Chapter 11: THEN
The narrative flashes back to Thursday, May 26th, the day Ellie Mack disappears. It's half-term break, and Ellie is headed to the library when she bumps into Noelle Donnelly, her former math tutor. Ellie feels awkward, recalling Noelle's displeasure when Laurel Mack, her mother, ended their sessions.
Noelle mentions a practice paper with significant "crossover" for the upcoming exam. Ellie, driven by ambition, agrees to take a copy. Noelle initially offers to drop it off but then suggests Ellie come to her house nearby. From "beyond the beyond," Ellie reflects on this fateful decision, imagining a Crimewatch reenactment. Her internal voice screams "NO," but the living Ellie, focused on her goals, ignores the warning. Noelle lets Ellie into her house, the door closing behind them, revealing a crucial piece of the mystery and illustrating the theme of Deception and Hidden Truths.
Chapter 12: NOW
Ten years after Ellie's disappearance, Laurel and her ex-husband, Paul Mack, bury her partial remains. The police conclude Ellie was likely a hit-and-run victim, her body dragged into the woods. A twelve-week investigation yields nothing, and the case goes cold again.
For Laurel, the burial extinguishes the last flicker of hope. The ambiguity is gone, replaced by crushing finality. She feels utterly alone, her family broken, her world devoid of meaning. The chapter ends with a pivotal moment: "Until one day, a month after Ellie’s funeral, Laurel met Floyd." This signals the end of one phase of Laurel's grief and the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter, directly engaging with the theme of Grief, Loss, and Moving On.
Chapter 13: NOW
This chapter marks the beginning of Part Two. A month after the funeral, Laurel is in a café when Floyd Dunn, a charming man around fifty, catches her eye. He sits next to her and offers her a piece of his carrot cake. The simple gesture feels intimate and hopeful. They talk, and she learns he is a well-traveled American who has lived in the UK for decades. He gives her his number, asking her to call him for dinner.
Later, Laurel visits her older daughter, Hanna Mack. Hanna is uncomfortable, and their conversation is strained. Laurel tells Hanna about meeting Floyd and laments how their family has become like "separate islands." She questions Hanna's work-obsessed life, which Hanna defensively rebuffs. The conversation underscores the deep emotional chasm between them, a painful exploration of The Nature of Family and Motherhood in the wake of tragedy. Both women agree they must simply "get on with it," though Laurel clutches Floyd's number, a tangible symbol of a possible future.
Chapter 14: NOW
Laurel calls Floyd, and they arrange a date for Friday. She is filled with nervous excitement, fussing over her appearance. Before she leaves, she speaks to a photograph of Ellie, seeking her blessing. The date is a success; Floyd is funny, attentive, and charming.
Floyd mentions his two daughters. He vaguely describes his eldest, 21-year-old Sara-Jade Virtue, as "unusual." However, he lights up when he speaks of his nine-year-old, Poppy Dunn, describing her as "insanely brilliant at maths" with a "wickedest sense of humor," a description that sounds uncannily like Ellie. The mood shifts when Floyd reveals Poppy's mother "vanished" five years ago, abandoning Poppy on his doorstep. Laurel is stunned by the word "vanished," feeling a fated, eerie connection. When she presses him on whether he thinks the woman might be dead, Floyd becomes dark and evasive, quickly changing the subject.
Chapter 15: NOW
After her wonderful date, Laurel googles Floyd, discovering he is a respected author of books on mathematical physics. The discovery deepens her fascination. For the first time in years, she feels an urge to talk to Paul about something positive.
The following day is an agony of waiting. When Floyd doesn't call or text, Laurel begins to doubt herself. Unable to stand being alone, she visits her mother, Ruby, in her care home. Ruby urges her to take the initiative. Prodded by her mother's insistence, Laurel sends Floyd a simple text. Seconds after she hits send, her phone rings. It's him.
Key Events
- Ellie's Disappearance Revealed: Ellie willingly goes to Noelle Donnelly's house on the day she disappears.
- Ellie's Funeral: Laurel and Paul bury Ellie's remains, ending a decade of uncertainty.
- Laurel Meets Floyd: Laurel encounters Floyd Dunn in a café.
- The First Date: Laurel and Floyd go on a date, where she learns he has a daughter, Poppy, who sounds like Ellie.
- A Second Vanishing: Floyd reveals that Poppy's mother "vanished" five years prior.
Character Development
Laurel undergoes a profound transformation, moving from grief to a new phase of life. Meeting Floyd reawakens her capacity for hope, though her interactions with Hanna reveal she is still struggling to rebuild her family relationships.
- Laurel Mack: Moves from grief to hope, but struggles with family relationships.
- Ellie Mack: Her final moments portray her as ambitious and trusting, but her pragmatism leads to a fatal mistake.
- Floyd Dunn: Introduced as charismatic, but his vague descriptions of his older daughter and the story of Poppy's mother introduce mystery.
- Hanna Mack: Defined by emotional distance, representing a path of isolation.
Themes & Symbols
Themes
- Grief, Loss, and Moving On: The burial of Ellie's remains provides closure, allowing Laurel to move forward. Her meeting with Floyd is the first step toward building a new life.
- Deception and Hidden Truths: Chapter 11 exposes Noelle's deception, while Floyd's introduction brings new potential deceit. His story about Poppy's mother feels incomplete.
- The Nature of Family and Motherhood: Laurel's strained attempt to connect with Hanna highlights a broken mother-daughter dynamic.
Symbols
The simple act of Floyd offering Laurel a piece of his cake symbolizes the breaking of her isolation. It is an offering of sweetness, intimacy, and trust in a life that has been bitter for a decade. This small moment of sharing is the catalyst for their entire relationship.
The carrot cake symbolizes the breaking of Laurel's isolation, offering sweetness and trust.
Significance
This section is a crucial pivot, resolving the mystery of how Ellie disappeared while launching a new psychological thriller. The narrative shifts from a cold case to Laurel's re-entry into the world, complicated by her relationship with Floyd.
The parallels between Floyd's life and Laurel's—particularly the "vanished" mother and a daughter who sounds just like Ellie—are masterful foreshadowing. These chapters transition the reader's focus from the past to the present, creating escalating dread.
Analysis
Lisa Jewell manipulates narrative structure and genre. The shift from "THEN" to "NOW" creates dramatic irony. The reader knows a key piece of the puzzle that Laurel does not, heightening tension as she becomes entangled with Floyd. The story morphs from a somber mystery into a tense psychological thriller.
The pacing accelerates with Floyd's arrival. Jewell uses detailed descriptions of Laurel's internal state to make her emotional reawakening feel authentic. This emotional investment makes the hints of darkness surrounding Floyd all the more potent. The description of Poppy as a math prodigy with a "wicked" sense of humor signals the deep, disturbing connection between Laurel's past and her potential future.