All Her Fault

At the opening of Part 2, a major plot twist, or change in the narrative arc, occurs. Milo is found and returned to his family. At this point, as the shift from Part 1 to Part 2 indicates, the mystery itself shifts. Whereas in Part 1, the tension was driven by the search to find Milo, in Part 2, the mystery becomes why Milo was kidnapped.

The investigation continues along this vein, structured largely around a series of short interviews with Milo himself. As Milo gradually describes what he remembers in fragments, these revelations contribute to the search for the culprits and their motives. Milo’s recollections are rendered in childlike language, fitting for his young age, such as when he describes the man who took him from Carrie’s house as having a voice “like a monster” (222). As such, in a work where the author readily admits to having “bend[ed] things a little here and there to suit the story” (387), these interviews are largely realistic renderings of interviews with juvenile witnesses. They reflect the author’s research “on Garda procedures in a case like this” (387). It also contributes to the suspense, as Milo is unable to recall and recount at once everything that occurred to him over his week in captivity, as an adult might. Instead, information is portioned out, with each new statement leading closer to the truth.

In these chapters, The Tension Between Public Personas and Private Realities is further developed. When Peter was first introduced, Jenny described him as someone “sure of himself” with “all the power in the room” (105). She sees Marissa and Peter as a “golden couple.” However, the glimpses of Peter revealed in scenes from the Irvine home present a much colder figure. When Brian says he will not pick up their sister from the airport, Peter reacts with confusion and annoyance. He is used to Brian “do[ing] the dogsbody work” (231) without question (“dogsbody work” is Irish and British slang for menial labor). Lia heightens the perception of his sense of entitlement when she reveals that Peter dated Brian’s ex-girlfriend when they were in high school. This behavior shows a disregard for other people’s feelings in the pursuit of his own pleasure and sense of satisfaction. The public persona of Peter as a perfect husband is thus darkened by these private illustrations of his true character, which suggests that Peter may not be as trustworthy as he seems, hinting at the revelations of his conduct that will appear in the final chapters.

The need to uphold a public persona despite private realities is also explored in the relationship between Frank and Irene. Frank Turner is eager to keep a distance from the private realities of his wife’s daughter’s complicity in a horrific crime so that “nobody in the bank knows about the connection” (248). Irene is not as concerned about such notions of respectability. Not unlike Peter, she is determined to ensure she gets what she wants, even if it hurts her closest relationships.