Chapter 28 Summary — "Summers at the Saint" by Mary Kay Andrews
⚠️ 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
Traci Edington wakes early and prepares a breakfast of homemade granola, fruit, and yogurt, expecting her niece Parrish to arrive for a date they had planned. When Parrish fails to appear and does not respond to texts or calls, Traci grows uneasy. She drives her golf cart to the staff dorm, where she finds the building messy and the other staff members still asleep or just waking up. Felice, the chef, arrives from church and helps Traci question the housemates. Olivia, KJ, and Garrett reveal that after the official Beach Bash, an afterparty was held at a place called the Shack. The last person to see Parrish was around 1:30 a.m. Traci insists that Garrett and KJ go to the Shack to search. When they arrive, the site is littered with trash and debris. After loading garbage bags onto the golf cart, KJ breaks the padlock on the Shack door. He steps inside and exclaims “Jesus!”—leaving the reader with a cliffhanger about what he has discovered.
Key Events
- Traci prepares breakfast and waits for Parrish, who does not show up.
- Parrish’s phone goes directly to voicemail, and she does not answer text messages.
- Traci drives to the staff dorm, finds it in disarray, and questions the staff.
- Felice, Olivia, KJ, and Garrett confirm that an afterparty took place at the Shack.
- Garrett and KJ offer to search the Shack, and Traci allows them to go alone.
- At the Shack, the men find a huge mess and begin cleaning it.
- KJ forces open the locked door of the Shack and discovers something that shocks him.
Character Development
- Traci Edington: Her worry escalates from mild concern to deep anxiety as she investigates her niece’s disappearance. She shows determination, yet hesitates to call the police, hoping to avoid embarrassing Parrish. Her memory of the old staff dorm from her own youth reveals a nostalgic connection to the place.
- Garrett: He seems evasive, offering quick excuses to prevent Traci from coming to the Shack, and is eager to clean up the mess before she sees it. This suggests he may be hiding something about the night’s events.
- KJ: He is cooperative and willing to help search, but his reaction inside the Shack hints that he has found something alarming.
- Olivia (Livvy): She is apologetic and straightforward, giving details about the afterparty and admitting her phone was dead.
- Felice: Loyal and respectful to Traci, she assists by waking the others and asking questions.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Disappearance and Uncertainty: The chapter builds suspense around Parrish’s absence. Every unanswered call deepens the mystery.
- Generational Echo: Traci briefly compares the current dorm’s mess to the one she and Shannon lived in years ago, highlighting how some patterns repeat across generations of staff.
- Secrets and Loyalty: The staff’s guarded answers and Garrett’s eagerness to clean up imply unspoken secrets. Traci’s trust is tested.
- The Shack as a Symbol: A locked, decaying structure that holds a shocking secret; it represents hidden truths beneath the resort’s surface.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the story. What began as a missing‑breakfast date escalates into a genuine mystery. The cliffhanger forces the reader to suspect foul play or a serious accident. The interactions between Traci and the staff expose the social dynamics and loyalties within the resort community. The chapter also deepens Traci’s personal stakes, connecting her past to the present. It sets the stage for the investigation that will follow.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What reason does Traci initially give for going to the staff dorm?
She goes there because Parrish missed their breakfast date, has not returned calls, and Traci thinks her niece may have overslept after the party.
2. Where was the afterparty held, and who was the last person to see Parrish there?
The afterparty was at the Shack. KJ and Garrett recalled seeing Parrish around 1:00–1:30 a.m., talking to a band member.
3. Why does Traci decide not to call the police right away?
Garrett warns that Parrish might be embarrassed if she was with a guy, and Traci wants to avoid that scenario. She agrees to let the men search the Shack first.