Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis: Jeremy’s Cold Morning and Cold Calculations

⚠️ 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

Jeremy wakes in a borrowed vacation rental, still wearing his boots after a night of deep sleep following a violent encounter. He showered while watching blood swirl pink down the drain, a sight that soothed him. Now, with daylight filtering through cheap blinds, he moves through the chilly house, avoiding the thermostat to stay unnoticed. His mind drifts to his mother, whose habit of shaming him with religious language taught him that shame is a useless emotional weight. She is dead now, and her absence lets him focus briefly on his real purpose: the hunter–victim bond he shares with Wren. He believes she will soon sense where to find him, just as he senses her. To prepare, Jeremy decides to call in an old favor, leveraging a piece of information he has held for years. He feels it is time to bend his own rules and begin a new page by making bolder moves.

Key Events

Jeremy wakes in a stranger’s bed, in a house with stiff, yellow sheets.
He remembers showering after “the previous night’s chaos” and watching blood wash off his body.
He refuses to touch the thermostat, staying cold to avoid drawing attention.
Flashback to his mother’s verbal abuse: she called him obsessive and used religious shame as a weapon.
He notes that his mother is dead, and that her death has given him small moments of mental freedom.
While making coffee, he feels a sudden, sharp intuition about Wren—he is certain she is not nearby but will be soon.
He reflects on the unique connection between a killer and a victim, calling Wren a “dark soulmate.”
He decides to activate an old piece of information he has kept secret, planning to use coercion to get help from someone else.
He finishes his coffee and returns to the book on the coffee table, feeling drawn to certain places but preferring his own memories.

Character Development

Jeremy is revealed to be a meticulous planner who previously avoided involving others. Now he is willing to break that rule. His childhood under a manipulative, shaming mother shaped his distrust of others and his rejection of guilt. The chapter shows a shift: he is no longer merely reactive but is strategising to bring the chase to Wren.
Wren is not physically present, but Jeremy’s obsessive focus on her as a “true purpose” develops her into an almost mythical counterpoint to him. The bond he describes is one-sided, yet he treats it as mutual.
Jeremy’s mother (deceased) appears only in memory, but her influence is felt in Jeremy’s view of trust, shame, and power. Her death has paradoxically loosened some of his mental constraints.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Shame as a wasted emotion: Jeremy actively rejects the shame his mother tried to instill. He sees it as a useless burden. This theme underpins his lack of remorse for his violent acts.
The killer–victim bond: Jeremy likens his connection to Wren to twins who sense each other. This motif elevates the hunt to a fated, almost romantic level—a “dark soulmate.”
Information as power: Jeremy values secret knowledge over tangible weapons. Holding a piece of information for years is his trump card. This theme aligns with the novel’s psychological cat-and-mouse game.
Cold, sensory atmosphere: The chill of the house, the stiff sheets, the mourning dove’s song, and the weak coffee all reinforce a mood of uneasy stasis before action.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivot. Jeremy stops hiding and starts preparing to act offensively. His decision to call in a favor introduces a new element—another person he can manipulate—raising the stakes and widening the story’s scope. It also deepens his psychological portrait, showing how his mother’s abuse forged his present-day mindset. The chapter crystallises his fixation on Wren as a “true purpose” and sets the stage for the converging paths.

Study Questions & Answers

Why does Jeremy refuse to adjust the thermostat even though he is cold?
He wants to avoid making any changes that could signal his presence. Staying cold is a tactical choice to remain undetected.
How does Jeremy’s view of shame differ from his mother’s?
His mother used shame as a tool of control and religious guilt. Jeremy sees shame as a wasteful, pointless drain on emotional energy and does not feel it even when he is “supposed to.”
What does Jeremy mean when he calls Wren a “dark soulmate”?
He believes the bond between a killer and a victim is unique, almost psychic. Because he once held her life in his hands, he feels branded by her and assumes she can sense him in return. This belief justifies his hunt and his plan to close the distance.