Chapter 5: Four — Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes

⚠️ 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

After the boat launch incident, Drew drives Max back to the library. Max is silent for most of the ride, but once they stop, he confronts Drew about his reckless behavior. Max points out that showing up at the search site makes Drew look guilty, comparing him to a criminal returning to the scene of the crime. He warns that Drew's dads will be furious and that his own mother will be upset if she learns he told Drew about the search. Drew admits Max is right and asks him to keep quiet. Max agrees but urges Drew to use his intelligence to find another way to help, arguing that the fliers are not actually helping Lola and that everyone is struggling. He tells Drew that they cannot lose him too, then leaves.

Drew decides not to go home for family dinner. Instead, he drives around the outskirts of town, avoiding the river, and begins posting missing-person fliers for Lola on telephone poles and stop signs. He thinks about how the fliers are proof that he kept looking and that Lola will know he never gave up. As darkness falls, he realizes he has wandered into Lola's neighborhood, near her cul-de-sac. He knows he should leave, but his feet carry him to her corner anyway. He looks at the Scotts' house, remembering the first time he saw it, and notes how sad it looks now. He sees the light on in Lola's room, which her parents have left on since she disappeared, and feels a familiar ache.

As he turns to leave, he finds Mr. Scott's red Wrangler idling behind him. Mr. Scott parks and approaches Drew, speaking in a quiet, hollow voice that Drew finds more terrifying than yelling. Mr. Scott asks why Drew won't leave them alone and accuses him of having done enough. Drew tries to defend himself, reminding Mr. Scott of their shared history—family meals, a camping trip, swim meets—and swears he would never hurt Lola. Mr. Scott responds that the kid he knew would not have left Lola alone at night, waited until the next day to call, or stopped cooperating with the police. Mrs. Scott then appears, pleading with Drew to tell them what he did and where Lola is. She reveals that the sheriff has little hope and is looking for a body, but she and her husband are still desperate to keep searching. Drew insists he did not hurt Lola, but he cannot provide the answers they need. Mr. Scott orders him to leave and not come back, then guides his wife inside.

Drew stands in the rain, devastated. Autumn appears from across the street, having been watching him. She confronts him, accusing him of being responsible for Lola's disappearance. Drew corrects her, insisting Lola is her best friend, present tense. Autumn says her father, the sheriff, is doing his job by questioning suspects and that locking Drew up would be even better. Drew tells her to put her energy into finding Lola instead of harassing him. Autumn says she is not falling for his act and that everyone will know the truth. Drew retorts that if the tables were turned, he would defend her, and he is done with her. Autumn claims she wanted to defend him but knows he is to blame. She leaves, and Drew is left alone, agreeing with her that it is all his fault.

Drew drives home in the rain, refusing to use the heater as a form of penance. He enters his house, which feels unfamiliar, and goes to his room. He notes that his room no longer feels like his own, filled with artifacts of his old life—swim trophies, posters, and items Lola touched. He has been asked to sit out the swim season and step down as captain, and no one on the team will speak to him. He pulls out his hidden investigation board, which tracks Lola's movements on the day she disappeared, including her classes, practice, a fight with her parents, him picking her up, the boat launch, a convenience store stop, and the discovery of her phone. He has no new information to add. He thinks about how he still expects Lola to call or text, and the hope-turned-dread loop that follows every notification.

His dads knock and enter, looking serious. They tell him the lawyer called and that a body has been found. Drew vomits into the trash can.

Key Events

• Max confronts Drew about his appearance at the boat launch, warning him that it makes him look guilty and urging him to find another way to help.

• Drew posts missing-person fliers around town, eventually wandering into Lola's neighborhood.

• Mr. Scott confronts Drew, telling him to leave the family alone, while Mrs. Scott pleads with him to reveal what happened to Lola.

• Autumn confronts Drew, accusing him of being responsible for Lola's disappearance and defending her father, the sheriff.

• Drew returns home, reviews his investigation board, and is told by his dads that a body has been found.

Character Development

Drew is consumed by guilt and self-blame throughout this chapter. He agrees with Max's assessment that his actions make him look guilty, and he later agrees with Autumn's accusation that everything is his fault. His internal monologue reveals a deep sense of isolation; he feels he no longer belongs anywhere in town. His room, once a shared space with Lola, now feels like a museum of his old life. He is paralyzed by the lack of new information, and his hope is fading, replaced by dread. The chapter ends with him physically ill upon hearing about the body, showing the extent of his emotional and psychological distress.

Max serves as a voice of reason, trying to pull Drew back from self-destructive behavior. He is loyal but firm, telling Drew that everyone is struggling and that they cannot lose him too.

Mr. and Mrs. Scott are portrayed in their grief. Mr. Scott is hollow and angry, while Mrs. Scott is desperate and pleading. Their confrontation with Drew highlights the community's suspicion and their own need for answers.

Autumn is openly hostile, acting as an accuser. She represents the community's judgment and the breakdown of Drew's former relationships. Her confrontation with Drew reveals her own pain and her belief that he is to blame.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Guilt and Self-Blame: Drew's internal narrative is dominated by guilt. He believes he is responsible for Lola's disappearance, and this belief is reinforced by the accusations from Max, the Scotts, and Autumn.

Returning to the Scene of the Crime: Max explicitly references this trope, and Drew's actions—showing up at the boat launch and then at Lola's house—mirror it, making him appear guilty to others.

Community Suspicion and Ostracism: Drew is treated as a monster by people who have known him his whole life. He is asked to step down as swim team captain, and no one on the team will speak to him.

Grief and Loss: The Scotts' grief is palpable, from the light left on in Lola's room to Mrs. Scott's desperate plea. Drew's own grief is shown through his inability to engage with his old life.

Hope versus Dread: Drew describes a