Chapter Seven: Jenna’s Lie and a Painful Comparison

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with the narrator, Nic, reflecting on police theories about abduction cases: a single disappearance is often dismissed as a personal matter, while a string of cases would imply a serial killer. For two women from the same area disappearing under similar circumstances, law enforcement believes the perpetrator is someone on the periphery of their lives. Nic considers this explanation as vague as saying a stabbing victim died of murder.

In a flashback to nearly six months after Kasey vanished, Nic recalls a visit from Detective Wyler. He warns the family that the odds of finding Kasey alive are slim. After he leaves, Nic smashes a coffee mug on the driveway and screams in frustration.

Back in the present, Jenna explains that the police investigating her sister Jules focused only on her current life—co‑workers, friends, romantic interests—and never dug into her past. Jenna wonders if Jules might have known her abductor years earlier and re‑encountered him shortly before her disappearance. Nic agrees that is possible.

Jenna proposes they go through Kasey’s and Jules’s histories together: schools, jobs, sports teams, after‑school programs. Nic pressures her to reveal what she found in Jules’s diary, but Jenna stalls, saying she does not want to bias Nic’s thinking. Reluctantly, Nic goes along.

They compare where they grew up, the schools they attended, and the places their sisters worked. Kasey worked at Funland and Rosie’s Records; Jules worked at Harry’s Place and, before the move, at a barbecue restaurant called Famous Jake’s. They list extracurricular activities and play a “name game,” but find no overlap. After an hour of dead ends, Nic voices her frustration: the abductor could have crossed paths with either sister at any point, with no way to prove a connection.

Jenna remains calm and sends Nic a photo of her notes. Nic asks how she can be so composed. Jenna replies that her mother has cancer and may die without knowing what happened to Jules. Being calm is the only way she can keep searching. The confession stings Nic, who realizes she has spent years numbing herself rather than actively investigating.

Nic then realizes Jenna must have uncovered something new. When challenged, Jenna admits she lied: there is no diary. She invented it to get Nic to talk, driven by desperation to give her dying mother some answer. Furious, Nic orders her to leave. Jenna pleads, explaining her mother’s condition and how Jules’s disappearance worsened her mental health, but Nic is too angry to listen. After Jenna goes, Nic buys wine and drinks until she passes out.

Key Events

Nic recalls Detective Wyler’s grim prognosis about Kasey’s survival.
Jenna criticizes the narrow focus of the Mishawaka police investigation.
Jenna and Nic systematically compare their sisters’ backgrounds, finding no direct connection.
Nic confronts Jenna about the diary; Jenna admits she fabricated it.
Nic throws Jenna out and turns to alcohol to cope.

Character Development

Nic: Begins the chapter still passive and avoidant, but Jenna’s confession forces her to confront her own years of inaction. Her anger reveals the deep pain she still carries.
Jenna: Shows herself to be manipulative but also desperate. Her calm exterior hides a fierce determination, yet her lie undermines the trust Nic was beginning to offer.
Detective Wyler (flashback): Represents the cold, statistical reality of missing‑person cases; his bluntness leaves the family with little hope.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Deception: Jenna’s lie about the diary highlights how grief and desperation can drive people to betray trust in the pursuit of closure.
The Limits of Investigation: Both the police and the amateurs are shown to be constrained—the police by protocol, the sisters by a lack of shared history.
Coping Mechanisms: Nic’s drinking contrasts with Jenna’s controlled calm, illustrating two different responses to trauma.
The “Periphery” Theory: The chapter reinforces the idea that the abductor is someone who brushed against both victims’ lives, making a connection almost impossible to prove.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the emotional and investigative stakes of the novel. Jenna’s lie shatters the tentative alliance between the two women, forcing Nic to question whether she can trust anyone. It also underscores the difficulty of solving cases when no clear link exists between victims. The flashback to Detective Wyler reminds readers of the official failure, while Jenna’s revelation about her mother adds a layer of personal tragedy. Nic’s retreat into drinking signals that she is still not ready to face her grief head‑on, setting up a potential turning point.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Jenna lie about the diary?
Jenna invents the diary because she believes Nic will only open up if she thinks Jenna has concrete evidence. Her real motive is to gain information that might lead to a break in the case, driven by her dying mother’s desperation for answers.
What is the significance of the flashback to Detective Wyler’s visit?
The flashback shows the moment Nic’s family had to accept that Kasey was probably dead. It explains Nic’s deep‑seated anger and hopelessness, which contrasts with Jenna’s active approach to the investigation.
How does the comparison of the sisters’ backgrounds affect the search?
The comparison reveals no shared schools, jobs, or activities, suggesting the abductor was not someone who knew both women from their pasts. It forces Nic and Jenna to consider that the connection might be much more obscure—or that there is no connection at all.

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