Chapter Twelve: Brittney — Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes

⚠️ 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

Brittney and Jayden land at the tiny Timmins airport, where passengers walk directly onto the tarmac. They collect their filming equipment and take a cab to Helms & Associates, a modern law office perched above a walk-in clinic. The receptionist, Carolyn, recognizes them from their YouTube show and is visibly excited. She leads them to a spare office set up for interviews, and they begin arranging cameras and lighting.

Lawyer Perry Helms arrives, signs the release form, and sits down for the interview. He explains that he handled Peter Belanger's will and served as executor, and that he also represented Daisy on criminal charges. He reveals that Peter and Dione were once extremely close to Grace, almost like surrogate parents, and that they had even considered adopting her. Perry recalls that Grace and Dione used to be inseparable, but after Grace inherited the house, she cut off contact with Dione. He also notes that Dione avoided the property during the divorce and had no interest in it.

After the interview, Brittney and Jayden step outside to debrief. Brittney argues that Grace was financially comfortable in Toronto—she was a senior website designer earning close to $80,000 a year, and her ex-partner likely paid child support—so there was no financial reason for her to move to Timmins. Jayden cautions against confirmation bias, pointing out that they lack evidence to prove Grace pretended to be poor. Brittney privately admits that her mother has been calling her, and that the case connects to her own history with the house. Then Jayden shows her an email from their anonymous contact with new information, which distracts from the unresolved tension.

Key Events

• Brittney and Jayden arrive in Timmins and set up at Helms & Associates.

• Perry Helms gives an interview, revealing that Peter and Dione were like parents to Grace and that Grace cut off contact with Dione after inheriting the house.

• Perry confirms that Dione avoided the property during the divorce and had no interest in it.

• Brittney and Jayden argue about Grace's financial situation and motives.

• Brittney reveals that her mother has been calling her, and she connects the case to her own family history.

• Jayden shows Brittney an email from their anonymous contact with new information.

Character Development

Brittney shows increasing emotional investment in the case. She admits to Jayden that her mother has been calling, and she reflects on how the house changed her mother—not for the better, but just differently. She also reveals that she has never told Jayden the full truth about her mother's controlling behavior, even though he is her only friend. This chapter deepens her internal conflict between seeking objective truth and being driven by personal bias.

Jayden acts as the voice of reason, repeatedly cautioning Brittney against confirmation bias. He expresses frustration that their partnership feels more like arguing than collaboration, and he reveals his own ambition to move into serious documentary work. His role as the objective counterweight becomes more explicit.

Perry Helms emerges as a reliable source, but also as a character who embodies small-town familiarity. He is warm and talkative, yet he respects boundaries when Grace shuts down talk about Dione. His perspective adds nuance to the family history.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Small-town versus city life is a recurring motif. The contrast between Timmins and Toronto is highlighted through the airport, the cab ride, and the office's modern décor. Perry notes that young people often leave for the city but return because of cost, which mirrors Grace's decision to move back.

Media bias and assumptions about Black single mothers are central. Brittney observes that Black victims in the case were treated differently in media coverage, and she argues that Grace played into stereotypes of financial instability. Jayden counters that people may have made assumptions without Grace's encouragement.

Financial control and dependency appear through Brittney's analysis of Grace's finances. She believes Grace wanted Daisy to rely on her, and she draws a parallel to her own mother's control over money.

Confirmation bias versus objective truth is explicitly discussed. Jayden warns Brittney that she is seeing Grace as a villain without evidence, and Brittney acknowledges that her personal history is influencing her judgment.

The house as a site of trauma and lies is reinforced. Brittney thinks of the mansion as the place that