Adam Morgan awaits arraignment, the evidence against him a crushing weight. His mother, Eleanor, arrives, radiating aristocratic disdain and immediately criticizing everything from the guard to Sarah Morgan's legal team. Her presence ignites tension, setting the stage for a series of dramatic confrontations.
Chapter 26: Adam Morgan
Eleanor's passive-aggressive jabs at Sarah's dedication are met with cold professionalism. Sarah briefs Adam, warning him that the District Attorney, Josh Peters, will fight bail due to the death penalty looming and his flight risk. The reality of his situation sinks in. In a fleeting moment, Sarah offers Adam coffee, prompting him to wonder if she still loves him. Suddenly, Sarah is violently ill, gagging into a trash can. While Anne rushes to her side, Adam is concerned, but Eleanor whispers that Sarah is too weak for the case.
Chapter 27: Sarah Morgan
Composing herself after the bathroom incident, Sarah encounters Josh Peters. She attempts to negotiate, offering a guilty plea and life sentence in exchange for dropping the death penalty, citing the unknown third DNA. Peters refuses but counters with twenty years without parole for an immediate guilty plea. Sarah presents the offer to Adam, creating a conflict between her roles. As his lawyer, she advises acceptance; as his wife, she urges him to "fight like hell." Adam chooses to fight.
In court, Adam pleads not guilty. The judge surprises the prosecution by setting bail at $500,000 and ordering house arrest, a victory for the defense. Afterward, Sarah speaks with Sheriff Ryan Stevens, who reveals shocking updates. Rohypnol was in the scotch decanter but not Adam's system. The third DNA has no match. Scott Summers's alibi for the murder night is his own deputy, Marcus Hudson. Convinced of a cover-up, Sarah resolves to investigate herself.
Chapter 28: Adam Morgan
Back at the lake house, Sheriff Stevens fits Adam with an ankle monitor as Eleanor drinks wine. Adam immediately senses an odd familiarity between Sarah and the sheriff. He watches with jealousy as Stevens looks at Sarah, becoming suspicious when Sarah offers the sheriff coffee and they chat comfortably. Adam interrupts, puffing out his chest.
The conversation shifts to the case, and Sarah reveals Kelly's past, specifically her trial for murdering her first husband. This surprises Sheriff Stevens. After Eleanor's drunken comment about "double jeopardy," Stevens burns his mouth on the coffee and leaves quickly. Sarah, distracted, also leaves, ignoring Adam's pleas. Alone with his mother, Adam suspects an affair between his wife and the sheriff, deepening the chasm in their broken marriage, a prime example of The Façade of a Perfect Marriage.
Chapter 29: Sarah Morgan
Determined to find the truth, Sarah visits Seth's Coffee, where Kelly Summers worked. To avoid suspicion, she poses as a reporter named Sarah Smith. The ruse works. Brenda, the barista, recounts that Adam was a frequent customer and his interactions with Kelly seemed "a bit too friendly."
More importantly, Brenda reveals another man constantly watched Kelly, making her uncomfortable. He seemed to know her schedule. Brenda provides Sarah with a receipt bearing the man's name: Jesse Hook. Sarah texts Anne, instructing her to run a background check, armed with her first real lead.
Chapter 30: Adam Morgan
Confined to the lake house and consumed by paranoia about Sarah and Sheriff Stevens, Adam feels helpless. After his mother leaves, a reporter named Rebecca Sanford arrives, claiming to be a former student. Desperate and distrustful of Sarah, Adam makes a risky decision. He agrees to give Rebecca an exclusive interview in exchange for her help investigating the case, an act of Betrayal and Deception.
Adam reveals his entire defense theory to Rebecca. He tells her about Kelly’s real name, Jenna Way, and the murder of her first husband. He suggests he was framed by someone from Kelly's past seeking revenge, mentions Scott Summers's anger issues, and reveals the threatening note he received. He hires Rebecca for $5,000 to dig into Kelly’s past in Wisconsin, specifically to find names of her first husband’s family and friends. By launching his own secret investigation, Adam creates a parallel inquiry to Sarah's, setting them on separate, and potentially conflicting, paths to the truth.
Key Events
- Adam's Arraignment: Adam pleads not guilty to double homicide.
- Bail Granted: Sarah secures bail, and Adam is placed on house arrest at the lake house with a $500,000 bond.
- Key Evidence Revealed: Sheriff Stevens informs Sarah that Rohypnol was in the scotch but not Adam's system, Scott Summers's alibi is another deputy, and Kelly's other lover used a burner phone.
- Sarah's Investigation Begins: Posing as a reporter, Sarah interviews Kelly's coworker and discovers a new potential suspect: a man named Jesse Hook who stalked Kelly.
- Adam's Counter-Investigation: Feeling paranoid and desperate, Adam secretly hires a reporter, Rebecca Sanford, to investigate Kelly's past and her first husband's murder.
Character Development
Sarah and Adam's relationship continues to fracture as the investigation intensifies. Eleanor remains a disruptive force, loyal only to her son.
- Sarah Morgan: Sarah's dual role as wife and lawyer becomes more strained. She secures bail but shows vulnerability through her illness. Her independent investigation highlights her resourcefulness and distrust.
- Adam Morgan: Adam transitions from passive to active, driven by paranoia. His jealousy intensifies, revealing a breakdown of trust. Hiring a reporter behind Sarah's back shows his desperation and willingness to deceive.
- Eleanor Morgan: Eleanor is an antagonistic force, defined by snobbery, devotion to Adam, and contempt for Sarah.
Themes & Symbols
The themes of deception, fractured trust, and the search for justice take center stage as the investigation unfolds.
- The Façade of a Perfect Marriage: The interactions between Sarah and Adam are a performance layered over deep wounds. Adam’s suspicion of an affair demonstrates the complete loss of trust. The lake house symbolizes their entrapment.
- Betrayal and Deception: Sarah employs deception as a reporter, and Adam betrays Sarah by hiring his own investigator. Deception becomes a tool for survival and truth-seeking.
- Revenge and Justice: Adam suggests Kelly's murder could be Revenge and Justice for her first husband's murder, reframing the motive.
Significance
This section marks a turning point as the focus shifts to private investigations. New evidence and a new suspect broaden the mystery. Sarah and Adam work independently, creating dramatic irony and tension as their searches threaten Adam's defense and any chance of reconciliation.
Analysis
“I advise you as your lawyer to take the deal. I advise you as your wife to fight like hell.”
This quote encapsulates Sarah's internal conflict, torn between her professional duty and her personal feelings. It highlights the impossible situation she faces, where her roles as lawyer and wife are fundamentally at odds.
“Double jeopardy. You can’t be tried for the same crime twice.”
Eleanor's drunken comment introduces the legal concept of double jeopardy, hinting at the possibility that Kelly's past could be relevant to the current case. It foreshadows Adam's theory that someone from Kelly's past may be seeking revenge.
Jeneva Rose uses the dual-perspective narrative to build suspense and highlight the characters' deteriorating relationship. Sarah's logical investigation contrasts with Adam's paranoid actions, creating dramatic irony. The reader knows more than the characters, amplifying the tension. The accelerating pace forces rash decisions, propelling the plot toward its next confrontation. The conflict is now Sarah versus the police, Adam versus his paranoia, and Adam versus Sarah.