Chapter 11: Interviewing Shauna Phillips
⚠️ 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
Colm and Detective Travis Hendrick drive to the home of Shauna Phillips, Rachel’s mentor and the last known person to see her alive. Colm is still uneasy about Travis’s earlier interview with Macon and tries to encourage him by explaining that talent and experience differ. He advises Travis to learn from mistakes and borrow techniques from respected officers.
Shauna welcomes them into her Hampton Heights home. She describes Rachel as driven, street‑smart, and focused on her business. Rachel came to Shauna’s nonprofit business fellowship about six months earlier. On the day she died, Rachel asked Shauna to come over for a haircut and color. Shauna did not notice anyone else in the storage‑unit parking lot.
Travis asks about Rachel’s relationships. Shauna says Rachel was not close to her parents, who disapproved of her first marriage, and that Rachel’s only family links were her son and her ex‑mother‑in‑law. She never heard Rachel mention an ex‑husband or a romantic partner.
Colm then asks about Rachel’s jewelry. Shauna recalls small diamond studs, an additional hoop earring, a gold chain with a heart pendant, and a striking tennis bracelet. She comments that the bracelet—a solid circle of diamonds in rose gold—looked far more expensive than anything Rachel (or her ex‑husband Macon) could afford, though it might have been costume jewelry. This detail leads Travis to wonder whether the robbery theory should be revisited.
After the interview, Colm acknowledges Travis performed well but confesses he wishes Bones were handling the case. Something feels wrong to him, as though he cannot see the bottom of the pool.
Key Events
- Colm mentors Travis on the job, urging him to learn from more experienced officers.
- The pair interview Shauna Phillips at her home.
- Shauna describes Rachel’s personality, family dynamics, and last known mood.
- Shauna provides a detailed account of the jewelry Rachel was wearing, especially the expensive tennis bracelet.
- Travis suggests the bracelet may support a robbery motive; Colm cautions not to rule out other theories.
- Colm privately expresses unease and a desire for Bones’s involvement.
Character Development
- Travis Hendrick: Shows marked improvement in interviewing technique. His questions are empathetic and targeted, earning Colm’s approval.
- Colm: Acts as both supervisor and mentor. He remains professionally encouraging but admits inwardly that he trusts Bones more. This reveals Colm’s reliance on his former partner and his growing doubt about the investigation.
- Shauna Phillips: Portrayed as observant and cooperative. Her detailed recall of Rachel’s jewelry proves crucial, and her description of Rachel as solely focused on business underscores Rachel’s isolation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Mentorship and Growth: Colm’s advice to Travis emphasizes that good law enforcement is built by learning from others. This mirrors Rachel’s own mentorship under Shauna.
- Appearance vs. Reality: The expensive tennis bracelet raises the question of whether Rachel was involved in something beyond her visible life—a symbol that things may not be as they seem.
- Unseen Depths: Colm’s metaphor of looking into the shallow end but not seeing the bottom reflects the theme that important clues remain hidden, even from experienced investigators.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 11 advances the investigation by introducing a tangible piece of evidence—the tennis bracelet—that could redirect the case toward robbery. More importantly, it develops Travis as a capable investigator and deepens Colm’s internal conflict. The chapter also provides critical backstory on Rachel’s strained family relationships and her limited social circle, narrowing the pool of potential suspects.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Colm’s advice to Travis reveal about his philosophy of investigative work?
Colm believes that good detectives learn from mistakes, borrow techniques from respected peers, and cannot rush experience. He stresses that making an arrest is useless unless it leads to a conviction, showing his focus on the entire judicial process.
2. How does Shauna’s description of Rachel’s jewelry challenge the initial robbery theory?
Shauna notes that the tennis bracelet looked far more expensive than anything Rachel could afford. If Rachel owned such a valuable item, a simple robbery might not be the motive—or the bracelet could be the very item that drew a thief’s attention.
3. What is the significance of Colm’s closing reflection about not seeing the bottom of the pool?
Colm’s unease indicates that despite the new information, the case feels incomplete. His desire for Bones’s presence suggests that he suspects a deeper, possibly more dangerous layer to the crime that remains undetected.