49 pages • 1 hour read
Karin SlaughterA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Lydia, still tied up, hears the gunfire and subsequent screaming. Lydia screams for help and is surprised to see Claire approaching, huddled under a fireproof blanket. The interior of the garage is so hot that materials are melting. The rollup door is still padlocked shut, so Claire swings a tire iron into the sheetrock, hoping to break through to the flimsy wooden studs. Lydia takes over, using her full weight behind the tire iron. The two sisters start peeling back the melting insulation until they can see daylight through the wall. Claire attempts to take armfuls of VHS tapes with her, but Lydia shoves her through the hole in the wall, only concerned for their safety.
As the flames consume the garage, Claire catalogues Lydia’s extensive wounds, enraged by Paul’s torture, especially when he said he promised not to hurt her. She cocks the gun at Paul, who is crawling on the ground and leaving a bloody trail. She shoots, aiming to kill, but Lydia stops her because she’s convinced only Paul knows where Julia’s body lies. He begs for an ambulance as Lydia pleads with him to tell them Julia’s location. Lydia squeezes Paul’s wound to speed along his confession, but he only laughs and insults her through the pain.
By Karin Slaughter