Chapter 17 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

Sariyah drags Malcolm along the sidewalk toward Ms. Jasmine's duplex, determined to follow through on their mothers' request to check on Deja's mother. Malcolm resists, reminding Sariyah that Ms. Jasmine had snapped at them at the police station. Sariyah pushes back, admitting that the things Ms. Jasmine said that day were not wrong—she did leave Deja by herself at the festival. The conversation turns to whether Ms. Jasmine even remembers yelling at them. Sariyah predicts that Ms. Jasmine will not apologize; her generation, Sariyah says, feeds you and acts like nothing happened. Malcolm reluctantly agrees, and they continue on.

Ms. Jasmine opens the door before they reach the step. The house is dark, with heavy burgundy drapes drawn and lamps shrouded—a stark contrast to the night Deja disappeared. The house itself seems to grieve. Ms. Jasmine leads them to the dining room, where Styrofoam containers of takeout chicken wings sit on top of the smiley face plastic bags they came in. Malcolm struggles to hold in his laughter at the sight. Sariyah digs a sealed tube of cherry lip balm from her Santa Bag—her collection of need-fulfillment items—and Malcolm takes it, tossing it into a glass bowl filled with keys, pens, and coins. He tells Sariyah that if his lips are dry or his hands are ashy, she should tell him straight; you can have empathy and still be honest with people.

Ms. Jasmine returns, looking smaller than usual, with a rash on her cheek. She clears her throat, preparing what Sariyah recognizes as her non-apology. She tells them they are Deja's best friends, that Deja always talked about them. She acknowledges Malcolm has been through loss before, which stings Sariyah, who also loved Tessa and lost her too. Ms. Jasmine asks them to keep spreading the word about Deja and then reveals her real request: she wants help raising money to hire a private investigator. The police, she says, are overworked and have a dozen cases exactly like Deja's. Sariyah notices Ms. Jasmine's twitching fingers, her scalp scratching, and senses a fresh need for painkillers.

The front door squeaks open and heavy boots clunk across the floor. Derrick, Deja's stepfather, appears in the doorframe—a tall man in a dirty white tank top. He is immediately hostile, questioning why Sariyah and Malcolm are there. He drapes his belt over a chair and makes pointed comments about the music festival Deja attended, implying it was the kind of event with smoking and drinking. Ms. Jasmine tries to deflect, but Derrick continues, suggesting she would have gotten herself a ticket too. He asks whether Ms. Jasmine has asked them for money yet, then leaves the room without acknowledging her response. Ms. Jasmine forces a smile and insists Derrick loves Deja like his own and is taking this hard.

Malcolm asks about the detectives. Ms. Jasmine repeats the same line they keep giving her: they are doing everything they can, but there have been no developments. A few people have been brought in for questioning, but it has all come to nothing. Sariyah decides she will help raise funds, but until then, she will do her own investigating. She asks to use the restroom. Ms. Jasmine points upstairs.

At the top of the stairs, Sariyah passes the cracked bathroom door and instead gently pushes open Deja's bedroom door. The room smells like Deja, and Sariyah hates herself for wondering how long the scent will last. The room is small and messy, but not in the way she would expect after a police search. She pokes around without knowing what she is looking for. A red envelope peeks out from between Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Great Gatsby. Inside is a Valentine's Day card that reads: YOU'RE EVERYTHING I WANT AND NEED. COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TILL WE'RE TOGETHER. FOREVER, J.

Sariyah considers possible J's—Jude, Josiah, two Jays from East Lake—but rules them all out. She slips the card into her purse, planning to cross-reference it with her yearbook later. As she reaches for the door, her breath catches: there is a chain lock on it. She runs her fingers over the tarnished metal. She gave this lock to Deja, found at an abandoned construction site. She had laughed when she passed it off, unsure what Deja would do with it. Now she realizes it looks like Deja was afraid—or had something to hide. The police came here; they saw this. Sariyah tests the lock; it works fine. She gives the room another once-over, now positive there was something going on in Deja's life that she never shared.

Key Events

• Sariyah convinces Malcolm to join her for dinner at Ms. Jasmine's house.

• Ms. Jasmine serves takeout chicken wings and delivers a non-apology, then asks for help raising money for a private investigator.

• Derrick, Deja's stepfather, arrives and treats Sariyah and Malcolm with open hostility.

• Sariyah sneaks into Deja's bedroom under the pretense of using the restroom.

• She finds a Valentine's Day card signed only