Later Chapter 25 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

After Jamie Conklin relays the ghost Kenneth Therriault’s confession to Liz Dutton, she grows excited and decides to act immediately. She leaves Jamie alone with Therriault while she buys a prepaid flip-phone from a store. Jamie tries to escape down the street, but when Therriault beckons him slowly with a curled finger, Jamie feels his legs move against his will. He returns to the bench, where Therriault whispers that Liz does not care about him—she is only using him to save her job. Jamie whispers back a defiant retort, but his voice is nearly gone. When Liz emerges, she sharply questions whether Therriault said something else, and Jamie denies it.

Liz cleans Jamie’s vomit from the car and then uses the new flip-phone to call a contact named Colton. She dictates a precise script: Colton is to call a number, claim that if Ken Therriault was really the bomber known as Thumper he often talked about finishing where he started, and reference a 2008 conversation. Liz records the actual call to make it appear credible. After the call, she tells Jamie to get in the car. As he turns, he sees Therriault standing by the trunk, grinning, with a cake of dead blood visible. Therriault says, “I’ll be seeing you, Champ,” a clear promise to continue haunting Jamie.

Key Events

Liz leaves Jamie alone with the ghost while she buys a disposable phone.
Therriault summons Jamie back to the bench, and Jamie cannot resist.
Therriault tells Jamie that Liz is using him and does not care about him.
Jamie denies the accusation, speaking in a whisper.
Liz returns and interrogates Jamie harshly.
Liz calls Colton and dictates an anonymous bomb tip that implicates Therriault as Thumper.
Liz records the call to lend credibility to the tip.
Therriault reappears at the car, grinning, and vows to see Jamie again.

Character Development

Jamie Conklin: Jamie experiences the full force of a ghost’s supernatural coercion, feeling his body move without consent. He shows defiance by mentally rejecting Therriault’s words, but his physical helplessness and the loss of his voice underscore his vulnerability. His trust in Liz begins to erode, though he does not confront her.
Liz Dutton: Liz sheds her maternal persona and reveals the ruthless police investigator beneath. She is cold and efficient, using Jamie’s ability as a tool and leaving him exposed to danger. Her sharp tone and use of a contact for an anonymous tip show she is willing to manipulate anyone to secure her case.
Kenneth Therriault: Therriault demonstrates that his ghost can exert physical influence over Jamie, pulling him back even from a distance. His final line, “I’ll be seeing you,” establishes him as a persistent antagonist who will not fade away.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Manipulation and Trust: Therriault’s claim that Liz is using Jamie plants doubt, and Liz’s own actions—leaving Jamie alone, using him for the call—make the claim credible. Jamie is caught between a manipulative adult and a vengeful ghost.
Voice and Compulsion: Therriault steals Jamie’s voice, reducing him to a whisper, showing that ghosts can strip away his agency. Jamie’s legs moving against his will illustrates the theme of supernatural compulsion.
The Flip-Phone as a Tool: The disposable phone symbolizes Liz’s cold, calculated approach. She uses it to set a trap without risking her own identity, mirroring her emotional distance from Jamie.
“I’ll Be Seeing You”: This phrase acts as a threat motif, indicating that the haunting is not over and that Therriault intends to remain a presence in Jamie’s life.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 25 raises the stakes by showing Liz’s willingness to exploit Jamie and Therriault’s ability to control him from beyond the grave. It advances the bomb plot while introducing a personal threat: Therriault now knows Jamie’s name and plans to stay close. The chapter also isolates Jamie psychologically—he is trapped between an adult who uses him and a ghost who haunts him, leaving him with no reliable ally.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Jamie walk back to the bench after Therriault beckons him?
Jamie feels his legs moving “of their own accord,” indicating that Therriault possesses a supernatural ability to compel Jamie’s actions. Jamie cannot resist even though he does not want to return.
How does Liz use the flip-phone to create a credible bomb tip?
Liz buys a disposable phone and dictates a script to Colton: he is to call the police, claim that if Therriault was the bomber Thumper he often talked about finishing where he started, and reference a 2008 conversation. Liz records the call to make it sound authentic, then Colton hangs up when asked his identity.
What does Therriault’s final line “I’ll be seeing you, Champ” imply about his role?
It implies that Therriault will continue to appear to Jamie and likely interfere with the investigation. The line transforms him from a one-time source of information into an ongoing threat.