Chapter 24: Chapter 23 – The Threat Under the Pillow

⚠️ 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

Annie returns to her room and discovers the bed has been neatly made. Suspicious, she checks under the pillow and finds a typewritten threat that repeats the same “bones in a box” line from an earlier note in her skirt pocket. The paper is old, suggesting it dates from 1965 or 1966, around the time of Emily Sparrow’s disappearance. Annie reasons the threat was likely meant for Frances, not her, because it doesn’t reference Annie’s current situation.

She photographs the note and tucks it into her investigation journal. Downstairs, she finds Saxon studying Emily’s murder board in the study. They discuss whether Frances killed Emily; Saxon counters that Ford, Rutherford Gravesdown, could have been the killer. Annie notices an old typewriter on a shelf and wonders if Frances wrote the threats herself.

Annie then approaches Detective Crane outside and offers to hand over the threat note in exchange for a chance to re‑read Frances’s diary. Reluctantly, Crane agrees and lets her examine the diary while he processes the new evidence. Annie flips to an entry from September 15, 1966, about Peter and Tansy having a baby—Laura, Annie’s mother. Frances’s phrasing “Now that they’ve got the baby” and “She does look like her mum, though, which is a shame” strikes Annie as suspicious.

Crane suggests they drive to the Dead Witch pub so Annie can finish reading the diary over dinner. He admits his request for Officer Brady to question the household about the threat is partly to get Annie out of the house, but he also genuinely wants to see what she can do with all the right tools at her disposal.

Key Events

Annie finds her bed neatly made and discovers a typewritten threat under the pillow, echoing a line from an earlier note.
She photographs the threat and keeps the original, deciding to bend the rules for the investigation.
Annie talks to Saxon, who suggests Ford might have killed Emily.
She notices an old typewriter and considers the possibility that Frances wrote the threats.
Annie trades the threat to Detective Crane for access to Frances’s diary.
She reads a diary entry about Peter and Tansy’s baby that raises new questions.
Crane takes Annie to the Dead Witch pub, allowing her more time with the diary while he investigates the threat.

Character Development

Annie grows more comfortable ignoring official protocols, deciding that solving the case requires boldness. She becomes increasingly paranoid, seeing potential murderers everywhere.
Detective Crane shows uncharacteristic trust in Annie by letting her read the diary outside the station. His admission that he wants to “see what happens when you have all the right tools at your disposal” suggests he’s starting to respect her instincts.
Saxon is portrayed as knowledgeable and somewhat sad when discussing Emily and Frances. He remains an ambiguous figure, potentially withholding information.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Inherited paranoia: Annie acknowledges she is beginning to understand Frances’s suspicion of everyone, mirroring her great‑aunt’s mindset.
Threats as evidence: The typed note becomes a physical link between past and present, connecting Emily’s disappearance to Frances’s murder.
Blurred lines between victim and perpetrator: Annie considers that Frances might have written the threats herself, challenging the assumption that Frances was purely a victim.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides the first concrete physical evidence (the old threat note) that ties the present‑day investigation directly to the 1960s events. It also introduces a major clue: Frances’s suspicious diary entry about Annie’s mother’s birth. The phrasing “got the baby” suggests something unusual about Laura’s arrival, potentially opening a new line of inquiry about family secrets and motives. Additionally, the evolving partnership between Annie and Crane adds a new dynamic to the investigation.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Annie believe the threat was not meant for her personally?
Annie thinks the threat is decades old because the paper is yellowed and the wording matches a line from Frances’s diary. If it were directed at her, the content would mention “not belonging here” or refer to the inheritance, not the generic threat about bones.
What does Annie find suspicious about Frances’s diary entry from September 15, 1966?
Frances writes “Now that they’ve got the baby” instead of “had the baby,” and comments that the baby “does look like her mum, though, which is a shame.” This phrasing implies something unnatural about the baby’s arrival and hints at resentment toward Tansy.
How does Detective Crane’s attitude toward Annie shift in this chapter?
Crane initially resists giving her the diary, but after she offers the threat note, he agrees to let her read it at the pub. He admits he wants to see what she can accomplish with the right tools, signaling a growing willingness to work with her rather than against her.