Chapter 22: Naomi — 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.
⚠️ This summary and analysis contain major plot details from Society of Lies, including revelations about Lila Jones's death and the Greystone Society's secrets. If you haven't finished the book, proceed with caution.
Summary
In November 2022, six months before her own death, Naomi spends Thanksgiving break alone in her dorm with her roommate Amy. The campus is cold, and the two order take-out pho and boba, planning to watch Get Out. But Naomi is distracted by Amy's recent behavior—her jumpiness, withdrawal from social activities, and refusal to discuss the break-in that occurred earlier. Naomi presses Amy, but Amy deflects, insisting she's fine.
Midway through the movie, Amy abruptly asks what Naomi thinks of Professor DuPont. Naomi says she barely knows him. Amy then reveals that her supposed article on water quality was a cover. She has been investigating DuPont after finding emails he sent to Theodore Hunt about the Greystone Society—emails that the Times ignored because they seemed irrelevant to the financial crimes. Amy has been digging into the society ever since, and she knows Naomi is a member. Naomi feels betrayed that Amy lied about her research topic, but Amy insists her questions were not aimed at Naomi.
Amy tells Naomi about Lila Jones, a Greystone member who died during a 2012 Society ski trip. The official story was that Lila got lost in a snowstorm and died of hypothermia, but Amy has uncovered suspicious details. Lila had been suing a Society member for assault, but the case was dropped days before her death. Amy contacted Lila's brother, who believes her death was not an accident. Naomi is shaken—she recognizes Lila's name. She recalls overhearing her sister Maya and her friends in Greenwich, the summer after Lila's death, whispering in fear and swearing to remember that Lila left on her own, that it was an accident, and that they would never speak of it again.
Amy theorizes that Lila and Professor DuPont were having an affair. She notes that DuPont's wife filed for divorce just months after the ski trip, and that DuPont has been divorced twice due to his affairs. Amy also found the police report, which claims Lila died of hypothermia but places her miles from the cabin—why was she out there alone? Naomi asks about the statute of limitations, but Amy replies that murder has none.
Key Events
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Amy's secret investigation is revealed: she has been looking into Professor DuPont and the Greystone Society, not water quality.
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Amy discloses that she knows Naomi is a Greystone member, causing tension between them.
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Amy recounts Lila Jones's death in 2012, officially ruled an accident, and the dropped assault lawsuit days before.
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Amy reveals she contacted Lila's brother, who suspects foul play.
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Naomi recalls overhearing her sister Maya and friends in Greenwich swearing to keep silent about Lila's death.
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Amy presents her theory of an affair between Lila and DuPont, supported by his divorce timeline.
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Amy states that murder has no statute of limitations, implying the case is still open.
Character Development
Naomi is caught between loyalty to her sister and the Greystone Society and her growing concern for Amy's safety. She feels betrayed by Amy's deception but also fears for Amy's life. Her memory of the Greenwich conversation reveals a deep internal conflict: she has known about Lila's suspicious death for years but never acted on it. This chapter shows Naomi's passivity and her struggle to reconcile her family's secrets with her own moral compass.
Amy emerges as a determined truth-seeker, willing to risk her safety to uncover what happened to Lila. She is scared—her eyes are huge, she blinks rapidly—but her determination overrides her fear. She challenges Naomi's complacency by pointing out that belonging to Greystone is itself dangerous. Amy's investigative skills are sharp; she has pieced together evidence from emails, police reports, and personal contacts.
Maya (though not present) is indirectly developed through Naomi's memory. She is part of the group that swore to keep Lila's death a secret, suggesting she is complicit in the cover-up. This adds a layer of betrayal for Naomi, who must now question her sister's integrity.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Cover-up and corruption: The Greystone Society's handling of Lila's death—the dropped lawsuit, the official accident ruling, and the oath of silence—illustrates how elite institutions protect their own.
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Danger of truth-seeking: Amy's investigation puts her at risk, and Naomi's fear for her safety underscores the threat that comes with uncovering secrets.
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Betrayal and deception: Amy lied to Naomi about her research, and Naomi feels betrayed. The society's oath of silence is itself a form of betrayal of justice.
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Oath of silence: The memory of Maya and her friends swearing never to speak of Lila's death symbolizes the society's code of secrecy.
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Affair as motive: Amy's theory that Lila and DuPont were having an affair provides a potential motive for murder, linking personal scandal to institutional cover-up.
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Accident vs. murder: The chapter contrasts the official narrative with the brother's belief, highlighting the theme of hidden truth.
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Statute of limitations: Amy's final line—that murder has none—emphasizes that justice is not time-bound, keeping the mystery alive.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal because it reveals the central mystery that drives the novel: the suspicious death of Lila Jones and the Greystone Society's role in covering it up. It connects Naomi's past to the present, showing that she has been aware of the secret for years. The revelation that Amy is investigating DuPont and that Naomi's sister was involved in the cover-up raises the stakes for Naomi, forcing her to choose between family loyalty and the truth. The chapter also establishes Amy as a potential victim—her determination to uncover the truth puts her in danger, which may explain her later fate. The final line about murder having no statute of limitations sets up the ongoing investigation and the novel's climax.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Naomi feel betrayed by Amy's revelation about her investigation?
Naomi feels betrayed because Amy lied about working on a water quality story. Amy had been asking seemingly innocent questions about Naomi's whereabouts and activities, which now seem like part of her investigation. Naomi trusted Amy, and the deception makes her question their friendship.
2. What evidence does Amy present to support her theory that Lila's death was not an accident?
Amy presents several pieces of evidence: Lila was suing a Society member for assault, but the case was dropped days before her death; Lila's brother believes she was killed; the police report claims hypothermia but places Lila miles from the cabin; and Professor DuPont's wife filed for divorce shortly after the ski trip, suggesting an affair.
3. How does Naomi's memory of the Greenwich conversation complicate her reaction to Amy's story?
Naomi's memory reveals that she overheard her sister Maya and her friends swearing to remember that Lila left on her own and that it was an accident. This means Naomi has known about the cover-up for years but never acted on it. It complicates her reaction because she is now forced to confront her own complicity through silence and her sister's involvement, making her feel guilty and conflicted about what to do next.
Navigation
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