# Chapter 31 Summary: Cassie, 2017
⚠️ 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
In 2017, Cassie is still haunted by Duke's comment that she is ruthless. She interprets the word as a reflection of her willingness to leave Andrew behind and pursue her career with single-minded intensity. She decides that her career matters, especially because her father may never get sober and she might need to follow through on her threat to bring Andrew to Austin.
Cassie dives into researching literary agents. She rereads acknowledgments in her favorite crime books, consults a two-year-old edition of Writer's Market from the Austin Public Library, and scours Manuscript Wishlist and Twitter. She compiles a spreadsheet of twenty agents and sends her book proposal to the top ten in early November.
A few days later, she receives an email from Deborah Maddox, a prominent true-crime agent who has sold several major titles. The subject line reads “Offer of Representation.” Cassie is disbelieving and overjoyed. For a brief moment, she wants to call her mother, but the absence hits her like a fist. She considers telling Duke but avoids him because she does not want to see judgment in his eyes. She feels, for the first time, that she is close to everything she has ever wanted.
Cassie and Deborah schedule a call that afternoon. Deborah is enthusiastic about the story, especially the angle of a woman as the central figure. Cassie shares her suspicions about Lore's involvement in the murder, including the gap in Lore's alibi, Andres's sudden trip to Laredo, the possibility that Andres's note contained contact information, and Sergio's revelation that Lore regularly carried a gun for self-defense. Deborah advises caution, telling Cassie to keep digging and to document inconsistencies—taking photos of report discrepancies and keeping a journal—so they can use those artifacts later. Cassie agrees, but she feels a tinny chime of misgiving. She worries that she has shown part of the picture before having the whole thing, and that she might lose control of the story.
The next night, Andrew calls to tell Cassie that her father is in the hospital after a car accident.
Key Events
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Cassie reflects on Duke's accusation of ruthlessness and decides her career matters.
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She researches agents, creates a spreadsheet of twenty, and sends proposals to ten.
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Deborah Maddox offers representation within days.
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During their call, Cassie reveals her suspicions about Lore's involvement, including the alibi gap and the gun.
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Deborah advises caution and instructs Cassie to document inconsistencies.
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Cassie feels both excited and uneasy about losing narrative control.
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Andrew calls to report that Cassie's father is in the hospital after a car accident.
Character Development
Cassie – This chapter shows Cassie's ambition crystallizing. She embraces the label of ruthlessness, deciding that caring about her career is not a flaw. Her grief over her mother's absence resurfaces when she wants to share her success, but she suppresses it. She also experiences a new kind of vulnerability: she has shared her suspicions with a powerful agent and now fears losing control of her own story. The chapter ends with a personal crisis that forces her to balance her professional momentum with family obligation.
Deborah Maddox – Though she appears only briefly, Deborah becomes a significant new figure. She validates Cassie's work and offers representation, but she also steers Cassie toward a more cautious, evidence-based approach. Her advice to document inconsistencies suggests a strategic, possibly manipulative, side.
Andrew – He is a distant presence, but his phone call reconnects Cassie to her family. His news about Duke's accident pulls Cassie back into the world she tried to leave behind.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Ruthlessness and ambition – Cassie redefines ruthlessness as necessary for her career. The word becomes a symbol of her willingness to prioritize her own goals over relationships.
Grief and maternal absence – Cassie's impulse to call her mother after receiving the offer highlights the ongoing void left by her mother's death. The moment of joy is immediately shadowed by loss.
Family obligation versus career – Cassie's decision that her career matters is directly tied to her father's potential inability to get sober. The chapter ends with a family crisis that forces her to confront the tension between her ambitions and her responsibilities.
Hidden truths and secrets – Cassie's suspicions about Lore's involvement represent the hidden truths she is trying to uncover. Deborah's advice to document inconsistencies suggests that these secrets may become part of the book's narrative.
Loss of narrative control – Cassie feels uneasy after sharing her suspicions with Deborah. The word “we” gives her a sense of partnership, but it also signals that she is no longer the sole author of her story.
Validation and recognition – Deborah's offer of representation provides Cassie with the external validation she craves. The feeling is described as intoxicating, almost like a drug.
Investigative ethics – Deborah's instruction to keep records and document inconsistencies raises questions about how far Cassie should go in her investigation. The chapter hints at the ethical boundaries of true-crime writing.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 31 is a turning point in Cassie's professional life. It marks the moment she gains a powerful ally in Deborah Maddox, which accelerates her investigation and raises the stakes. The chapter also deepens Cassie's internal conflict: she is excited about her career but uneasy about losing control, and she is forced to confront her family obligations when her father's accident occurs. The revelation about Lore's gun and the alibi gap sets up the central mystery of the book, and Deborah's advice to document inconsistencies foreshadows the ethical dilemmas Cassie will face. The chapter ends on a personal cliffhanger, pulling Cassie back into the world she tried to escape.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Cassie decide that being called ruthless is acceptable?
Cassie reinterprets Duke's criticism as a necessary trait for achieving her goals. She believes that if caring about her career makes her ruthless, then she is willing to accept that label, especially because her father's sobriety is uncertain and she may need to support herself and Andrew.
2. What specific suspicions does Cassie share with Deborah, and why does she hesitate?
Cassie shares her belief that Lore was involved in the murder, citing the gap in Lore's alibi, Andres's sudden trip to Laredo, the possibility that Andres's note contained contact information, and Sergio's revelation that Lore carried a gun. She hesitates because she fears Deborah will think she is a conspiracy theorist or that she is pivoting from the story she originally wanted to tell.
3. How does Deborah's advice affect Cassie's sense of control over her project?
Deborah advises Cassie to keep digging and to document inconsistencies, which makes Cassie feel like part of a team but also triggers a sense of losing control. She realizes that by sharing her suspicions, she has set something in motion that she may not be able to stop.
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