Dave Hunter is secretly battling terminal stomach cancer and grappling with the fallout of family tensions, while Finn and Mia's relationship crumbles under the weight of Finn's exposed secrets. A shocking revelation surfaces: Dave was the one who tipped off the press about Finn's double life to protect his own dark past. As the bodies in the garden are identified, the past resurfaces, threatening to consume the present.
Chapter 41: The Lesser of Two Evils
From Dave Hunter's perspective, the chapter opens with him violently ill, vomiting blood. He has self-diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer but has kept it a secret from Debbie Hunter, not wanting to burden her. His black-market painkillers are gone, forcing him to rely on alcohol. He observes the tense atmosphere in the house, with Finn Hunter and Mia constantly arguing.
Dave reflects on Finn’s predicament, acknowledging Debbie's devastation. He feels conflicted, pitying Mia but believing she brought it on herself by investigating his past. Dave admits he discovered Finn’s secret family years ago after Finn borrowed his van. He used a tracking app to follow Finn to Emma's house and confirmed Finn was the father of a little girl named Chloe through public records.
Dave kept this secret for years but when Mia’s investigation into his childhood grew too close, he anonymously tipped off The Sun on Sunday about Finn’s double life. He sees sacrificing his son’s marriage as the "lesser of two evils" to ensure his own dark past remains buried, exemplifying the theme of Family Secrets and Lies.
Chapter 42: A Better Story on a Plate
Finn sits in his van near the house, now a crime scene, feeling numb. He reflects on the catastrophic fallout from the newspaper exposé. His relationship with everyone he cares about is in ruins. He accepts full responsibility, admitting he "fucked things up royally." He reveals that his fear of media attention wasn't just about Emma and Chloe; he was terrified they would dig up other secrets, hinting that his deception runs deeper.
He explains that his affair with Emma intensified after Sonny Hunter's birth, when Mia’s postnatal depression created a rift. Seeking comfort, he spent more time with his "second family." He foolishly believed the media interest in him and Mia had died down, letting his guard down. He concludes that by trying to avoid one story, he gift-wrapped a much better one for the tabloids: the tale of a "love rat."
The chapter ends with the official autopsy report for the two bodies found in the garden, providing a cold, clinical counterpoint to Finn's emotional turmoil.
AUTOPSY REPORT ON TWO BODIES FOUND IN THE GARDEN OF 45, HIGH STREET, STEWKBURY
Body 1 – ...The dimensions of the hip bones are in keeping with this being a male and the state of the bones puts the age between seventy-five and eighty-five years... the injuries identified point towards the death being traumatic in nature, probably due to injury by a knife or other sharp object.
Body 2 – ...The dimensions of the hip bones are in keeping with this being a female and the state of the bones puts the age somewhere in the region of eighty and ninety... it is highly likely that death was traumatic in nature, probably from a knife attack.
Chapter 43: Traitor
The narrative shifts to thirty-nine years earlier, from the perspective of a young Dave. He returns home on the eve of his fourteenth birthday, sensing a strange presence. He hopes it is his brother, George Lewis, but instead finds George’s old room locked and hears a girl whispering for help. His increasingly unhinged mother violently attacks him for questioning her. When his father returns, he is furious with his wife—not for kidnapping children, but for doing so behind his back.
Later, Dave finds the girl, Precious, locked in another room. He speaks to her from under the door, pretending he is also a captive. For the first time, he feels pity for one of his parents' victims and resolves to save her, determined not to fail her as he failed George. He secretly passes her two KitKat bars. This act of kindness is discovered by his mother, who calls him a "traitor" and locks him in the same room.
Trapped and realizing his father will not save him, Dave feels completely abandoned. He finds a rusty nail and carves a message into the wooden fireplace surround: I will save them from the attic. This act reveals the origin of the message Mia discovered in Chapter 11-15 Summary, showing a moment of defiance and humanity in Dave's horrific upbringing, a key point in the Nature vs. Nurture debate.
