Chapter 32 Summary, Key Events, 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

Late at night, Harper sits at Vincent's kitchen table, drinking coffee and trying to make sense of the chaos that has unfolded since she arrived on the island. Vincent, who had been ordered by the pastor to follow her, admits this openly. He also reveals that he invited her to his home because he believes she needs help—and that he might need hers in return.

As they talk, Vincent recounts the story of his wife, Leota. She was always an outsider on the island, and Vincent suspects that fellow islanders may have murdered her. He claims that Leota's ghost has appeared to him, confirming his suspicions. Harper, who has spent the day wrestling with strange events—the tremor outside the pub, Vincent's collapse, and Willow's cryptic letter—finds herself becoming more open to the possibility of the supernatural. She is not fully convinced, but she can no longer dismiss the idea outright.

Vincent then tells Harper what he has heard about Willow. According to his information, Willow entered Seminary House—the building guarded by a cop—and never came out. He admits that he cannot be certain this is true, and that rumors on the island are unreliable. Harper presses him: is Willow dead? Vincent looks away and says he doesn't know. The answer hits Harper like a physical blow; she had prepared herself for the possibility that Willow was missing or hiding, but not that she might be dead.

Desperate for answers, Harper asks Vincent to explain what is really happening on the island. Vincent responds by lifting his shirt to reveal five fresh, deep scratch marks across his chest. He jokes that they were a Christmas present from his wife, then grows serious. He tells Harper that there are dead things on the island—manifestations of the dead—and that these are tied to a greater evil so powerful it can barely be fathomed. He clarifies that he doesn't know what happened to Willow specifically, but he does know that Willow had learned the island's secrets and planned to help Vincent's daughter expose them to the world. And, Vincent adds, they intended to get Harper's help in doing so.

Key Events

• Vincent reveals he was following Harper on the pastor's orders.

• Vincent shares the story of his wife Leota, an outsider who may have been murdered by islanders, and whose ghost has appeared to him.

• Harper's skepticism begins to erode as she listens to Vincent's account.

• Vincent tells Harper that Willow entered Seminary House and never came out, though he admits he can't be sure.

• Harper asks directly if Willow is dead; Vincent says he doesn't know, leaving Harper devastated.

• Vincent shows Harper five fresh scratch marks on his chest, claiming they came from his wife's ghost.

• Vincent describes the island's threat as