Chapter 2 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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 Pepper Rafferty in her forensic anthropology lab, surrounded by cardboard boxes holding the skeletal remains of an archaic population. She is trying to focus on a more recent set of bones—those of a young woman found buried near a pond on the edge of town. Pepper has already determined the pelvis is female and the partial fusion of the clavicular epiphyses and open skull sutures place the victim between eighteen and twenty-five. She heard about Ula Frost’s disappearance on the radio that morning and is struggling to concentrate, worrying that she might miss something crucial.

Her colleague Jamie Marchand had earlier shared details over hot chocolate in the faculty lounge. The body was discovered by an elderly woman after a three-day storm, who spotted shreds of a pink sweatshirt and a rib jutting from the ground. Police also found a single silver, spider-shaped earring. The clothing matched that of a math major who had gone missing at the start of the fall semester while walking her calculus professor’s dog. The dog later turned up in the owner’s yard, missing its tail. Jamie mentioned that the boyfriend had been a suspect because he acted strangely, repeating a story about the victim’s poor sense of direction. Pepper notes rodent gnaw marks on the femurs and one humerus, and a suspicious skull fracture pattern, though she cannot determine if the trauma was perimortem or postmortem.

As she seals the remains into police-issue bags, her three graduate students arrive: Jeremiah, Naomi, and Janet. Jeremiah has red eyes and listens to jam bands but has excellent vision for spotting bone lesions. Naomi, who switched from cultural anthropology due to allergies, once talked gently to a burial while working late. Janet, Pepper’s favorite, is quiet, avoids personal talk, and hums while carefully wrapping every burial she catalogs. The students are helping Pepper catalog archaic-period skeletal remains from a Kentucky farm, which show signs of non-venereal syphilis. The collection is due to be repatriated in less than a month, and Pepper worries about the void that will remain once it is gone. She also reflects on her career: she never wanted to be a professor, and testifying in court as an expert triggers her imposter syndrome, which her husband Ike assures her will pass but hasn’t.

While preparing identification stations for her undergrad class, Pepper hears a knock. A young man in his midtwenties, wearing a button-down, purple Chucks, and hipster glasses, introduces himself as Scott Morrow from Ekphrasis. He wants to interview Pepper about Ula Frost’s disappearance. Pepper’s vision blurs, and she feels as if she needs a cool paper towel on her neck. She claims she wrote a paper on Frost’s work during her master’s, specifically on how different cultures interpret her art. She tries to dismiss Scott, but he persists, saying he’s in town for a few days. Jeremiah, curious, asks why Scott wants to talk to Pepper. Pepper cuts him off, then steps into the hall and firmly tells Scott she has no intention of answering any questions, will not talk to him, and orders him not to contact her again. She returns to the lab, closes the door harder than necessary, and stares at the words “Chain of Custody” on the evidence bags. She thinks again about parallel universes—versions of herself who are still working, who changed her name and moved to Mexico, or who are just bone fragments in a bag—and finds those alternatives more appealing than her current reality.

Key Events

Pepper examines the skeletal remains of a young woman, determining sex and age range.
Jamie Marchand shares details about the discovery: the body was found after a storm by an elderly woman, with a pink sweatshirt and a silver spider-shaped earring.
The victim is identified as a missing math major who disappeared while walking her professor’s dog.
Pepper’s three graduate students arrive to help catalog archaic remains from Kentucky.
Scott Morrow from Ekphrasis appears, asking to interview Pepper about Ula Frost.
Pepper claims she wrote a paper on Frost’s work but refuses to answer questions and sends Scott away.
Pepper returns to her work, thinking about parallel universes and her own dissatisfaction.

Character Development

Pepper Rafferty is portrayed as a meticulous scientist who is deeply affected by the case. Her worry about missing something, her imposter syndrome, and her tendency to escape into thoughts of parallel universes reveal a character who is both competent and insecure. Her reaction to Scott Morrow—the blurred vision, the need for a cool paper towel, the firm refusal—suggests a hidden connection to Ula Frost that she is desperate to conceal. Her interactions with her students show a softer side: she enjoys their enthusiasm for morbid topics and understands Janet’s instinct to avoid being seen.

