Chapter 85 (Chapter 17) Summary & 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
Bodie and Mike walk toward Old Chapel on a cold night. Bodie uses Fran’s key to let them into the darkened sanctuary, where they examine memorial plaques for students who died at Granby, mostly from the 1800s and early 1900s. Mike admits these plaques first made him feel the school was legitimate on his eighth‑grade tour, contrasting his anxiety about not getting into elite schools like Exeter (where his father and brother went). He reveals his dyslexia and past academic struggles. The conversation turns to secret societies: Mike confirms he was in one but dismisses it as a “bush‑league frat,” swearing loyalty but not disclosing the name. Bodie presses him on whether Robbie Serenho was a member, and Mike laughs it off, adding that many people wrongly suspect Robbie. He then tells Bodie that online harassment forced Robbie and his wife Jen to pull their children from private school and that Robbie has lost business. Bodie feels guilty for not realizing the impact.
They climb the clock tower using Fran’s key. In the cold, dusty space surrounded by the four clock faces, Mike reveals a significant change of heart: after listening to Omar’s podcast episode five times, he now fully believes Omar is innocent. Bodie finds this gratifying. Mike asks if she has any marijuana, half‑joking. Bodie then raises a crucial inconsistency: why would Omar, an adult with an office and a car, meet Thalia in the dusty sports shed? The only logical explanation under the state’s theory is premeditation, which contradicts the panic‑based pool dump. Mike agrees the case’s unresolved details about the shed door and its lock still trouble him. Bodie silently imagines Thalia showing someone else—perhaps an unidentified person—how to access the shed. The chapter ends with Bodie suggesting they leave for a party with good drinks.
Key Events
- Bodie and Mike examine Granby’s memorial plaques in Old Chapel.
- Mike discusses his dyslexia, his family’s Exeter legacy, and his minor secret society involvement.
- Mike reveals the harassment that forced Robbie Serenho’s family to change schools.
- The pair enter the clock tower and sit in its cold, dusty interior.
- Mike states he now believes Omar is innocent based on Omar’s podcast appearance.
- Bodie questions the logic of Omar meeting Thalia in the shed, highlighting inconsistencies.
- Mike laments the lack of forensic documentation of the shed door.
- Bodie internally considers that Thalia may have led someone else to the shed.
- They decide to go to a party.
Character Development
- Bodie Kane: Continues to act as an amateur investigator, pressing Mike on details about the secret society and the shed. Her guilt over Robbie’s family suffering shows her growing awareness of real‑world consequences of the online speculation she helped fuel. Her critical thinking about the shed’s incongruity demonstrates her refusal to accept the official narrative.
- Mike: Reveals vulnerability about his learning disability and educational insecurities. His shift from a professional “maybe guilty” stance to a gut‑level belief in Omar’s innocence is a key turning point. His admission also underscores how the podcast—and Bodie’s work—has influenced him.
- Omar Evans: Though absent, the chapter strongly reinforces his possible innocence. Mike’s change of heart and Bodie’s logical questions build the case that the state’s theory is flawed.
- Thalia Keith: Remains a presence through the discussion of her death. The shed location becomes a puzzle piece that points away from Omar.
- Robbie Serenho and Jen Serenho: Discussed as collateral damage of public suspicion, humanizing the ripple effects of the murder investigation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Memorialization and Legacy: The old plaques of dead students symbolize how Granby sanctifies its past. Mike’s attraction to them reveals a desire for legitimacy through tragedy, while the chapter questions what memories the school chooses to preserve.
- Secrecy and Oaths: The secret society—though trivial—represents the hidden loyalties that can shape a campus. Bodie’s interest hints that such oaths might have protected someone involved in Thalia’s death.
- The Shed as a Contradiction: Bodie’s logical dissection of the shed meeting spot serves as a symbol of the prosecution’s flawed reasoning. It highlights how physical evidence (a dusty, cold space) contradicts the narrative of a consensual tryst.
- Doubt and Certainty: Mike’s conversion from professional doubt to personal certainty mirrors Bodie’s own journey. The chapter argues that genuine belief often emerges from emotional engagement (listening to the podcast) rather than cold analysis.
- Class and Privilege: The contrast between Granby, Exeter, and Deerfield underscores the class anxieties that drive the characters. Mike’s mention of his father and brother at Exeter frames Granby as a second‑choice school, while Bodie’s Indiana background further distances her from elite culture.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a critical pivot in Bodie’s investigation. Mike’s shift to believing Omar innocent provides emotional and practical validation for her podcast. The detailed discussion of the shed’s unlikelihood as a meeting place strengthens the case against the official story. Meanwhile, the revelation that Robbie Serenho has faced severe personal consequences introduces a moral dimension: the harm that can come from public accusation without proof. The clock tower setting—a place of elevated perspective—mirrors Bodie’s attempt to see the case from a new angle, one that may ultimately implicate someone closer to Thalia than Omar.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Bodie find the shed’s location inconsistent with the state’s theory that Omar killed Thalia?
Bodie points out that Omar had access to a warm, private office and a car. If they were having a consensual meeting, they would have chosen a comfortable spot, not a dusty shed with mice and old sports equipment. The only logical reason to use the shed is premeditation, which contradicts the state’s claim that the murder was a panicked, impulsive act.
2. What does Mike’s change of heart about Omar’s guilt reveal about the power of narrative?
Mike initially held a professional opinion that Omar likely did it, based on flawed investigation. After hearing Omar’s own voice on the podcast multiple times, he felt a gut instinct of innocence. This shows that direct, human storytelling can override detached evidence and legal reasoning, for better or worse.
3. How does the conversation about Robbie Serenho’s family highlight unintended consequences of the case?
Bodie learns that online harassment forced Robbie and Jen to move their children to public school and that Robbie lost significant business. This makes Bodie feel guilty about her own podcast’s role in fueling speculation. It emphasizes that real people suffer from theories that may be baseless, and that the search for truth can cause collateral damage.