Chapter 20 Summary: Suspension, Research, and the Kissane Sisters

⚠️ 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

After midnight, Lucy finishes Jess’s diary and is shaken by the revelation that Jess, at a younger age than Lucy is now, was involved with a grown man. Lucy longs to deny it but knows it is true. She then checks WhatsApp, thinks about Ben, and deletes their conversation including a revealing photo she had sent. The next morning, she receives an email from Hamilton Hume University suspending her for two weeks following a complaint that she assaulted Ben while sleepwalking. Lucy feels that a part of her had wanted to hurt him after the university failed to address his assault on her. She experiences a strange relief and a new awareness of her power. At Devil’s Beach, she decides to investigate the shared dreams she and Jess have, suspecting a connection to the Naiad shipwreck and the missing men known as the Eight. She travels to the State Library of NSW and researches the missing men: Malcolm Biddy, whose campervan contained weapons and child abuse material, and David Watts, who was accused but cleared in the death of his girlfriend Christine Cara. Lucy then discovers the Naiad’s passenger list and finds the names Eliza and Mary Kissane. The shock of their reality causes her to faint.

Key Events

Lucy finishes reading Jess’s diary and is disturbed by Jess’s relationship with an older man.
She deletes the WhatsApp conversation with Ben, including a compromising photo.
Lucy receives an email suspending her from university for assaulting Ben.
She reflects on the injustice of the system and her newfound, dangerous power.
At Devil’s Beach, she decides to investigate the connection between her dreams, Jess’s diary, and the Eight missing men.
She travels to Sydney and researches the Eight at the State Library.
Lucy finds that Malcolm Biddy had unlicensed firearms and child abuse material; David Watts was linked to his girlfriend’s suspicious death.
She locates the Naiad shipwreck article and the convict list, discovering Eliza and Mary Kissane are real.
Lucy faints in the library.

Character Development

Lucy: Shifts from guilt and despair to a determined investigative mindset. She embraces her journalistic instincts and decides to pursue the truth despite the risks. Her trauma over Ben and the suspension crystallizes into a sense of empowerment and moral clarity.
Jess (through Lucy’s thoughts): Her diary reveals a vulnerable teenage self, deepening Lucy’s understanding of her sister and the parallels between their lives.
Ben: Remains offstage but his violation of Lucy and the system’s failure are central to Lucy’s transformation.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Injustice and Institutional Failure: The university’s handling of Lucy’s assault complaint—prioritizing the perpetrator’s reputation—triggers her rebellious awakening.
Sleepwalking as Agency: Lucy’s sleepwalking assault on Ben is presented not as mere accident but as a subconscious rebellion against a system that refused to protect her.
The Sea and the Supernatural: The ocean functions as a threshold between worlds; the Naiad shipwreck and the shared dreams suggest a transgenerational haunting or memory.
Vigilante Justice: The pattern of missing men, especially Biddy and Watts, hints that someone may be targeting violent men, echoing Lucy’s own sense of righteous anger.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point. Lucy stops running from her past and begins actively investigating the mystery that binds her to Jess and to Comber Bay. The suspension removes her academic lifeline, freeing her to pursue the story. The State Library sequence grounds the supernatural elements in historical fact when she finds the Kissane sisters on the Naiad’s manifest, confirming that her dreams are not mere fantasy. Her faint underscores the overwhelming emotional and psychic weight of this discovery.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Lucy feel relief after reading the suspension email?
She has been waiting in uncertainty; the suspension ends the waiting. More important, it crystallizes her sense of injustice and gives her permission to stop trying to be “nice.” She embraces her anger and power.
What pattern does Lucy begin to discern among the Eight missing men?
She finds that Malcolm Biddy was linked to child abuse material and David Watts was accused of killing his girlfriend. This suggests that the missing men may be connected to violence against women and children, raising the possibility of a vigilante.
How does the discovery of the Naiad passenger list affect Lucy?
It proves that Eliza and Mary Kissane are historical figures, not products of her imagination. This validates the shared dreams and pushes Lucy to accept that a real, possibly inherited memory connects her to the shipwreck. The shock causes her to faint.