Chapter 10: August Unravels the Mystery of Jane on the Q Train

⚠️ 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

August returns to the apartment at five in the morning after spending the night with Jane, and Niko immediately greets her with a knowing question about whether she is sleeping with Jane. Embarrassed, August deflects, but Niko and Myla tease her warmly about the relationship. Myla jokes about the logistics of intimacy with someone who may not be fully corporeal, and the conversation turns to a lighthearted debate about virginity as a social construct. August admits she does not feel different after the experience, and Niko and Myla reassure her that the concept itself is rooted in outdated, exclusionary ideas.

While searching her bag for a ponytail holder, August discovers a pack of batteries she does not remember packing. She texts Jane and asks her to check the battery compartment on her radio. Jane confirms there are no batteries inside, and neither her radio nor her cassette player has ever needed them. August realizes the significance: Jane's devices have been running on something other than conventional power. She shares this discovery with Myla, who theorizes that August's attraction to Jane creates an electrical feedback loop that keeps Jane anchored to the train line. Myla suggests that the connection between them is literally what is holding Jane together in the present.

Myla and August discuss what might have triggered Jane's initial lock onto the line. August recalls that when she first met Jane, she had spilled coffee on herself and Jane gave her a scarf. She remembers a static shock when their hands brushed, and she also remembers that Jane said she smelled like pancakes. Myla points out that Billy's, where Jane used to work, has a very particular smell, and suggests that the scent may have triggered a sense memory in Jane. Myla proposes that if they can figure out exactly how Jane's energy became tied to the line, they might be able to re-create the event and undo it, potentially sending Jane back to the 1970s or, possibly, anchoring her permanently in the present.

August is overwhelmed by the implications. She has been avoiding Jane for a few days, partly because she is unsure how to approach their new intimacy. On her way to the Q line, she sees the notice that the line is closing in September. She realizes she could lose Jane forever, either to the closure or to the 1970s if they succeed in freeing her. When she finally sees Jane on the train, Jane pulls her down onto her lap, and they talk about the case. August explains the feedback loop theory and the possibility of re-creating the original event. Jane is characteristically laid-back about the stakes, and the conversation becomes increasingly intimate as Jane touches her under her skirt. August struggles to focus on the case while Jane distracts her, and they agree that August will break into the back office at Billy's to look for records.

Over the following weeks, August and Jane grow closer. They spend time together on the train, and Jane tells August stories about what their lives might have been like if August had lived in the 1970s. August keeps a notebook of ideas for their future encounters, and she buys Jane a new phone so they can exchange photos. August picks the lock on the back office at Billy's, which has not been used since 2008, and turns it into a secondary workspace. She finds Jane's 1976 job application and, using Jane's real name, locates her birth certificate, which dates her to May 28, 1953. Since Jane knows she is twenty-four, they narrow the timeframe of the event that got her stuck to between summer 1977 and summer 1978. August creates a timeline of Jane's life and posts copies in her room and in the office.

On the Fourth of July, the friends attend Delilah's Christmas in July celebration for Niko's birthday. Jane cannot join them, but she kisses August goodbye at the subway stop and texts her a picture of fireworks from the Manhattan Bridge. At Delilah's, August is struck by the vibrant, inclusive queer community. She sees Wes's awkwardness around Isaiah, who is performing, and she tries to comfort him with a story about a defensive frog. During Isaiah's performance, which involves a dramatic costume reveal in the rain, August is overwhelmed by the thought of how much Jane would love this place and these people. She realizes, with sudden clarity, that she wants Jane to stay permanently. She wants to solve the case not to send Jane back to the 1970s, but to keep her in the present, in August's life, forever.

Key Events

August returns home after sleeping with Jane and is teased by Niko and Myla.
August discovers batteries in her bag and realizes Jane's radio and cassette player operate without them.
Myla theorizes that August's attraction to Jane creates an electrical feedback loop that keeps Jane anchored to the train line.
Myla and August discuss possible triggers for Jane's connection, including a static shock and the smell of pancakes from Billy's.
Myla suggests that re-creating the original event could free Jane, either returning her to the 1970s or anchoring her permanently in the present.
August sees the Q line's September closing notice and realizes she could lose Jane.
August visits Jane on the train, shares the theories, and they become intimate while discussing the case.
August breaks into Billy's back office and finds Jane's 1976 job application and birth certificate, narrowing the event to 1977–1978.
On July 4th, the friends attend Delilah's Christmas in July celebration without Jane.
During Isaiah's performance, August realizes she wants Jane to stay permanently.