Chapter 44: Our Own Little Bubble
Back in the present, Mia is at a playground with Sonny, feeling profoundly lonely and isolated. She is stuck in a house she hates, married to a man she can't trust, and struggling to bond with her baby. Finn has moved out of the Annexe and into the main house, and Mia’s resentment toward Debbie has grown into violent fantasies. Her parents are on their way home to help but have been delayed, leaving her feeling trapped.
In a moment of deep despair, Mia considers Debbie’s offer to pay her to leave her family behind. She questions if Sonny would be better off with Finn and Emma, free from her own "toxic" energy. The thought that she is a "cancer in their family" haunts her. However, the mere idea of abandoning her son brings on a cold sweat, and she resolves to keep trying to connect with him, a sign of her underlying maternal instinct.
Her moment of reflection is interrupted by a call from Finn. He tells her there is news about the house: the police have identified the bodies found in the garden. This development threatens to pull her right back into the center of the mystery she has been trying to escape.
Chapter 45: Rainy-Day Money
Dave is working a grueling, cash-in-hand construction job, his body wracked with pain from his untreated cancer. He feels a grim pride in continuing to provide for his family, determined to earn as much as he can before he dies. He reveals that the newspaper paid him £7,000 for the tip-off about Finn, money he has hidden from Debbie as a "rainy-day" fund. This act of Manipulation and Control underscores his ruthless pragmatism.
Finn arrives at the construction site with the news from the police. The bodies have been identified as Kenneth and Moira Kilgour, a couple who lived in the house until the mid-1970s. Dave calmly admits he knew their names from old paperwork and implies his parents were responsible for other deaths as well. Finn is panicked, asking if this will come back to haunt them.
Dave reassures his son that it's unlikely, but internally, his thoughts are darker. He reflects on a final, drastic plan he has formulated to protect Debbie and Finn from the inevitable fallout. He is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their safety, no matter the cost to himself, setting up a suspenseful endgame where The Past Haunting the Present may finally reach its explosive conclusion.
Character Development
- Dave Hunter: He transforms from an enigmatic figure into the story's primary manipulator. His terminal illness adds desperation to his actions, while the flashback reveals a flicker of empathy that was brutally extinguished.
- Mia: Mia is at her most vulnerable, grappling with postpartum depression and isolation. Her decision to reject abandoning Sonny marks a crucial turning point, showcasing resilience and maternal love.
- Finn Hunter: Finn is consumed by guilt and the consequences of his lies. He is a broken man whose life is unraveling, and his hint at more secrets suggests even more complexity.
Themes & Symbols
- Family Secrets and Lies: This is central, with Dave’s secret illness and betrayal of Finn. He sacrifices his son’s family to protect the original, darker family secret. Finn’s admission that he has more secrets reinforces that deceit is a generational trait.
- Manipulation and Control: Dave uses the media to control the narrative and divert attention. His secret stash of money is another tool of control. In the past, his parents used violence and abuse to control him.
- The Past Haunting the Present: The identification of the Kilgours makes the past an active threat. The flashback connects Dave’s traumatic childhood to the present-day mystery.
Key Quotes
I will save them from the attic
This quote, carved by a young Dave, represents a moment of defiance against his abusive parents. It highlights his initial desire to protect the innocent, a stark contrast to his later manipulative actions. The message serves as a haunting reminder of the potential for good that was suppressed by his upbringing.
Lesser of two evils
Dave uses this phrase to justify his betrayal of Finn, revealing his warped moral compass. He believes sacrificing his son's marriage is a necessary evil to protect his own secrets. This rationalization underscores the theme of family secrets and the lengths to which Dave will go to keep them buried.
Significance
These chapters represent a major turning point. The revelation that Dave is the informant reframes the central conflict, shifting the primary antagonist to a member of the immediate family. This twist intensifies the domestic drama and exposes the depths of dysfunction within the Hunter household. Furthermore, the flashback to Dave's childhood provides crucial context for his character, explaining the origins of his trauma and his capacity for ruthlessness. The identification of the bodies escalates the stakes, moving the plot from a personal mystery to an official police investigation and setting the stage for the novel's climax.