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Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Jonathan, eating lunch with Matthew at Woodyard, tells Matthew about his connections to Lucy and Gaby. Hearing this, Matthew is concerned that he has too many personal connections to this case because of Jonathan’s position at the Woodyard. Even so, he interviews Gaby, who tells him that while Simon didn’t have any known friends, someone did leave a voicemail for him recently. She admits that on the day of the murder, she was on a beach near where Simon was found, but she vehemently rejects any connection to the killing. Gaby then reveals that she made a painting of Simon because she found “[s]omething compelling” about him. She shows the painting to Matthew. In one of Gaby’s last conversations with Simon, he told her that although he was depressed, he didn’t think that dying by suicide was an option because “[h]e still had work to do” (86).
Jen heads to Kingsley House, a luxurious Victorian hotel where Simon once worked. The manager reveals that in addition to having an alcohol use disorder, Simon was a difficult man who had a contentious relationship with the chef, Danny Clarkson. Clarkson tells Jen that although Simon was a good baker, he was terrible to work with and was not receptive to instruction.