Chapter 28 Summary & 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
The chapter opens with Catherine confessing to Ted that she lied about the night of the murders. She reveals that on Easter Sunday, around 11:30 p.m., she went to her parents' house to talk to her mother. Finding the door unlocked, she entered and discovered her mother dead in the living room. Terrified and paralyzed, she then walked to the kitchen doorway and saw her father dead on the floor, a carving knife beside him.
Catherine explains that she didn't call 911 because she suspected her brother Dan. She believed Dan had come back that night, killed their parents, and she wanted to give him time to get away or clean up. Ted is shaken to his core, insisting that if Dan did this, he should go to jail. But Catherine pleads with him, saying Dan is her little brother and they have to protect him. Ted doesn't say it aloud, but he can't help thinking that Dan has done them all a favor.
Meanwhile, detectives Reyes and Barr approach the neighbors directly across the street from Catherine and Ted's house. The couple, who went to bed early on Easter Sunday, mention they have a porch cam that captures cars going up and down the street. Reviewing the footage, the detectives see Ted's car return at 7:21 p.m. and then Catherine's car backing out at 11:09 p.m., with Catherine alone in the driver's seat. Reyes concludes she's lying, and her husband is covering for her.
Back at her house, Catherine watches the detectives leave, realizing they must have seen her leave that night. She knows they now know she lied, and that Ted lied for her. She also realizes the detectives will check on Dan and Jenna too.
Dan, meanwhile, sees the detectives questioning his neighbors and panics. He tells Lisa, who looks out the window and understands the implications. Dan thinks about how everyone has an alibi but him.
The chapter closes with Ellen Cutter drawing a bath, reflecting on Audrey's visit. Audrey had spoken wildly about Fred's children killing him and Sheila, but Ellen dismisses this as over the top. Still, she feels a little schadenfreude at Audrey's disappointment about not inheriting a fortune.
Key Events
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Catherine confesses to Ted that she discovered her parents' bodies on Easter Sunday night
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She admits she didn't call 911 because she suspected Dan and wanted to protect him
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Ted is horrified but privately thinks Dan has done them all a favor
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Reyes and Barr obtain porch-cam footage showing Catherine leaving at 11:09 p.m. alone
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Reyes concludes Catherine lied and Ted is covering for her
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Catherine realizes the detectives know the truth
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Dan panics as detectives question his neighbors
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Ellen Cutter feels schadenfreude about Audrey's disappointment
Character Development
Catherine — This chapter reveals the depth of her deception. She not only lied to the police but to her own husband, going to bed as if nothing had happened after discovering her parents' bodies. Her loyalty to Dan overrides her horror at the crime, though her guilt and fear are evident.
Ted — Ted's reaction shows his moral compass—he insists Dan should face justice—but his unspoken thought that Dan has done them all a favor reveals his own complicated feelings about his in-laws.
Dan — Dan's panic escalates as the investigation closes in. His fear that someone on his street has cameras shows his awareness that his alibi is weak.
Reyes and Barr — The detectives make a breakthrough through surveillance, catching Catherine in a lie and suspecting Ted of covering for her.
Ellen Cutter — Her brief scene shows her petty satisfaction at Audrey's misfortune, contrasting with the gravity of the murder investigation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Deception and Cover-up — Catherine's confession to Ted reveals the layers of lies surrounding the murders. She lied to the police, to her husband, and to herself about her motives.
Family Loyalty vs. Justice — Catherine's choice to protect Dan despite suspecting him of murder highlights the tension between family bonds and moral obligation.
Surveillance and Alibis — The porch-cam footage is a turning point, showing how modern surveillance can unravel carefully constructed alibis.
Fear of Discovery — Both Catherine and Dan experience the terror of being caught, their panic mounting as the detectives close in.
Schadenfreude — Ellen's satisfaction at Audrey's disappointment provides a darkly comic counterpoint to the murder investigation.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the investigation. The porch-cam footage gives the detectives their first concrete evidence that Catherine lied about her whereabouts on the night of the murders. Her confession to Ted also deepens the reader's understanding of her character and her complicated relationship with her brother. The chapter also raises the stakes for Dan, whose alibi is now under scrutiny.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why did Catherine choose not to call 911 after discovering her parents' bodies?
Catherine didn't call 911 because she suspected her brother Dan had committed the murders. She wanted to give him time to get away or clean up, believing he couldn't have been thinking straight. Her loyalty to her brother overrode her duty to report the crime.
2. What evidence do the detectives obtain in this chapter, and what does it reveal?
The detectives obtain porch-cam footage from the neighbors across the street. The footage shows Ted's car arriving at 7:21 p.m. and Catherine's car leaving at 11:09 p.m., with Catherine alone in the driver's seat. This contradicts Catherine's claim that she stayed home that night, leading Reyes to conclude she lied and Ted is covering for her.
3. How does Ellen Cutter's reaction to Audrey's visit contrast with the gravity of the murder investigation?
Ellen dismisses Audrey's theory about Fred's children as over the top and feels schadenfreude at Audrey's disappointment about not inheriting a fortune. Her petty satisfaction contrasts sharply with the seriousness of the double murder investigation, highlighting how the characters' personal grievances and jealousies continue to simmer beneath the surface.
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