Chapter 67 (Chapter 66): Step 4 – Start to Suspect the Terrible Truth
⚠️ 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
On a Saturday afternoon, Ada is alone in the kitchen when her brother Nico slips in through the back door—unusual for a boy who normally comes in through the front. Ada immediately notices a wet stain on the front of his pants that looks like urine, and the smell confirms it. Embarrassed, Nico claims he spilled water while at the Lowells’ house, but Ada does not believe him. He eventually admits he “held it in too long” and makes Ada swear not to tell anyone, threatening that if she does, she will be a tattletale. Ada promises, but she is deeply unsettled. She recalls that Nico used to wet the bed when he was four, but that was years ago. Lately, Nico has been withdrawn—spending his weekends either at Little League or locked in his room—and Ada feels she cannot reach him. The incident forces her to piece together a pattern of troubling behavior, and she ends the chapter wishing they had never moved to this house.
Key Events
- Ada notices Nico sneaking in through the back door on a Saturday afternoon.
- She sees a urine stain on his pants and smells the odor.
- Nico gives a weak excuse about spilling water, then admits he held it too long.
- He extracts a promise from Ada not to tell anyone, calling her a potential tattletale.
- Ada reflects on Nico’s recent withdrawal—Little League, secrecy, locked room.
- She ends the chapter by wishing they had never moved.
Character Development
Ada – Ada’s role as protector shifts toward suspicion. She realizes that Nico’s behavior is not just teenage moodiness but something deeper. Her promise to keep the secret shows her loyalty, but her internal unease marks the beginning of her active investigation into what is really happening to her brother.
Nico – Previously seen as merely distant, Nico now exhibits signs of regression and trauma. Wetting his pants at age nine, hiding the evidence, and fear of exposure point to possible abuse or extreme stress. His insistence on secrecy suggests he is afraid of the consequences if the truth comes out.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Secrecy and Shame – The chapter hinges on a secret Ada must keep. Nico’s shame is palpable, and his threat of being called a tattletale uses childhood peer pressure to enforce silence. This reflects how abusers often use shame to isolate victims.
Regression as a Warning Sign – Nico’s accident indicates a return to a much younger developmental stage. Regression in a child who has been toilet-trained for years is a classic red flag for trauma, and Ada’s memory of his bed-wetting at age four underscores the abnormality.
The Back Door – Nico’s choice to enter through the back door rather than the front symbolizes his desire to hide his condition from the rest of the household and from Ada specifically. It suggests a growing split between his public and private selves.
The Move as a Catalyst – Ada’s final line, “I wish we never moved here,” ties all her worries together. The house itself becomes a symbol of the disruption that may have triggered or enabled the abuse.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 67 is a turning point in Ada’s awareness. Up to now, she has noticed Nico’s aloofness but dismissed it as normal growing pains. This concrete, physical evidence forces her to confront the possibility that something truly terrible is happening to her brother. The chapter’s title—“Step 4: Start to Suspect the Terrible Truth”—frames this as a deliberate process of deduction. By the end, Ada can no longer deny that her brother is in danger, setting the stage for her to take action in the chapters to come.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ada’s promise to keep Nico’s secret feel like a burden rather than a simple agreement?
Ada knows that keeping secrets in a household where she already suspects something is wrong can enable harm. Her promise pits her loyalty to Nico against her protective instincts, and she understands that silence might make her complicit.
2. What clues earlier in the book foreshadow that Nico’s regression might point to abuse?
Earlier chapters show Nico withdrawing from Ada, spending more time alone, and avoiding conversation. Combined with his wetting accident and the desperate plea for secrecy, these behaviors form a pattern consistent with children who are experiencing trauma.
3. How does the setting of the back door contribute to the scene’s tension?
The back door implies secrecy and exclusion. Nico uses it to avoid being seen by the rest of the family. This spatial detail emphasizes that Nico is trying to hide something shameful from Ada, who represents the one person he used to trust completely.