Chapter One: Submerged - 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

Lark stands on the banks of Scituate Reservoir watching a car sink with a man trapped inside. She has just killed Jamie Merrick, a teacher who preyed on teenage girls through fake social media accounts. Despite a gash on her head, Lark feels no remorse. She calls her stepdad for help rather than her usual contact, Ethel, because the situation is too extreme. Her stepdad gives her a code and phone number for a cleaning company called Leviathan. When she calls, a woman efficiently takes details: one body, need for scuba gear.

Lark waits nearly three hours on the rocks. A vintage Dodge Charger arrives, and a man in a black wet suit and mask steps out. He checks her eyes, declares she is concussed, and barks one-word questions. Lark nicknames him Budget Batman. He and a partner, Conor, retrieve Merrick’s body from the lake and wrap it. Batman scolds Lark as a “perfect little princess” who leaves messes for others. He forces her into the trunk of his car over her protests. Terrified and claustrophobic, Lark manages to trick him into thinking she has given up, then uses a guitar whammy bar to pop the trunk’s latch. Before he completes a turn, she rolls out and escapes into the dark.

Key Events

• Lark drowns Jamie Merrick in a reservoir after ramming his car off the road.
• She calls her stepdad, who provides the Leviathan cleanup contact.
• Conor and a masked, hostile partner (Batman) arrive. Batman quickly diagnoses a concussion.
• Batman insults Lark as careless and privileged, then forces her into his trunk after she refuses to ride there.
• Lark pretends to comply, then uses a guitar whammy bar to break the trunk latch.
• She escapes during a slowdown and disappears into the night.

Character Development

Lark: The chapter deepens her complexity. She is a calculated vigilante who kills predators without hesitation, but she struggles with the emotional aftermath. Her inner mantra (You’re okay) reveals a fragile self-soothing mechanism. She values family secrets enough to hide her murderous actions, performing a mock apology for the cleaners. Her resourcefulness and mechanical knowledge (escape from the trunk) show she is no reckless fool.

Batman (unmasked cleaner): He is introduced as gruff, efficient, and judgmental. His instinct to pull Lark behind him when Conor approaches hints at a protective nature beneath the hostility. He refuses to give Lark his name or the gun, and his clipped speech suggests he is emotionally shut down. His clear contempt for what he sees as her recklessness and privilege sets up a fierce dynamic.

Conor: A foil to Batman. He is friendly, humorous, and tries to smooth tensions. He returns the gun to Lark and tells her to shoot Batman if needed, showing he does not entirely side with his partner.

Stepdad: Though not present, his influence is strong. He immediately provides a dangerous contact without asking questions, indicating he knows more about Lark’s activities than he lets on. His warning not to give her real name suggests this network is perilous.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Vigilante Justice: Lark positions herself as an exterminator of predators. She views Merrick as vermin (“another locust exterminated”) and feels no guilt. Her actions echo the theme of taking justice into one’s own hands, but the chapter complicates it by showing the practical consequences (car wreck, need for cleaners).

Performance of Innocence: Lark consciously plays the role of a ditzy party girl (“Blunder Barbie”) to hide her true nature. Her exaggerated mock apology highlights how she uses a mask of vulnerability to deflect suspicion. The contrast between her inner ruthlessness and her performed naiveté is central.

Confinement and Loss of Control: The trunk scene is the chapter’s emotional peak. Lark, who usually orchestrates events, is helpless for the first time. Her claustrophobic tears and the smell of the wet suit emphasize her vulnerability. Escaping is a reclamation of agency.

Water as Concealment: The reservoir submerges both the crime and the body. Water is a cleansing yet hiding element. Batman rising from the lake, water streaming from his suit, reinforces the idea that the truth can be sunk but not erased.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the alchemy that will drive the novel: Lark’s violent vigilante life colliding with the mysterious cleaner network run by the man she later knows as Lachlan (here called Batman). Their immediate antagonism and the power imbalance (he traps her, she escapes) set up a volatile relationship. It also reveals Lark’s double life—she is a master manipulator who can kill without remorse yet still feels fear and shame. The introduction of Leviathan and the rules of the cleaning underworld lay the groundwork for the dangers and alliances ahead.

Study Questions

1. Why does Lark choose to call her stepdad instead of her usual contact Ethel?
   Answer: She recognizes that sinking a car with a body inside is far beyond typical “tits up” situations. Her stepdad has access to a more professional cleaning service (Leviathan) capable of handling a submerged corpse and vehicle with scuba gear.

2. How does the author use dialogue to characterize Batman beyond his hostile words?
   Answer: Batman communicates almost entirely in single-word grunts or clipped commands, which underscores his emotional guardedness and disdain for conversation. However, his instinct to physically shield Lark when Conor appears (pulling her behind him) suggests that his gruffness may be a defense mechanism covering a more protective nature.

3. What does Lark’s escape from the trunk reveal about her skills and her relationship with her stepdad?
   Answer: Lark uses a guitar whammy bar to pop the latch, a trick her stepdad taught her. This shows she has been trained in unconventional survival skills. Her stepdad’s instruction in lock-picking and escape methods implies he prepared her for dangerous situations, hinting that he either knows about or suspects her violent activities.

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