The Intruder

The narrative flashes back to Ella’s timeline. Ella is met by paramedics outside her burning house. When they inform her that Desiree died in the fire, Ella tries to conjure tears. She only starts crying when she remembers she’ll never see Anton again. The paramedic asks for her name, and she introduces herself by her full name, Elizabeth Casey.

The narrative returns to Casey’s present timeline and reveals that Ella and Casey are the same person. Casey admits that she killed her mother, Desiree. After the incident, she “started going by [her] last name” (223), Casey, instead of Ella. She understands how Eleanor feels and doesn’t want her to live with the same regret as her. At Lee’s, she races inside and begs an emotional Eleanor not to hurt Lee. She explains that she knows Lee is her father and that she understands how she feels. Eleanor ignores Casey and accuses Lee of abandoning her. When Eleanor reveals that her mother is Jolene Kettering, Lee has a revelation. He explains that Jolene had a sexual relationship with his late brother, who must be her father. Eleanor breaks down and reveals that she goes by the nickname Nell, not Eleanor.