Chapter 32: Frankie - 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
Frankie has sent multiple texts and calls to her daughter Nellie without any reply; the messages go unread and the calls go straight to voicemail. The only sign from Nellie is an earlier text pleading for help. Panicked and short of breath, Frankie leaves a café and returns to her van, only to find a parking ticket. She then spots the gallery owner Jude Kennedy and the woman from the pink house emerging together from a narrow alleyway. They part without any interaction. Suspicious, Frankie investigates the alley and discovers a side door. Using lockpicking skills she learned in prison from an inmate named Lazy Jane, Frankie opens the door and climbs 123 steps to find another locked door. Inside the second room, she gasps upon seeing an unframed papercut of a fox – evidence that Nellie was there. She finds Nellie's clothes, a Japanese tea tin (now empty) that once held emergency money, and an art portfolio full of her daughter's papercuts. Realizing she just missed Nellie, Frankie takes the portfolio and resolves to confront the woman in the pink house directly.
Key Events
- Frankie receives no response to her frantic texts and calls to Nellie.
- She observes Jude Kennedy and the woman from the pink house leaving an alleyway together.
- Frankie picks the lock on an alley door and climbs 123 steps to an attic room.
- Inside the attic, she discovers clear evidence that Nellie has been staying there: a papercut fox, clothing, and the family tea tin.
- Frankie seizes her daughter's art portfolio and decides to confront the woman in the pink house without an appointment.
Character Development
Frankie's maternal instincts drive her to act with desperate urgency. Her panic over Nellie's disappearance mirrors the fear she felt when her daughter was a small child lost in a supermarket. This chapter reveals Frankie's resourcefulness: she applies lockpicking skills taught by a fellow inmate, showing how her past incarceration has given her practical tools. Her emotional vulnerability is exposed when she finds traces of Nellie – smelling her scent on a pillow and recognizing the art. Frankie's determination hardens into a plan to confront the woman she believes holds answers, shifting from passive worry to active pursuit.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Mother-daughter bond: The chapter emphasizes the unbreakable connection between Frankie and Nellie, described as a contract signed with invisible ink. Frankie's unwavering love motivates every action.
- Art as evidence: The papercuts – especially the fox – serve as physical proof of Nellie's presence and artistic identity, bridging the emotional and investigative threads.
- Lockpicking as empowerment: Frankie's ability to open doors without a man's help, learned in prison, symbolizes her self-reliance and the resourcefulness born from hardship.
- Deception and hidden spaces: The alleyway and secret attic represent the hidden layers of the story; the Kennedys and the pink house woman are implicated in a web of lies.
Why This Chapter Matters
This is a pivotal moment in the narrative. For the first time, Frankie gains concrete evidence that Nellie is alive and has been nearby. The discovery of the attic – and the proximity to her daughter – intensifies the stakes. Frankie's decision to confront the pink house woman directly escalates the suspense, pushing the plot toward a face-off. The chapter also deepens Frankie's backstory by showing how her prison experience informs her current actions, adding complexity to her character.
Study Questions and Answers
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What clue leads Frankie to the attic where Nellie stayed?
Answer: Frankie sees Jude Kennedy and the woman from the pink house emerge from an alleyway. After they leave separately, she investigates the alley and finds a door, which she picks open, leading to stairs and eventually the attic. -
How does Frankie manage to unlock the doors in the alley and attic?
Answer: Frankie learned lockpicking from a fellow inmate, Lazy Jane, while in prison. She carries a tool on her key ring and uses it to open both locks, each taking under thirty seconds. -
What items does Frankie find in the attic that confirm Nellie was there?
Answer: She finds an unframed papercut of a fox, Nellie's clothes on a rail, the Japanese tea tin that once held emergency money (now empty), and an art portfolio containing multiple papercuts made by Nellie.