Chapter 22 (Lt. Bev): Summary, Analysis, and Study Guide

⚠️ 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

On the twelfth day of the search for Valerie Gillis, Lieutenant Bev calls the colonel and asks to meet in person. She takes a long, deliberate shower—an act she describes as wasteful—and brushes her hair until it lies smooth, a ritual from her teenage years. She dresses in civilian clothes: a salmon-colored button-down and a tan fleece vest, both made of fast-drying material suited for someone who might stop to fish on the way home from dinner. She packs an overnight bag and hangs her reading glasses from her neckline.

As she prepares, she reflects on her decades in the Warden Service. Until two years ago, the service didn't provide uniforms designed for a woman's body. For nearly thirty years, she wore a shirt one size too big to avoid gaping across her chest and pants one size too tight to avoid being comically loose. The bulletproof vest was a particular challenge, flattening her figure whenever she wore it away from her desk. These memories surface as she sheds her uniform for the day.

She drives to Bangor and meets the colonel in the main office. They shake hands and exchange a look of mutual condolence. The press has been harsh on the Warden Service, with even stalwart papers like the Portland Press Herald and the Boston Globe criticizing the failed search. Bev begins to speak about her career, saying that for thirty years the woods have been her world, that she never married or had children, and that her fellow wardens have been her family. She suggests it might be time to think about the next phase.

The colonel interrupts, alarmed. He asks if she's blaming herself for Valerie Gillis, and insists she is not at fault—her teams searched more miles than a round trip to China. He tells her she is indispensable, that there is no other Beverly Miller, and that she is the search program. He pleads with her to take time off, noting she's worked twelve or sixteen-hour days without logging overtime.

Only then does Bev reveal that her mother is terminally ill and in hospice care in Leominster, Massachusetts. The colonel, stricken, tells her to go see her mother. Before leaving, she asks him to wait to close the search until she returns. He agrees, promising to hold off for a day or two.

Key Events

Lt. Bev requests a private meeting with the colonel on day 12 of the search.
She takes a long shower, dresses in civilian clothes, and packs an overnight bag, signaling a personal departure from her professional role.
She reflects on the history of ill-fitting uniforms for women in the Warden Service.
In Bangor, she attempts to announce her intention to move on from the service, but the colonel interrupts and reassures her.
She reveals her mother's terminal illness and hospice care in Leominster.
The colonel urges her to take time off and tells her to go see her mother.
She requests a delay in closing the search; the colonel agrees to wait a day or two.

Character Development

Lt. Bev shows a rare moment of vulnerability. Her long shower and careful grooming suggest a need to reclaim a personal identity outside the uniform. Her admission about her mother's illness—which she had kept hidden—reveals the depth of her personal sacrifice and the toll of the search. Her request to delay closure shows her continued commitment to Valerie and Janet, even as she steps away.
The Colonel emerges as a supportive leader. He immediately rejects her self-blame, calls her indispensable, and prioritizes her well-being over the search protocol. His willingness to delay closing the search demonstrates trust and empathy, and his admission that he should have given her a break earlier shows self-reflection.
The chapter also deepens our understanding of Bev's past: the ghosts of naysayers who tried to chase her out of the service, and the colleagues who didn't defend her, are contrasted with the colonel's present-day support.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Civilian clothes as a symbol of transition: Bev's salmon button-down and fleece vest represent a shift from her professional armor to a more personal, vulnerable self. The fast-drying material hints at her practical nature, but the act of dressing deliberately signals a conscious step away from duty.
The shower as ritual cleansing: The long, wasteful shower suggests a need to wash away the exhaustion and grime of the search, and perhaps to prepare for a difficult personal conversation. It also echoes her teenage hair-brushing, connecting her to a younger, more carefree self.
Gender discrimination: Bev's recollection of ill-fitting uniforms and the bulletproof vest highlights the systemic challenges she faced as a woman in the Warden Service. The