Chapter 31: A Half-Truth
From Dave Hunter's anxious perspective, paranoia brews as he drinks beer, convinced Mia is watching him. He knows he has only told her a "half-truth" about his connection to Abigail Douglas and Precious Johnson. Dave reflects on a childhood marred by bullying due to learning disabilities and a prominent birthmark, leading him into a gang of older boys where he engaged in petty crime.
His "luck" eventually runs out, and this troubled past remains a secret from his son, Finn Hunter. Dave laments their distant relationship, recalling how the cursed house renovation was their only real connection before the attic discovery drove them apart again. Ominously, he feels his time with his family is "running out."
When Debbie Hunter arrives, Dave confesses that Mia knows he attended school with the victims. Debbie immediately shifts into strategic mode, demanding he tell her everything so she can "protect" him. Her priority is maintaining a united front against Mia's interference. Dave lies, claiming Mia believes he barely knew the girls. Overcome with emotion, Dave vows to shield Debbie from a future where she must cope alone, resolving to monitor Mia closely, seeing her investigation as stirring up a "wasps' nest." This highlights the theme of Family Secrets and Lies and Debbie's Manipulation and Control.
Chapter 32: Mend Me
Finn's perspective reveals the deep cracks in his marriage. He categorizes Mia's moods—"weepy," "frustrated," and "can't-be-bothered"—and worries about her detachment from their son, Sonny Hunter. He fears that therapy will lead Mia to realize she deserves better and leave him. Shockingly, he admits to keeping another woman as a "spare" to avoid being alone.
Mia, appearing more like her old self, confronts him about Dave's connection to Abigail Douglas. Finn immediately defends his father, more angered by Mia attending the funeral and wake behind his back than by her discovery. The argument escalates as Finn, echoing his mother's concerns, suggests Mia has postnatal depression. He clumsily offers medication, showing her screenshots he found online. Mia is enraged, accusing him and Debbie of trying to "drug" her into submission and for talking about her instead of to her. She insists her obsession stems from their shared trauma and her fear for Sonny's safety. As she storms out, a breaking news report announces the discovery of two more bodies at the property, freezing them both in shock.
Chapter 33: Two More Bodies
Mia recounts the tense meeting with DS Mark Goodwin, who briefs the family. The atmosphere between Mia, Finn, Dave, and Debbie is thick with unspoken conflict. Goodwin apologizes for the news breaking via the media and reveals that the two new bodies are headless adult skeletons, possibly the previous owners who disappeared in the 1970s.
Debbie has a surprisingly public and emotional breakdown, lamenting how the house's horror is consuming her. Mia is taken aback by this uncharacteristic display. She also notes her growing comfort around DS Goodwin, whose calm presence feels like a safe haven. After Goodwin departs, the family retreats into their own worlds, with Finn leaving for work without a word. Mia, alone with Sonny, feels utterly isolated. Furious with Finn's dismissive attitude and attempt to pathologize her grief, she resolves to find answers herself. The chapter concludes with a 1946 newspaper advertisement for Portmanteau leather suitcases, described as "air-tight, tough and stain resistant," a clear and ominous clue related to the attic's grim discoveries.
Chapter 34: Thirty-Six Years Earlier
A flashback transports us to 1983, thirty-six years prior, through the eyes of an unnamed narrator on their wedding day. The sixteen-year-old narrator is with their grandparents, who express concerns about the marriage. The narrator reflects on their own dark "urges" and "cravings," hoping their spouse will help control these impulses, believed to be inherited from their parents. This introduces the theme of Nature vs. Nurture. The narrator deeply misses their older brother, George Lewis, who vanished five years earlier.
A horrific childhood secret is revealed: their parents were serial child abusers. They instructed George to befriend children and bring them home. If the parents approved, the child received a drugged cola, was taken upstairs, and abused while unconscious. The family frequently moved in a caravan to find new victims. The parents, especially the mother, were violent and controlling. George began to rebel, and the narrator, feeling abandoned, turned to their parents for purpose. The flashback ends with the narrator sensing George's spiritual presence at the wedding, a comforting thought on a day overshadowed by a dark past.
Chapter 35: The Handwriting
Back in the present, Mia seizes the opportunity to search Dave and Debbie's home office in the garage. She finds organized filing cabinets, a password-protected computer, and boxes of old belongings. One box contains invoices and maps from the 1940s and 50s related to "leather and luxury travel imports," connecting to the Portmanteau suitcase advertisement. She photographs an address. Another box holds Finn's childhood toys, briefly softening her anger.
She discovers a water-damaged box filled with Dave's old schoolbooks, confirming his severe learning difficulties through teachers' notes describing him as barely literate and often absent. Examining a handwriting practice book, she notices something eerily familiar about his letter formations—specifically a "backwards S" and an "E" with two bars through the middle. Tracing the letters, she tries to place the memory. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as Mia has a shocking realization: the handwriting is identical to that on the notes left with the children's bodies in the attic.
Key Events
- Dave admits to lying about his connection to the victims and reveals his troubled past.
- Debbie instructs Dave to keep her informed of Mia's snooping.
- Finn confesses to cheating and suggests Mia has postnatal depression.
- Two more bodies are found buried in the garden.
- A flashback reveals a childhood of horrific abuse.
- Mia realizes Dave's handwriting matches the killer's notes.
Character Development
- Dave Hunter: His character is fleshed out with a traumatic childhood, literacy struggles, and a criminal past. His motivation appears to be a twisted form of protection for his family.
- Finn Hunter: His flaws are exposed: unfaithful, emotionally inept, and easily manipulated.
- Mia: She transitions from a grieving mother into a determined investigator.
- Debbie Hunter: Her controlling nature is reinforced through calculated questions and emotional displays.
- Unnamed Narrator (Debbie/Dave): This flashback introduces a character defined by a monstrous upbringing.
Themes & Symbols
- Family Secrets and Lies: Dave's half-truths, Finn's infidelity, Debbie's manipulations, and the narrator's childhood secrets all highlight this theme.
- The Past Haunting the Present: Dave's past crimes and the discovery of more bodies demonstrate the inescapability of the past.
- Nature vs. Nurture: The flashback explores whether violent tendencies are innate or a product of upbringing.
- Symbol: The Handwriting: Dave's handwriting links him to the murders.
Significance
This section marks a turning point, shifting the focus to the Hunter family. Mia's discovery of Dave's handwriting makes him the prime suspect. Finn's infidelity shatters their relationship, isolating Mia. The flashback introduces the origins of the family's dysfunction, confirming that the murders are rooted in a generational cycle of abuse.
Key Quotes
"I just want to protect you from having to manage alone."
Dave's desire to protect Debbie, though twisted, reveals a deep-seated fear of her vulnerability. This quote highlights his motivation for secrecy and control, suggesting he believes he is acting in her best interest, even if it means perpetuating lies and potentially committing further crimes. His actions are driven by a warped sense of love and duty.
"It's not postnatal depression, Finn. It's called being traumatized."
Mia's sharp retort encapsulates her frustration with Finn's dismissive attitude and his attempt to pathologize her very real and justified fears. This quote underscores the theme of gaslighting, as Finn tries to invalidate her feelings by attributing them to a medical condition, rather than acknowledging the trauma they have both experienced. It also highlights Mia's growing awareness of her own strength and her refusal to be silenced.
Analysis
John Marrs uses shifting perspectives to build suspense, revealing secrets and flawed perceptions. The unnamed flashback narrator forces readers to re-evaluate Dave and Debbie. The juxtaposition of this dark history with Mia and Finn's crumbling marriage creates a compelling thriller. The cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 35 propels the narrative into a more dangerous phase.