Chapter 20: Author’s Note – 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

In this closing author’s note, Ronald Malfi reveals the real-life tragedy that sparked the writing of Come With Me. He begins by recounting the events of June 28, 2018, when his friend Wendi Winters—a reporter for The Capital newspaper—was murdered along with four other people during an office shooting. The author details the agonizing hours he spent waiting for news, fearing for Wendi’s safety, and later confronting the reality that others were grieving their own loved ones that day.

He traces his friendship with Wendi back to 2006, when she came to his home to interview him about a book. She brought her own camera, took his photograph, and stayed to share snacks with his family. Over the years they kept in touch, meeting for coffee and talking about writing, community, and local news. Malfi describes Wendi as a tireless chronicler of their community—a person who built genuine relationships not because of her job, but because of her character.

The author then explains how this novel emerged from his grief. Wendi remained with him mentally and emotionally throughout the writing process, and he believes a part of her lives in the story. The book, he says, is a product of both his loss and their friendship. Writing it became a form of therapy. The note closes with a personal dedication: “Rest easy, Wendi,” and is dated June 3, 2019, in Annapolis, Maryland.

Key Events

June 28, 2018: Wendi Winters and four others are killed in a mass shooting at the offices of The Capital newspaper in Annapolis.
September 2006: Wendi interviews Ronald Malfi at his home for a previous book, beginning their friendship.
Ongoing years: The two meet periodically for coffee, community events, and personal check-ins.
2018–2019: Malfi channels his grief into writing Come With Me, letting Wendi’s memory guide the story.
June 3, 2019: The author completes the Author’s Note, dedicating the novel to Wendi.

Character Development

This chapter does not develop characters from the novel itself, but it reveals the author Ronald Malfi as a figure within the book’s backstory. We see his evolution from initial panic to sustained grief, and finally to a purposeful act of creative healing. Wendi Winters is introduced as a warm, genuine person—a community-minded journalist who formed real bonds beyond professional duties.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Grief and Healing: Malfi explicitly states that writing the novel was a therapeutic response to trauma, turning sorrow into story.
Community and Connection: Wendi is portrayed as the “heart of the nascent village,” a symbol of local journalism and human empathy.
Memory as Creative Fuel: The author reveals that Wendi’s spirit stayed with him during the writing process, influencing the novel’s emotional core.
Art as Therapy: The note suggests that creating fiction can help process real-world pain, a recurring idea in works born from tragedy.

Why This Chapter Matters

The Author’s Note grounds the supernatural horror of Come With Me in a devastating real-world event, making clear that the book is not just an exercise in genre fiction but a deeply personal response to loss. It honors Wendi Winters and the other victims of the Capital Gazette shooting, while also explaining the emotional origin of the story’s themes—grief, searching for meaning, and the refusal to let loved ones be forgotten. For readers, this note transforms the novel into a memorial and a testament to the power of friendship.

Study Questions

What real-world tragedy inspired the writing of Come With Me?
The 2018 mass shooting at The Capital newspaper in Annapolis, which killed five people, including the author’s friend Wendi Winters.
How did Ronald Malfi first meet Wendi Winters?
In 2006, Wendi interviewed him at his home about a previous book. She brought a camera, took his photo, and stayed to talk with his family over snacks.
What function did writing this novel serve for the author?
It acted as therapy, allowing him to process the grief of losing his friend and to keep her memory alive in the story.