Chapter summaries Kills Well with Others Deanna Raybourn

Chapter Twelve: Reunion in Sardinia – 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

Billie and Mary Alice wait on the porch of the Sardinian safe house as a car approaches. Billie explains that the driver is Micheli, son of Bernardu, the shepherd who owns the house. She recounts how she met Bernardu years earlier when she was injured after assassinating a corrupt judge in Sardinia. Bernardu saved her life, removing a bullet and nursing her back to health. She later established the safe house arrangement with him. Akiko arrives, and despite Mary Alice’s worry, Akiko embraces the situation with humor. Taverner has already befriended Bernardu’s wife, Filumena, gaining her sourdough starter and honey pastries. Minka arrives next, transformed with a punk haircut and vegan lifestyle. As the group settles around the table, Billie reflects on the anger she feels about Naomi’s faulty briefing and the realization that she can never truly leave the killer identity behind.

Key Events

  • Billie tells Mary Alice the story of how she met Bernardu on a mission in Sardinia, where he saved her from a bullet wound and infection.
  • Akiko arrives via Micheli, and Mary Alice is tense about revealing their occupation to her, but Akiko embraces it.
  • Taverner has already won over Filumena with his cooking skills, securing local food.
  • Minka arrives with a new appearance: short sides, cherry ombre Mohawk, a philtrum piercing, and a vegan diet.
  • Billie leads the group to eat and discuss the threat against them.
  • Billie experiences a moment of anger about Naomi’s error, then uses breathing techniques to calm herself.
  • In internal reflection, Billie admits that retirement is a pretense; she will always be a killer.

Character Development

  • Billie: Reveals vulnerability in recounting her near-death experience and the debt she owes to Bernardu. Her anger at Naomi shows her professional standards. The chapter culminates in her internal acceptance that her killer identity is permanent.
  • Mary Alice: Demonstrates protectiveness over Akiko and anxiety about her safety. Her worry about Akiko’s tolerance for their profession suggests a strain in their relationship.
  • Akiko: Shows resilience and humor, adopting the label “assassin” by marriage. Her arrival lightens the mood.
  • Taverner: His role as a nurturer is reinforced—he connects with Filumena through food, an act that contrasts with his assassin work. The chapter includes a flashback to his philosophy: feeding people is an affirmation of life.
  • Minka: Has clearly changed; she is now environmentally conscious and vegan, a departure from her former self. Her new appearance signals a personal evolution.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • The Nurturer vs. The Killer: The chapter deepens the contrast between Taverner’s life-affirming cooking and the group’s violent profession. Billie explicitly names the contradiction.
  • Trust and Loyalty: The safe house and Bernardu’s family represent a hard-won trust that Billie values. Mary Alice’s distrust of the driver highlights the constant vigilance required.
  • The Inescapable Self: Billie’s reflection that “some jobs you leave, but they never leave you” encapsulates the theme that one’s core identity, especially as a killer, cannot be shed.
  • Found Family: The gathering around the table, with cats hunting mice and shared food, emphasizes the bonds among these women and Taverner, who are each other’s only true confidants.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter serves as a reunion and a moment of reflection before the group plans their next move. It provides critical backstory on Billie’s history and her resourcefulness. The inclusion of Akiko and Minka expands the group dynamic and shows how their personal lives have evolved. Billie’s internal epiphany about the impossibility of leaving the assassin life sets up a central conflict for the remainder of the novel: they are being hunted, but they are also compelled to continue fighting because they cannot stop being who they are.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. How does the chapter use Billie’s story about Bernardu to develop her character?
    The story shows Billie’s vulnerability and her ability to earn deep loyalty from strangers. It also demonstrates her long-term planning and the risks she took in the field. Bernardu’s trust in her contrasts with the betrayal she feels from the Museum.

  2. What is the significance of Taverner’s cooking in this chapter?
    Taverner’s cooking and his friendship with Filumena reinforce the theme that nurture and killing can coexist. His philosophy that “food is life” is a deliberate counterpoint to his profession, and the chapter uses the communal meal to bind the group together.

  3. What does Billie’s final realization imply about her future actions?
    Billie accepts that retirement is an illusion. This suggests she will not run away from the threat but will instead confront it on her own terms, using her killer instincts. It also foreshadows that she may have to fully embrace her identity to protect her found family.

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