiernan does not dismiss the sheets as mere curiosities; he downloads an app to play them and instinctively believes they are Lila’s own work. This response demonstrates that he is no longer treating her as a problem to be solved but as a person whose depth he wants to understand. His trust in his gut feeling about her authorship indicates an emotional bond that is growing beyond the practical arrangement of their marriage.