The graduate students each have distinct personalities that highlight Pepper’s role as a mentor. Jeremiah’s curiosity about Frost, Naomi’s eagerness to read Pepper’s paper, and Janet’s rare personal disclosure about owning a Frost print all serve to deepen the mystery around Pepper’s past.

Scott Morrow is introduced as a persistent journalist who recognizes Pepper and is determined to interview her. His presence disrupts the lab’s peace and forces Pepper to confront something she has tried to bury.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Parallel Universes: Pepper repeatedly imagines alternate versions of herself—one with perfect posture and confidence, one who is still working, one who moved to Mexico. This motif serves as a coping mechanism for her dissatisfaction and anxiety, and it also hints at the novel’s larger exploration of multiverse theory.
Imposter Syndrome: Pepper’s fear of being exposed as a fraud, especially in court, is a recurring theme. She feels “so wrong” calling herself an expert, and this insecurity colors her professional life.
Avoidance and Concealment: Pepper’s refusal to talk to Scott, her lie about the paper, and her desire to “promptly forget about his existence” all point to a hidden past. She also avoids drawing attention to herself, a trait she says she learned early.
Mortality and Decomposition: The detailed description of the victim’s bones, the rodent gnaw marks, and the accelerated decomposition due to heat and soil acidity underscore the physical reality of death. Pepper’s work with archaic remains also connects to themes of impermanence and repatriation.
Chain of Custody: The phrase on the evidence bag symbolizes the need for control and order in a world that feels chaotic. Pepper’s fixation on it suggests her desire to maintain boundaries, both professionally and personally.
Art Interpretation Across Cultures: Pepper’s claimed paper on how different cultures interpret Ula Frost’s work introduces the idea that art—like identity—can be understood in multiple ways, a theme that may connect to the novel’s multiverse premise.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the central mystery of the novel: Pepper’s connection to Ula Frost. Her extreme reaction to Scott Morrow’s request for an interview, combined with her earlier thoughts about Frost’s disappearance, suggests that Pepper knows more than she is letting on. The chapter also deepens Pepper’s characterization, showing her as a capable scientist who is plagued by self-doubt and haunted by the possibility of other lives. The parallel universe motif is introduced here as a recurring narrative device, setting up the novel’s exploration of identity, choice, and the roads not taken. Additionally, the forensic details ground the story in realism, while the students’ interactions add warmth and humor to an otherwise tense scene.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Pepper react so strongly to Scott Morrow’s request for an interview?

Pepper’s physical reaction—blurred vision, the need for a cool paper towel—and her immediate refusal indicate that she has a personal, likely painful connection to Ula Frost. She claims she wrote a paper on Frost’s work, but her lie about bringing a copy to Naomi and her insistence on not answering questions suggest she is hiding something. The chapter implies that Pepper may have known Frost or been involved in her disappearance, though the details are not yet revealed.

2. How does the motif of parallel universes function in this chapter?

Pepper uses parallel universes as a way to escape her current dissatisfaction. She imagines versions of herself who are confident, who are still working uninterrupted, or who have completely changed their lives. These thoughts serve as a coping mechanism for her imposter syndrome and her anxiety about the Frost case. They also introduce the novel’s central speculative element, suggesting that alternate realities may be more than just a mental escape.

3. What does Pepper’s interaction with her graduate students reveal about her character?

Despite her desire to avoid attention, Pepper is a caring and engaged mentor. She appreciates her students’ quirks—Jeremiah’s vision, Naomi’s empathy, Janet’s quiet diligence—and enjoys teaching them. Her understanding of Janet’s instinct to avoid being seen shows that she recognizes her own tendencies in others. This warmth contrasts with her coldness toward Scott, highlighting that her defensiveness is specific to the topic of Ula Frost.