Chapter Thirty-Three: The Remission Lie

⚠️ 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

Nic rides the bus back from Grand Rapids, her forehead against the window, lost in a childhood memory. In fourth grade, her father missed her Spring Show-and-Tell because of a second job. Nic stayed late to add a moon to her painting, but her mother never arrived. Instead, her sixth-grade sister Kasey appeared, claiming their mother had suddenly fallen ill. Kasey had taken the city bus alone to be there for Nic. They rode home together, and when they entered the house, it smelled of vodka. Nic later realized Kasey had lied to protect her from the truth of their mother’s drinking.

That memory softens Nic’s anger toward Jenna. She now believes Jenna, like Kasey, is lying to keep her safe—though she still doesn’t know from what. An idea forms: visit Jenna’s mother. If Jenna has confided in anyone, it would be her dying mother. Nic buys flowers, then rides her bike to Mrs. Connor’s house. The house is run-down, and a woman answers—not a hospice worker, but Mrs. Connor herself, smoking despite an oxygen tank. Nic introduces herself as Jenna’s friend and asks if Jenna has said anything about what is troubling her. Mrs. Connor is hostile, calling Jenna a liar and saying she wishes the killer had taken Jenna instead of Jules. She reveals nothing useful. Just as Nic is about to leave, Mrs. Connor drops the bombshell: her cancer is in remission. Jenna lied about her mother being terminal. Nic storms out, stunned and furious, realizing Jenna has been deceiving her about something fundamental.

Key Events

Nic reminisces about Kasey lying to protect her during the fourth-grade show-and-tell.
Nic decides to visit Jenna’s mother, hoping to learn what Jenna is hiding.
She buys flowers as a pretext and bikes to Mrs. Connor’s house.
Mrs. Connor answers the door, smoking, wearing a nightgown, and connected to an oxygen tank.
Nic asks if Jenna has confided anything about Jules’s case or about being scared.
Mrs. Connor is dismissive and cruel, saying Jenna is a liar and that Jules was the sweet daughter.
Nic defends Jenna before preparing to leave.
Mrs. Connor reveals that her cancer is in remission, not terminal—Jenna has been lying to Nic about her mother’s condition.
Nic leaves, shaken and angry.

Character Development

Nic: Her memory of Kasey’s protective lie recontextualizes her trust in Jenna. She is willing to confront a dying woman to get answers, but the discovery that Jenna lied about such a major issue shakes her. Her instincts about Jenna’s motivations may be wrong, deepening her conflict.
Jenna (off-page): The revelation that she lied about her mother’s cancer paints her as more duplicitous than Nic assumed. It raises the possibility that she is lying about other aspects of Jules’s case, undermining the partnership.
Mrs. Connor: Hard, bitter, and openly unloving toward Jenna. Her casual cruelty—wishing Jenna had been the one killed—reveals the source of Jenna’s emotional scars. Yet her honesty about the remission forces Nic to question everything.
Kasey (in memory): Portrayed as protective and resourceful, taking a bus alone to shield her younger sister. This memory serves as a touchstone for Nic’s belief that lies can be acts of love.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Protective Lies: The chapter contrasts Kasey’s lie (to spare Nic pain) with Jenna’s lie (to hide her mother’s remission). Nic struggles to distinguish between lies that protect and lies that deceive.
Family Dysfunction: Both Nic’s family (alcoholism) and Jenna’s family (open resentment, terminal illness) are marked by deep fractures. The “missing half” may be the honest, healthy family each protagonist lacks.
Sight and Blindness: Nic literally “unsees” the scenery on the bus, then fails to see the truth about Jenna’s mother. Mrs. Connor’s house is dark, and Nic stumbles through it, symbolizing her ignorance.
Transience of Death: The motif of dying mothers—first Kasey’s lie about a sick mother, then Jenna’s lie about a terminal mother—creates a pattern of manipulated grief.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in Nic’s relationship with Jenna. The discovery that Jenna lied about her mother’s cancer shatters the trust Nic had rebuilt after her own sister’s disappearance. It forces both Nic and the reader to re-evaluate everything Jenna has said about Jules’s case. The chapter also deepens the parallel between Kasey and Jenna, suggesting that lies can be well-intentioned or manipulative—and that Nic must now determine which kind she is dealing with. Additionally, Mrs. Connor’s character provides insight into why Jenna is so guarded and why she may be willing to deceive even her closest ally.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Nic recall the memory of Kasey at the Spring Show-and-Tell?
Nic recalls the memory because she is looking for a reason to trust Jenna. Kasey’s lie to protect her from their mother’s drinking parallels what she suspects Jenna is doing: lying to keep her safe. The memory softens Nic’s anger and makes her more willing to believe Jenna has good intentions.

2. What does Mrs. Connor reveal about Jenna’s honesty, and how does this challenge Nic’s assumptions?
Mrs. Connor reveals that her cancer is in remission, meaning Jenna lied about her mother being terminal. This directly contradicts the narrative Jenna has presented to Nic. It forces Nic to question whether Jenna has also lied about the investigation into Jules’s death and about the threats Nic believes they face.

3. How does the setting of Mrs. Connor’s house reflect the themes of the chapter?
The house is dark, cluttered, and dilapidated, mirroring the decay of the mother-daughter relationship. The oxygen tank next to a cigarette symbolizes denial and self-destruction. The dim, cave-like atmosphere reflects Nic’s own blindness to the truth, and the broken, peeling paint suggests the fragility of the lies that hold the characters together.