Mia grapples with PTSD after Dave Hunter's suicide, straining her relationship with Finn Hunter. As the mystery of Finn's parentage deepens, a horrifying truth begins to emerge, threatening to shatter everything Mia thought she knew about her family.
Chapter 61: The Diaries
Finn arrives at Mia's parents' house, bearing Dave's old appointment diaries from the 1980s and 1990s. He reveals a disturbing pattern: many of the companies Dave supposedly visited were fake, and the dates of these fabricated appointments align with the dates children went missing. The signatures in the diaries appear to be forgeries. Most shockingly, the murders stopped for five years after Finn's birth, resuming with a diary entry signed "D.R. Hunter." Finn reveals his mother's full name: Deborah Ruth Hunter. He believes Debbie Hunter, not Dave, was the serial killer, using the diaries as a cover.
As the horrifying realization sinks in, Mia's mother announces that Debbie picked up Sonny Hunter an hour ago, claiming Finn sent her. Finn's face drains of color; he sent no such message.
Chapter 62: The Churchyard
The narrative shifts to Debbie in a desolate churchyard with Sonny, the same place where she and Finn buried Dave's ashes. Her internal monologue reveals her twisted sense of purpose: she believes Mia is a "black widow" who will corrupt Sonny, and she is the only one who can save him. She knew Finn's chickenpox excuse was a lie because she had been spying on Sonny.
Sitting with Sonny by Dave's grave, Debbie attempts to rewrite the narrative of The Past Haunting the Present. She cherishes a "mental picture" of Sonny before her degenerative disease robs her of her faculties. She whispers, "I'm sorry," and squeezes him "harder and longer than I ever have before. And will ever do again," foreshadowing a terrible fate for the child.
Chapter 63: The Confrontation
Mia and Finn race to the cemetery, the only place Finn can imagine Debbie would take Sonny. They arrive to find Debbie sitting on a bench with Sonny's pushchair nearby. Mia accuses Debbie of being the killer, citing the diaries and the "D.R. Hunter" signature. When Debbie feigns ignorance, Mia delivers the final blow: "And we know you're not his mother... Finn is not your son."
The accusation hits Debbie harder than the murder charge. The color drains from her face as she looks to Finn for confirmation. His stony expression tells her everything. Finally broken, Finn asks, "Who am I?"
Chapter 64: The Confession
Cornered, Debbie confesses the truth: Finn's real name is William Brown. She reveals that she and Dave had a biological son named Finn Hunter who died of cot death at three days old. They never reported his death, keeping his birth certificate. Consumed by grief, Debbie went out to "save" another child. She found a young mother with two children, a little girl and a baby boy—William (Finn).
Debbie recounts kidnapping both children, luring Finn's older sister away with a game of hide-and-seek and then driving off with both of them. She chillingly states, "I did what I went there to do," confirming she murdered Finn's sister before returning home with him. She then manipulated a horrified Dave into accepting the stolen baby, arguing they could use their dead son's birth certificate and that raising this new child would stop her urge to "save" others. As Mia and Finn process the horror, Debbie taunts Mia, asking if she wants to know when her "last kill was." With a cruel smile, she slowly turns Sonny's pushchair around to face them.
Chapter 65: The Empty Pushchair
The point of view shifts to Finn as he stares at the pushchair. It is empty. As Mia screams, "Where's Sonny?", Debbie calmly explains that she has "saved" him from what she perceives as Mia and Finn's toxic, reuniting relationship. She dismisses their frantic denials, convinced they are lying to get Sonny back. She revels in their agony, telling them it's a punishment for turning Finn against her.
Finn lunges at Debbie, demanding to know where his son is. With chilling finality, Debbie says, "it's too late." She glances toward the small mound of earth where they buried Dave's ashes. Finn's eyes follow her gaze, and he sees it: a neatly folded set of baby clothes, shrink-wrapped in a plastic bag, placed carefully on the ground. The implication is immediate and devastating: Debbie has murdered her grandson and buried him with the man he thought was his grandfather.
Character Development
- Debbie Hunter: Debbie is revealed as the true antagonist, a narcissistic, manipulative serial killer driven by unresolved grief and a savior complex. Her actions demonstrate boundless cruelty.
- Finn Hunter: Finn's identity is shattered as he learns his name, parents, and life story are all lies. He must confront the reality that the woman who raised him is a monster who murdered his biological sister and his own son.
- Mia: Mia's transformation from traumatized victim to fierce protector is complete. Her suspicions about Debbie are vindicated in the most horrific way possible, and she confronts Debbie, leading to the devastating climax.
Themes & Symbols
- Family Secrets and Lies: Finn's true identity and Debbie's role as the killer are the foundational lies upon which the Hunter family was built.
- Manipulation and Control: Debbie's lifelong manipulation of her family is exposed. Her confession reveals how she controlled Dave and her final act is a desperate attempt to control Finn and punish Mia.
- The Past Haunting the Present: The death of the first Finn Hunter leads to the kidnapping of William Brown (the second Finn), which in turn leads to the murder of Sonny, demonstrating a generational cycle of trauma and death.
- The Diaries: The diaries symbolize the hidden truth, masking Debbie's secret life as a serial killer beneath the surface of legitimate business records.
- The Empty Pushchair and Folded Clothes: These symbolize innocence lost and life extinguished, representing the void Sonny has left and Debbie's calculated act of "saving" through murder.
Key Quotes
"I did what I went there to do."
Debbie's chilling confession reveals the cold, calculated nature of her crimes. She sees herself as acting with purpose, devoid of remorse for the lives she has taken.
"it's too late."
Debbie's final words carry a weight of irreversible horror. They signify the utter destruction she has wrought, leaving Finn and Mia with a loss that can never be recovered.
Significance
These chapters mark the novel's explosive climax, resolving major mysteries in a gut-wrenching sequence. The pivot from Dave to Debbie as the killer reframes the story, transforming it into a study of a manipulative matriarch. The revelation of Finn's true identity adds another layer of profound tragedy.
The significance of this section lies in its utter devastation. Debbie's murder of Sonny creates a fresh, unhealable wound, solidifying the novel's bleak tone and ensuring no recovery for the surviving characters. This is the point of no return, where the consequences of Debbie's actions become absolute and eternal.