Chapter 60: 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.

Summary

The chapter opens on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 — two days before Naomi’s death. Naomi runs across campus in pouring rain, convinced that Marta possesses something that ties together the leaked emails, DuPont’s strange reaction, and the payments made to her afterward. Naomi believes this evidence could send everyone involved to prison.

Naomi wrestles with questions: What exactly does Marta have? If DuPont knew it existed, wouldn’t he have made her destroy it? If she is loyal to DuPont, why has she kept it for all these years? Naomi reflects that Marta always worked quietly in the corners of Sterling, frowning as she swept and dusted, making it impossible to tell whose side she was on.

Naomi steps out of the rain into McCosh Hall, where Professor Williams’s office is located. She knocks, and Williams opens the door a crack, peering out from a dimly lit space, surprised to see Naomi. Naomi asks for a favor and takes a seat across from Williams’s desk.

Naomi brings up Lila Jones — a name Amy had mentioned months earlier. Williams’s face falls into a look of concern, and she warns Naomi to be careful about whom she asks about that matter. Naomi insists they cannot let this go on, that if they do not do something now, it will never end and could happen again. She tells Williams about the plan to talk to Marta. Though Williams is clearly scared, she agrees to help.

As Naomi leaves, Williams stops her, gripping her elbow tightly and urging her to be careful.

The rain is falling harder when Naomi steps out of McCosh Hall. She opens her umbrella and walks onto the slick sidewalk. Halfway to her dorm, she notices movement out of the corner of her eye — someone in a dark coat slips behind the side of a building, out of sight. Unnerved, she walks faster. Crossing the wet grass, she hears footsteps behind her, hard soles barely perceptible over the rain. Panic floods her system. The footsteps grow louder and closer until they are right behind her. She spins around, ready to react — but there is no one there.

Key Events

Naomi runs across campus in heavy rain, convinced Marta holds evidence connecting the leaked emails, DuPont’s reaction, and the payments to her
Naomi questions why Marta would keep such material for years if she were loyal to DuPont
Naomi visits Professor Williams in McCosh Hall and asks about Lila Jones, a name Amy had mentioned months earlier
Williams warns Naomi to be careful about whom she asks about Lila Jones
Naomi shares the plan to approach Marta; Williams, though frightened, agrees to help
Williams grips Naomi’s elbow and urges her to be careful as she leaves
Walking back in heavier rain, Naomi spots someone in a dark coat slipping behind a building
Naomi hears footsteps behind her, walks faster, spins around — but finds no one

Character Development

Naomi — This chapter shows Naomi at her most determined and most vulnerable. She has pieced together a theory connecting Marta, the leaked emails, DuPont, and the payments, and she is willing to act on it despite the risk. Her decision to seek out Professor Williams shows she is strategic about whom she trusts, and her insistence that “it could happen again” reveals a sense of moral urgency — she sees stopping this as necessary to break a cycle. The final scene, where she is followed and finds no one, underscores how isolated and exposed she is.

Professor Williams — Williams is cautious and clearly afraid. Her warning to Naomi — to be careful who she asks about Lila Jones — suggests she knows more than she has shared and that the subject is dangerous. Despite her fear, she agrees to help, showing a quiet courage. Her physical gesture of gripping Naomi’s elbow adds a personal, almost maternal weight to her warning.

Marta — Though Marta does not appear directly in this chapter, Naomi’s reflections characterize her as an enigma. She worked quietly in the corners of Sterling, frowning as she swept and dusted, and it was impossible to tell whose side she was on. This ambiguity is central to the chapter’s tension.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Secrecy and trust — The chapter is built around what people know and whom they can trust. Naomi trusts Williams enough to ask about Lila Jones, while Williams warns her that asking the wrong person could be dangerous. Marta’s loyalty is unknowable, and the hidden evidence she may hold is the chapter’s central secret.

Surveillance and pursuit — The final scene, with the figure in the dark coat and the footsteps that vanish when Naomi turns, suggests Naomi is being watched or followed. The unseen presence creates a sense of paranoia and danger.

The cycle of harm — Naomi’s line about “it could happen again” frames the cover-up not as a single event but as a repeating pattern that must be broken. This gives the chapter’s action moral weight.

Rain — The rain is a persistent presence, intensifying from a downpour to a harder storm as the chapter progresses. It mirrors the rising tension and isolates Naomi, making the pursuit more menacing.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it takes place two days before Naomi’s death, making it part of the final sequence of events that leads to the novel’s central tragedy. It establishes that Naomi has identified Marta as holding key evidence, that she has enlisted Professor Williams’s help, and that she is being followed — all of which raises the stakes for what comes next. The chapter also deepens the mystery around Lila Jones, whose connection to Williams and to the larger cover-up remains unexplained. The final image of Naomi spinning around to find no one is a chilling reminder of how vulnerable she is.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Naomi believe Marta holds evidence, and what questions does she have about it?

Naomi believes Marta possesses something that connects the leaked emails, DuPont’s strange reaction, and the payments made to her afterward — evidence that could send everyone involved to prison. Naomi questions what exactly Marta has, why DuPont would not have made her destroy it if he knew it existed, and why Marta would keep it for years if she were loyal to him.

2. What does Professor Williams’s reaction to the name Lila Jones reveal?

Williams’s face falls into a look of concern, and she warns Naomi to be careful about whom she asks about that matter. This suggests the subject is dangerous and that Williams knows more than she is willing to say. Despite her fear, she agrees to help Naomi with the plan to approach Marta, showing that she is willing to take a risk.

3. How does the chapter’s final scene create tension?

After leaving McCosh Hall, Naomi notices someone in a dark coat slipping behind a building. She hears footsteps behind her that grow louder and closer, but when she spins around, there is no one there. The unseen presence, combined with the heavy rain that masks sound, creates a sense of paranoia and suggests Naomi is being followed — a danger she cannot see or confront.