Chapter 35: Summary and Study Guide
⚠️ 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
In December 1977, Beth Greer sits in a jail cell after her arrest for the two Lady Killer murders. Her lawyer, Ransom, explains that the arrest came after ballistics matched the gun used in Julian’s murder to the two killings, and a witness placed Beth at the second murder scene. The gun itself has not been found, but the evidence is enough for the police to take a gamble.
Beth finds jail unexpectedly tolerable. She does not have to make decisions, talk to people, or face the Greer mansion with its reminders of her parents. For the first time in years, she is sober—forced into clarity by incarceration with no access to alcohol. She sleeps deeply, eats all her jail food, and thinks with a sharpness that torments her. She recognizes that her anger is buried beneath the surface, powering her, and that she is safe from Lily while locked up.
Detective Black visits her cell. He asks where the gun is, and Beth tells him she does not know—the truth, for once. When he asks why she was at the second murder scene, she denies it. Black insists she is covering for someone, and Beth refuses to engage. He warns her that she will be convicted and that he is the only one who can help her. Beth dismisses him, accusing him of being torn between believing she is innocent and thinking she is a lying bitch. She tells him to go home to his kindergarten-teacher girlfriend and never return. Black leaves, frustrated, but not before warning that if the real killer is a woman, she will kill again. Beth resolves that she will not spend her life in prison, and that Lily will never kill anyone else.
Six days later, Beth is taken to a phone room. She has had two hang-up calls, which she knows are from Lily. When Lily calls again, Beth confronts her about their mother Mariana’s death. She asks which of them killed her. Lily denies responsibility but admits she learned of Mariana’s death three months later through obituaries. Beth recalls the night Mariana died: Lily and Mariana had a screaming fight, Mariana drank and took pills, and Beth watched her mother drive away without stopping her. Beth tells Lily that she thinks she killed Mariana by making her feel like a failure. Lily deflects, blaming Beth for letting Mariana die.
Beth offers Lily money to go away forever once she is released. Lily agrees, saying she will find Beth when the time comes. Beth returns to her cell, feeling that the long conflict with her half sister is finally coming to an end.
Key Events
- Beth is arrested for the Lady Killer murders after ballistics match the gun from Julian’s murder and a witness places her at the second crime scene.
- Detective Black interrogates Beth in her cell, asking about the gun and her presence at the scene; she denies involvement and orders him to leave.
- Beth experiences forced sobriety in jail, which gives her a rare clarity of thought.
- Lily calls Beth from jail, and the sisters confront each other about Mariana’s death.
- Lily admits she learned of Mariana’s death three months later through obituaries.
- Beth offers Lily money to leave forever, and Lily agrees to find her when she is released.
Character Development
Beth undergoes a significant internal shift in this chapter. Jail strips away her usual escapes—alcohol, social performance, and the ability to avoid decisions—and forces her into a state of clarity she has never experienced. She is no longer the passive, drifting woman of earlier chapters; instead, she becomes calculating and resolute. Her refusal to break under Detective Black’s pressure shows a new strength, and her decision to confront Lily directly marks a turning point from avoidance to action. She also acknowledges her own guilt over Mariana’s death, admitting that she stood by and let her mother leave, which complicates her self-image as merely a victim of Lily’s manipulation.
Detective Black is shown as genuinely conflicted. He believes Beth is covering for someone, and he is frustrated by her refusal to cooperate. His warning that the real killer will strike again reveals his concern for justice, but Beth’s rejection of his help underscores her distrust of everyone. His inability to break through her defenses highlights the isolation that defines her character.
Lily remains manipulative and self-serving. She calls Beth not out of concern but to taunt her, and she quickly turns the conversation about Mariana’s death into an accusation against Beth. Her admission about the obituaries is a rare moment of honesty, but she immediately weaponizes it to blame Beth. Her agreement to take money and leave shows that her primary motivation is self-preservation, not reconciliation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Forced sobriety and clarity: Beth’s time in jail strips away alcohol, and she realizes she has been living in a haze for years. This clarity is painful but necessary, allowing her to formulate a plan for the first time.
Anger as a driving force: Beth identifies her anger as the fuel beneath her calm exterior. It is not a destructive rage but a quiet, persistent force that pushes her toward action.
Covering for someone: Detective Black’s insistence that Beth is protecting someone is central to the mystery. Beth’s refusal to confirm or deny it keeps the reader guessing about her true relationship with Lily.
The gun as evidence: The missing gun is a tangible symbol of the unresolved crime. Its absence means the police cannot fully prove Beth’s guilt, but it also leaves the real killer free.
Sisterly manipulation: The phone call between Beth and Lily is a masterclass in emotional manipulation. Lily uses blame and guilt to control the conversation, while Beth tries to use money as leverage. Their dynamic is one of mutual destruction and codependency.
Guilt over mother’s death: Beth’s memory of the night Mariana died reveals her deep-seated guilt. She believes she could have stopped her mother, and this guilt has shaped her relationship with Lily and her own self-worth.
Jail as a turning point: Incarceration forces Beth to confront her past and her choices. It is the lowest point of her life, but it also gives her the clarity and resolve to change her trajectory.
The past haunting: Beth’s memories of Mariana and the mansion intrude on her present, showing that she cannot escape her history even in a jail cell.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a pivotal moment in the novel because it shifts Beth from a passive victim of circumstance to an active agent. Her forced sobriety and confrontation with Lily reveal the core of her character and the nature of her relationship with her half sister. The phone call provides crucial backstory about Mariana’s death, filling in gaps that have haunted the narrative. Beth’s decision to offer Lily money to leave sets up the resolution of their conflict, while Detective Black’s warning about the real killer raises the stakes for the present-day investigation. The chapter also deepens the mystery of the Lady Killer case by leaving open the question of who actually committed the murders and why Beth is protecting them.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Beth feel a sense of relief in jail, despite being accused of murder?
Beth finds jail less oppressive than her life in the Greer mansion. She does not have to make decisions, interact with people, or face the reminders of her parents. Most importantly, she is forced into sobriety, which gives her a clarity she has never experienced. The jail cell also provides a sense of safety from Lily, who cannot reach her there.
2. What does Beth’s confrontation with Lily reveal about their relationship and Mariana’s death?
Beth and Lily are locked in a cycle of blame and manipulation. Beth accuses Lily of driving Mariana to her death by telling her she failed as a mother, while Lily blames Beth for letting Mariana leave that night. The conversation reveals that both sisters carry guilt and that their bond is built on shared trauma and mutual resentment. Lily’s admission that she learned of Mariana’s death through obituaries shows her emotional distance, while Beth’s memory of watching her mother drive away exposes her own complicity.
3. How does Beth’s character change in this chapter, and what does she resolve to do?
Beth moves from a state of numbness and avoidance to one of clarity and determination. She stops playing the role of the terrified, wrongly accused woman and instead embraces her anger and self-reliance. She resolves to get out of prison, to give Lily money to leave forever, and to ensure that Lily never kills again. This marks a turning point where Beth finally takes control of her life.