Chapter 79 Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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
Connie Johnson watches television coverage of Andrew Everton being implicated in Bethany Waites's murder. She reflects that she had met him a couple of times and found him pleasant enough, but now he's being framed as a killer—which is convenient for her plans.
The chapter reveals that Connie had returned to visit Heather Garbutt for another conversation and found her body, with knitting needles still present. Beside the body lay a suicide note—Heather's final goodbyes. Connie had only skimmed it, noting phrases like a farewell and an inability to carry on. Heather had been terrified of something, and watching Everton on screen, Connie now understands what that fear was.
Connie thought quickly in that moment. She knew Ibrahim and his group were investigating Bethany Waites's murder and would likely find the killer. She calculated that helping them would make the court look more kindly on her. So she tore up Heather's genuine suicide note and wrote her own replacement, making Heather appear to be a murder victim and casting herself as someone with information—a savior figure.
Now that Everton is suspected of killing Bethany Waites, Connie can execute part two of her plan. She needs to invent evidence showing he also killed Heather. She recalls the admin worker with the Volvo who wiped the tapes of her entering Heather's cell that night—she bets he might remember Everton visiting the prison that evening. She'll also invent a memory of Heather saying something innocuous about police corruption, like a comment about it going right to the top. She looks forward to fabricating this memory.
Connie expects Everton to be convicted and her own sentence reduced for cooperating with authorities. The sooner she's released, the sooner she can deal with Ron Ritchie.
She acknowledges Ibrahim came through for her, and remembers his observation that her caring about Heather proves she isn't a sociopath. Yet all the while, she carries Heather's torn-up suicide note in her pocket. She reflects that therapy is a fascinating process and she can't wait for more.
Key Events
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Connie watches news coverage of Andrew Everton being implicated in Bethany Waites's murder.
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She reveals she found Heather Garbutt's body on a return visit, with a suicide note beside it.
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Connie tore up the genuine note and replaced it with a fabricated one making Heather appear murdered.
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She plans to invent evidence linking Everton to Heather's death, including a false prison visit memory and a fabricated comment from Heather about police corruption.
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She expects a reduced sentence for cooperating and plans revenge on Ron Ritchie.
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She reflects on Ibrahim's sociopath comment while still carrying the torn suicide note.
Character Development
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Connie Johnson: This chapter deepens her portrait as a calculating manipulator. She's not just a criminal; she actively corrupts evidence to serve her own ends. Her apparent care for Heather is revealed as self-serving—she uses Heather's death as currency for a reduced sentence. Yet the detail of carrying the torn note suggests some residue of feeling, however complicated. Her reflection on therapy shows she's engaging with Ibrahim's process, but possibly only as another tool for self-justification.
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Ibrahim: Though not present, his influence is felt through Connie's recollection of his observation about sociopathy. His therapeutic insight lingers with her, suggesting his words have genuine impact even on someone like Connie.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Fabricated evidence and the corruption of justice: Connie's replacement of the suicide note is a literal rewriting of reality. She transforms a suicide into a murder to serve her own interests, showing how easily the justice system can be manipulated.
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The suicide note as a physical object: The torn-up note in Connie's pocket is a powerful symbol—she literally carries the truth she has suppressed. It's evidence of her deception and also, perhaps, of her inability to fully discard it.
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Self-serving cooperation: Connie's help is entirely transactional. She assists the investigation only to reduce her sentence.
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Sociopathy vs. empathy: Ibrahim's claim that caring proves she isn't a sociopath is complicated by Connie's actions. She cares but uses that care as a weapon. The chapter questions what empathy really means when it's deployed strategically.
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Revenge: Connie's plan for Ron Ritchie shows her long-term thinking and her willingness to pursue personal vendettas.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a major reveal. It confirms that Heather Garbutt died by suicide, not murder, and that Connie Johnson has been manipulating the investigation from the start. It also sets up future conflict: Connie's fabricated evidence could unravel, and her plans for Ron Ritchie create a looming threat. The chapter also deepens the novel's exploration of truth, justice, and the stories people tell to serve themselves.
Study Questions and Answers
- What does Connie's decision to replace Heather's suicide note reveal about her character?
It shows she is calculating and willing to corrupt evidence for personal gain. She sees Heather's death not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to position herself as helpful to the investigation and earn a reduced sentence. It also reveals her capacity for long-term planning—she anticipated the investigation would need a killer and prepared to supply one.
- How does this chapter complicate the reader's understanding of Heather Garbutt's death?
Earlier, Heather's death appeared to be a murder. This chapter reveals it was a suicide, driven by fear of something—likely related to Andrew Everton. The reader must now reassess what happened and how Connie's interference has shaped the investigation.
- What does Connie's reflection on Ibrahim's sociopath comment suggest about her self-awareness?
Connie remembers the comment and seems to entertain it, but her subsequent actions—fabricating evidence, planning revenge—suggest she hasn't truly internalized the moral weight of Ibrahim's observation. She treats therapy as fascinating rather than transformative, suggesting she engages with self-reflection only as an intellectual exercise, not as a call to change.
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