Chapter 62: 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 Thursday, May 25, 2023—one day before Naomi's death—with Naomi packing a suitcase in her room. She's still shaken by her bout of paranoia on the lawn, and the stress is clearly taking a toll. Ben has offered to let her stay at his uncle's place in the city, and she's preparing to leave. She had been counting on Marta to come through with help, but Marta apparently got scared and backed out.

As she's about to leave, her phone rings. It's Liam—their first contact since he showed up drunk at her door the previous week. Despite her instinct to ignore the call, she answers, feeling sick and tense with anger. She immediately asks if Matthew wants to know where she is, showing her distrust. Liam's voice is strange and urgent. He asks where she is, whether she's home, and warns her that others know everything and are coming for her. He says he'll be there within a minute.

Naomi hangs up. The fear in his voice makes her heart race, but the panic gives way to anger. She'd trusted him with everything, and he'd lied to her. He said he loved her, and that too was a lie. She decides she's not safe and needs to leave immediately.

Rushing toward the front door, she runs into Zee in the hallway, who's in a sleep shirt with her hair wrapped for bed. Zee asks if she's okay. Naomi says she's fine and tells Zee she's staying a couple nights in the city, inviting her along. Zee declines, saying Trey is coming over, and mentions Amy is with friends. Zee promises to keep trying Marta and tells Naomi to be careful as she leaves.

On the train, Naomi stares blankly at the passing factories and old buildings. She's alone with her thoughts for the first time and questions why she's running—whether it's to avoid facing the truth. She reflects that Matthew and his friends were lying, stealing, and cheating, and he'd do anything to keep it from coming out.

She considers her options: going to the Times to expose Greystone, even if they can't yet prove the murder, which could buy time to convince Marta to help; or going to Maya to make her tell the truth—but she rules that out after what Kai told her, knowing it could land Maya in prison.

Suddenly, she gets the disquieting feeling someone is staring at the back of her neck. She whips around, ready to fight for her life, but the man reflected in the glass is not Matthew DuPont. The man looks at her like she's crazy and continues down the aisle. She scans the train for DuPont, but he's not there.

Key Events

Naomi packs a suitcase to stay at Ben's uncle's place in the city after Marta fails to come through
Liam calls for the first time since appearing drunk at her door, warning her that others know everything and are coming for her
Naomi hangs up on Liam, refusing his offer to reach her, still hurt by his earlier lies
She encounters Zee in the hallway, tells her about the city trip, and invites her along; Zee declines
On the train, Naomi weighs going to the Times to expose Greystone versus confronting Maya
She rules out Maya after what Kai told her, fearing it could send Maya to prison
Naomi mistakes a stranger's reflection in the train window for Matthew DuPont

Character Development

Naomi: This chapter shows Naomi at her most isolated and paranoid. Her trust in others has eroded—Marta backed out, Liam lied to her, and she's now fleeing her own home. Her decision to rule out confronting Maya shows a protective instinct, even toward someone who may be complicit. The mistaken identity on the train underscores her deteriorating mental state and the genuine danger she perceives.

Liam: Though we only hear his voice on the phone, Liam's urgency and fear suggest he may be trying to warn Naomi genuinely—or manipulating her again. His claim that others know everything and that he'll reach her within a minute creates ambiguity about his true intentions.

Zee: Zee's brief appearance shows her as a grounding presence—she notices Naomi's distress, offers reassurance, and tells her to be careful. Her promise to keep trying Marta shows she's still working to help.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Paranoia and unreliable perception: The chapter's central motif. Naomi's mistaken identification of a stranger as Matthew DuPont in the train window reflection demonstrates how fear distorts perception. Her earlier bout of paranoia on the lawn compounds this.

Flight and escape: Naomi's packing and departure represent physical flight, but the chapter questions whether she's running from external threats or from the truth itself. She explicitly asks herself whether she's running to avoid facing the truth.

Trust and betrayal: The chapter is built on broken trust—Marta's failure to come through, Liam's lies, and Naomi's decision to cut him off. Even Zee's kindness is met with Naomi's guardedness.

Exposure of secrets: Naomi's consideration of going to the Times to expose Greystone highlights the central tension between revealing the truth and the consequences of doing so.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it's set one day before Naomi's death, making it a crucial piece of the timeline. It establishes Naomi's state of mind—paranoid, isolated, and running—in her final hours. Her decision to leave for the city, her rejection of Liam's warning, and her consideration of going to the Times all set up the events that lead to her death. The chapter also deepens the mystery around Liam's role: is he genuinely trying to save her, or is he part of the conspiracy? The mistaken identity on the train reinforces the theme of unreliable perception, suggesting that what Naomi (and the reader) sees may not be trustworthy.

Study Questions

1. Why does Naomi hang up on Liam despite the fear in his voice?

Naomi hangs up because her anger and hurt override her fear. She had trusted Liam with everything, and he had lied to her—including saying he loved her. The pain of that betrayal is still fresh, and she can't bring herself to believe his warning. His earlier drunken appearance at her door and his subsequent lies have destroyed her trust in him, so even his urgent warning sounds like manipulation to her.

2. What options does Naomi consider on the train, and why does she rule out confronting Maya?

Naomi considers going to the Times to expose Greystone, even without proof of the murder, hoping it would buy time to convince Marta to help. She also considers confronting Maya to get the truth, but rules it out after what Kai told her—knowing that the truth could land Maya in prison. This shows Naomi's protective instinct, even toward someone who may be complicit in the conspiracy.

3. What does the mistaken identity in the train window reveal about Naomi's state of mind?

The mistaken identity reveals that Naomi's paranoia has reached a level where her perception is unreliable. She's so convinced Matthew DuPont is coming for her that she sees him in a stranger's reflection. This moment underscores the psychological toll the situation has taken on her and suggests that her judgment may be compromised as she makes critical decisions in her final hours.