Character Development

August undergoes significant emotional growth in this chapter. She begins by feeling uncertain about her new intimacy with Jane, unsure how to navigate the shift in their relationship. Her instinct is to compartmentalize and focus on the case, but she is repeatedly pulled back to her feelings. By the end of the chapter, she moves from wanting to solve the case to get Jane back to her own time to wanting Jane to stay with her. This is a major turning point for August, who has spent much of the book protecting herself emotionally. Her realization at Delilah's is a moment of vulnerability and honesty with herself.

Jane remains outwardly carefree, treating the stakes of her situation with lightness. She tells August she is here for a good time, not a long time, and she seems to accept the possibility of returning to the 1970s. However, her actions suggest deeper feelings. She kisses August goodbye at the subway stop, texts her from the Manhattan Bridge, and shares intimate stories about her past. Jane's willingness to engage with August's theories, even while joking, shows that she trusts August with the mystery of her existence.

Myla emerges as a key figure in the investigation. Her theory about the feedback loop is the first plausible explanation for Jane's condition, and her suggestion that they might be able to re-create the event gives August a concrete goal. Myla's support is both practical and emotional, and her belief in the possibility of a permanent solution plants the seed for August's eventual realization.

Wes is shown in a vulnerable light at Delilah's. His awkwardness around Isaiah, whom he slept with after the Easter party, reveals his fear of intimacy and abandonment. August recognizes this in him because she shares the same tendency toward emotional self-protection. Their conversation about the horror frog is a subtle moment of connection between two characters who often deflect with humor.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Electricity as connection is the central motif of this chapter. Myla's theory that August's attraction to Jane creates a literal electrical feedback loop makes the emotional connection between them physical and tangible. The static shock August remembers from their first meeting becomes a symbol of the spark that brought Jane into focus.

Sense memory is introduced as a possible explanation for Jane's connection to the train line. The smell of pancakes from Billy's, a place Jane recognized, may have triggered her lock onto the present. This motif ties memory to the body and suggests that the past is never fully gone.

Found family is celebrated throughout the chapter, particularly at Delilah's. The queer community there is depicted as a safe space where people of all identities are welcomed and loved. August's realization that she wants Jane to be part of this family is a key emotional beat.

Impending loss hangs over the chapter. The Q line's September closing notice is a constant reminder that August may lose Jane, whether to the closure or to the 1970s. This deadline creates urgency and forces August to confront her feelings.

Love versus letting go is the chapter's central tension. August has promised herself and Jane that she is working to send Jane back to her own time, but she gradually realizes she wants the opposite. Her internal conflict comes to a head at Delilah's, where she finally admits she wants Jane to stay.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel because it reframes the central mystery. Myla's feedback loop theory gives August a concrete path forward, transforming the investigation from a vague search for answers into a specific plan. The discovery of Jane's birth certificate and the narrowing of the timeframe to 1977–1978 provide tangible progress.

More importantly, this chapter marks August's emotional breakthrough. Her realization that she wants Jane to stay permanently changes the stakes of the entire story. She is no longer working to send Jane back to her own time; she is working to keep her. This shift sets up the central conflict for the rest of the novel: can August find a way to free Jane without losing her?

The chapter also deepens the theme of found family. The scene at Delilah's shows August fully embracing the queer community she has found in New York, and it makes her desire to include Jane in that community all the more powerful. The contrast between Jane's 1970s drag shows and the modern celebration highlights the intergenerational history of queer resilience.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What is Myla's theory about why Jane is anchored to the train line, and what evidence supports it?

Myla theorizes that August's attraction to Jane creates an electrical feedback loop that keeps Jane anchored to the train line. The evidence includes the discovery that Jane's radio and cassette player operate without batteries, the way the train's lights react to Jane's emotions, and the static shock August remembers from their first meeting. Myla suggests that the attraction between them is a literal spark that pieces Jane back together in the present.

2. How does August's goal change over the course of this chapter?

At the start of the chapter, August is focused on solving the case to get Jane back to the 1970s, where she belongs. She even tells Jane this is her plan. However, after spending more time with Jane and attending the Christmas in July celebration at Delilah's, August realizes she wants Jane to stay permanently. She wants to solve the case not to send Jane back, but to keep her in the present.

3. What role does the setting of Delilah's play in August's emotional realization?

Delilah's represents the vibrant, inclusive queer community that August has found in New York. Seeing the celebration and imagining how much Jane would love it makes August realize she wants Jane to be part of this world. The setting highlights the theme of found family and gives August a concrete vision of the life she wants with Jane.