Chapter 49 Summary: Cassie's Perspective in 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.
⚠️ This page contains major plot revelations from Chapter 49, including new evidence about Andres's death and the ongoing investigation. If you haven't finished the chapter, consider reading it first.
Summary
The chapter opens with Cassie finally emailing her agent, Deborah, before driving to Laredo. As she passes the Border Patrol checkpoint, Deborah calls, and Cassie lays out her findings: Lore was pregnant when Andres was killed, and Andres learned about the pregnancy the day before he flew to see her—that was the reason for his surprise trip. Carlos Russo, Andres's son, believes Lore killed his father.
Cassie also shares that she spoke with a medical examiner who said Andres's time of death was established solely by body temperature, an outdated and incomplete method. Because of insufficient cooling in the room, the time of death might have been earlier—during a window when Lore had no alibi. Rain that day could have masked the sound of a gunshot. Cassie's theory is that Fabian returned to clean up after Lore and then took the blame; she reveals the couple is still married.
Deborah calls the story highly marketable—a woman who lived a double life and got away with murder—but insists Cassie needs proof. Cassie admits she's only seventy percent sure. She plans to interview Fabian the next day, hoping for a confession.
Cassie reflects on what money would mean for her future: a place of her own, a room for Andrew, a lawyer if needed. She thinks that with money, she could afford to have a moral center. Deborah warns her to be careful.
Arriving in Laredo, Cassie finds Lore's house transformed. The white walls and gold-framed watercolors are gone, replaced by rich colors and bold abstract paintings. Lore says the redecorating was because of Cassie. Lore notices Cassie's bare ring finger—she has broken up with Duke—and pulls her into a warm hug, promising they'll talk after dinner.
At dinner, Cassie meets the family: Mateo, Gabriel, Gabriel's wife Brenda, and the boys Michael and Joseph. The atmosphere is warm but tense. Three-year-old Joseph asks whether Santa delivers presents in jail, prompting a frantic silent exchange among the adults before Lore deflects.
Gabriel is openly hostile. He accuses Cassie of being a leech trying to cash in on the family, and asks whether any of the book money would go to his mother. Cassie admits she never considered it. She defends herself by saying Lore gave permission, but Gabriel isn't convinced. Brenda intervenes, herding the boys to bath time, and Gabriel leaves with a final warning: