Chapter 34 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ 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

Justin cannot sleep after leaving Lisa Buchanon’s house. She whispered two things to him: Call me tonight. After midnight. and I think I can help find your daughter. The words rattle him, and he paces the hotel room, holding her phone number in his pocket. He knows Tess is aware he is keeping something from her, but he decides to wait until midnight before acting on Lisa’s offer.

Tess, in the adjoining room, invites him in. She has already poured two glasses of bourbon and has a plastic baggie of white oval pills on the table—pills she took from her father’s medicine cabinet. Justin is disappointed but does not argue; he remembers how hard it was to help her stop taking pills years ago. She promises to be careful, and they drink together.

Tess then shares a memory that surfaced after visiting Burt Lobell’s house. A babysitter once described a game Pritchard played called Now You See Me, Now You Don’t. He would turn off all the lights, shine a flashlight under his chin, and say the phrase as he turned the light on and off, then hide elsewhere. Tess insists that Pritchard’s people have Julia, even though Pritchard himself is dead.

She also explains the painted eyes on Burt Lobell’s bedroom wall. Justin assumed they pointed to Lobell’s medal of honor on the vanity, but Tess says the eyes led her to the mirror. She saw her own reflection and understood the warning: she was in danger. When Justin asks why, she confesses that she was the one who tipped off the police and her father about Pritchard when she was thirteen.

Tess recounts how she had been snooping in her father’s and Burt’s files, then rode her bike to Pritchard’s house and did a six-hour stakeout from a tree. She knocked on his door, pretended to be lost, and asked for a throwaway cup. He gave her a plastic cup of water, which she later saved in a baggie. His fingerprints from that cup matched prints lifted from the scene where one of the victims, Tom Dobbins, was last seen. Her father did not know whether to hug her or ground her—he did both.

Tess says some of this memory came back when she entered the house, but the rest she had always believed was a nightmare. She drifts to sleep, and Justin holds her, reflecting on his past infidelity and hating himself for the excuses he once made. Just after midnight, he slides out of bed, flushes most of the pills down the toilet, leaves a small amount, and quietly leaves the room to call Lisa Buchanon.

Key Events

Lisa Buchanon whispers to Justin that she can help find Julia and tells him to call after midnight.
Tess invites Justin into her room; they drink bourbon, and she reveals she took pills from her father’s cabinet.
Tess describes Pritchard’s Now You See Me, Now You Don’t flashlight game and insists his people have Julia.
Tess explains that the painted eyes in Burt Lobell’s bedroom pointed to the mirror, warning her she was in danger.
Tess confesses that at thirteen she investigated Pritchard herself, obtained a cup with his fingerprints, and tipped off the police.
The fingerprints matched those from the scene where Tom Dobbins, one of the basement victims, was last seen.
Tess falls asleep; Justin holds her, reflects on his infidelity, and then flushes most of the pills.
Justin leaves the hotel room to call Lisa Buchanon just after midnight.

Character Development

Justin is torn between his duty to his wife and his desperate need to find Julia. He hides Lisa’s offer from Tess, even though he knows she senses it. His internal monologue reveals deep guilt over a past affair, and he now sees himself as the sole cause of that betrayal. His decision to flush the pills shows a protective instinct, but also a calculated one—he leaves enough for Tess to manage her withdrawal without risking an overdose. His final action, leaving to call Lisa, prioritizes the search for his daughter over marital transparency.

Tess emerges as a more complex figure. Her drug use is a coping mechanism, but her confession about the past reveals a brave, resourceful thirteen-year-old who took a huge risk to help catch a killer. She has carried this memory as a nightmare, and only now, under the influence of bourbon and pills, does she allow it to surface. Her insistence that Pritchard’s people have Julia shows she is still engaged in the investigation, even as she struggles with her own demons.

The chapter deepens the relationship between Justin and Tess. They share a moment of physical closeness that echoes their past, but it is overshadowed by secrets. Justin whispers for forgiveness for what he has done and what he is about to do, signaling that the trust between them is fragile.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Secrets and deception: Justin hides Lisa’s offer; Tess hides her pill use and her past investigation. The door between their rooms is a literal barrier between their secrets.
Substance abuse and addiction: Tess’s pills and the bourbon are coping mechanisms. Justin’s decision to flush most of the pills shows his awareness of her vulnerability.
Repressed memory recovery: Tess’s confession emerges only after visiting the house and drinking. The memory of her thirteen-year-old investigation had been buried as a nightmare.
The painted eyes as a warning: The eyes on Burt Lobell’s wall are not just a clue about the medal of honor; they are a personal warning to Tess, pointing her to the mirror and her own reflection.
The flashlight game: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t symbolizes Pritchard’s ability to appear and disappear, to hide in plain sight. It also foreshadows the theme of hidden identities.
Betrayal and guilt: Justin’s infidelity and his current deception weigh on him. Tess’s past betrayal of Pritchard (tipping off the police) is also a form of betrayal, though justified.
Parental desperation: Justin’s willingness to keep secrets and act alone underscores his desperation to find Julia.
Evidence gathering and investigation: Tess’s childhood stakeout and fingerprint collection mirror the adult investigation, showing that the search for truth has deep roots.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for both the plot and the characters. Tess’s confession provides a crucial link to the past—her fingerprints from the cup matched a victim’s case, confirming Pritchard’s guilt and giving the investigation a new layer. It also explains why Tess feels personally targeted: she was the one who helped expose Pritchard, and now his people may be after her.

The chapter also sets up a major decision for Justin. He chooses to follow Lisa’s lead without telling Tess, which will likely create conflict in the next chapter. The act of flushing the pills shows his concern for Tess, but his departure to call Lisa shows his priority is Julia. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, with Justin about to make a call that could change everything.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Tess keep her past investigation a secret from Justin until now?

Tess says she had always thought the memory was a nightmare. She only began to recall it after entering Burt Lobell’s house, and even then, it took the combination of bourbon and pills to bring it fully to the surface. She also may have feared judgment or wanted to protect herself from reliving the trauma.

2. What does the painted eyes symbol mean for Tess specifically?

Justin initially interprets the eyes as pointing to Lobell’s medal of honor on the vanity. Tess corrects him: the eyes led her to the mirror, where she saw her own reflection. She understands this as a warning that she herself is in danger, not just a clue about the medal.

3. How does Justin’s decision to flush the pills reflect his character at this moment?

Justin flushes most of the pills but leaves a small amount. This shows he is trying to protect Tess from overdose while also acknowledging she may need some to manage withdrawal. It is a calculated, protective act, but it also happens while he is about to betray her trust by calling Lisa without telling her. The action reveals his conflicted priorities.