Chapter 13 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

Jenna drives north from New York City to Aylesford, using the long trip to think through what her parents' deaths mean for her future. She expects to receive a third of the estate, a sum large enough to buy a studio apartment on the Lower East Side, and she wonders how long the estate will take to settle and whether her current allowance will continue in the meantime.

Her thoughts turn to her siblings. She regards Dan as the weakest of the three, emotionally and mentally, and she speculates about whether their upbringing or something innate explains his fragility. She believes their father sabotaged Dan at every turn, while their mother was warm only intermittently and tended to detach herself whenever situations became difficult. Jenna reflects that all three children resented their father and that she is glad he is dead, even while acknowledging the awfulness of the way he and Sheila died.

She also recalls meeting Jake about three weeks earlier at an underground nightclub in the city. She had been drinking heavily and using Molly, and she danced topless after stripping off her T-shirt, drawing attention from the crowd. Jake, an artist who smelled of paint and turpentine, bought her a drink and eventually wrapped his leather jacket around her and took her home. Jenna admits to herself that she is a hedonist who likes to push boundaries.

Her memory then shifts to Sunday, when she and Jake stayed at her parents' house after the others had left. They had an argument, and afterward Jenna called Jake from his apartment, crying and claiming that her last words to her parents had been harsh and that she regretted them. She worked into the conversation that it would be best if nobody knew about the argument—that they should say they left right after everyone else and that Jake had been with her all night. Jake was supportive and told her not to worry.

Arriving at Dan's house in Aylesford, Jenna spots Catherine's car, Ted's car, Irena's old car, and—to her annoyance—her aunt Audrey's car. She walks in without knocking and finds the group gathered in the living room, clearly mid-conversation. Catherine, Ted, Dan, Lisa, and Irena all look strained or dismayed, while Audrey appears triumphant.

Catherine explains that Audrey was just telling them that Fred changed his will before he died. Audrey announces that Fred called her just over a week ago, asked her to come to the house, and told her he would change his will—leaving half his estate to Audrey and splitting the remainder among the three siblings. She adds that Sheila was present and did not like it, but that Sheila had already signed a postnup agreement years ago and could not prevent the change.

Dan and Jenna both reject the claim outright, accusing Audrey of making it up because she has always wanted Fred's money. Audrey privately seethes at being treated as an outsider and a poor relation, and she reflects that Fred could be cruel and that she, as his little sister, is probably the only person who truly understood him.

Catherine, as executor of the estates, says she will call the lawyer Walter to verify the wills, but she will not do it immediately—calling a lawyer just hours after the discovery of the bodies would look inappropriate. Audrey privately agrees that Catherine is right about the timing, but she also begins to look at the three siblings with new suspicion. The radio news suggested a violent robbery, but Audrey wonders whether one of them could be responsible for the murders, recalling a streak of psychopathy that has run through the Merton family. She decides she should be more careful.

Key Events

Jenna reflects on her inheritance and her siblings during the drive from New York City.
She recalls meeting Jake at a nightclub and the argument they had at her parents' house on Sunday.
She remembers asking Jake to claim they left together and that he was with her all night.
Jenna arrives at Dan's house to find the family gathered with Aunt Audrey.
Audrey announces that Fred changed his will the week before his death, leaving half his estate to her.
Dan and Jenna angrily reject Audrey's claim.
Catherine, as executor, says she will verify the wills with Walter but will wait out of concern for appearances.
Audrey privately begins to suspect that one of the siblings may have killed Fred and Sheila.

Character Development

Jenna emerges as calculating and self-interested. Her recollection of the alibi request shows she is actively managing her own narrative around the murders, and her hedonistic nightclub memory reinforces her willingness to push boundaries. Her hostility toward Audrey is immediate and undisguised.

Audrey is revealed as resentful and long-suffering, viewing herself as the family outsider who was never given credit for what she did for her brother. Her triumph at delivering the will news is barely concealed, and her shift toward suspicion of the siblings marks a turning point in how she sees them.

Catherine continues to embody conventionality and concern for appearances. Her decision to delay verifying the will—even though she doubts Audrey's claim—shows her instinct to protect the family's reputation above all.

Dan reacts with explosive anger, standing up and shouting at Audrey, which underscores Jenna's earlier assessment of him as the weakest and most volatile of the three.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Inheritance and greed: The chapter centers on the contest over Fred's estate, with Audrey's announcement immediately triggering hostility from Dan and Jenna. Their refusal to believe her is framed as much by greed as by genuine doubt.

Alibi construction: Jenna's memory of coaching Jake to say they left together and that he was with her all night introduces the motif of manufactured alibis, suggesting that at least one sibling is actively managing suspicion.

Family dysfunction and abuse: Jenna's reflections on her parents—her father's cruelty and sabotage, her mother's emotional detachment—paint a portrait of a household that failed its children, which contextualizes the siblings' adult behavior.

The family taint of psychopathy: Audrey's recollection of a streak of psychopathy in the Merton family introduces the idea that violence may be inherited, and it shifts her perception of the siblings from mere greed to potential murder.

Appearances and reputation: Catherine's refusal to call the lawyer immediately—because of how it would look—highlights the family's preoccupation with public perception even in the aftermath of murder.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal for two reasons. First, it introduces the contested will, which fundamentally changes the stakes of the inheritance dispute and gives Audrey a motive to be present and a reason to be suspected herself. Second, it reveals that Jenna has already begun constructing an alibi with Jake, making her a credible suspect in the reader's eyes. The chapter also deepens Audrey's characterization, transforming her from a peripheral figure into someone with both a financial stake in the outcome and a private suspicion of the siblings. The closing image of Audrey deciding to be more careful plants the seeds for future conflict and investigation.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does Jenna's recollection of the night she met Jake reveal about her character?

Jenna's memory of the nightclub—where she was drinking heavily, using Molly, and dancing topless—shows her hedonism and her enjoyment of pushing boundaries. Her attraction to Jake's brooding, artistic persona and her willingness to go home with him suggest impulsiveness, while her later manipulation of the alibi narrative reveals a more calculating side beneath the reckless exterior.

2. Why does Catherine refuse to call the lawyer Walter immediately, and what does this decision reveal about her priorities?

Catherine says she will verify the wills but will not do it right away because calling the lawyer just hours after the discovery of the bodies would look inappropriate. This decision reveals that Catherine prioritizes appearances and family reputation over the practical urgency of settling the estate, consistent with Jenna's earlier assessment of her as conventional and concerned with not rocking the boat.

3. How does Audrey's view of the siblings change over the course of the chapter?

Initially, Audrey sees the siblings as spoiled, entitled children who have always treated her as an outsider. After delivering the news about the will and observing their hostile reactions, she begins to consider the possibility that one of them could have murdered Fred and Sheila, recalling a streak of psychopathy in the Merton family. This shift transforms her from a resentful relative into a potential threat to the siblings' plans.