Thief River Falls

Lisa thinks about Denis Farrell, a “ruthless, arrogant son of a bitch who treated the town of Thief River Falls like his personal empire” (190). As she remembers Denis Farrell, Lisa reveals that her fiancé, who is now deceased, was Daniel “Danny” Farrell, Denis Farrell’s son. When Lisa and Danny were fifteen and had just started dating, Denis invited Lisa to his home and yelled at her, telling her she would not be marrying Danny or preventing Danny from going to college. Nevertheless, as an adult, Danny had returned to Thief River Falls and proposed to Lisa. Lisa “took no satisfaction in the fact that she’d ultimately won the war” and “hated the idea that she’d been the source of a permanent split between father and son” (191). In her novel, Thief River Falls, Lisa had made Denis Farrell the murderer. Lisa had “intended it as a malicious joke, but she was beginning to feel that Denis was the one who was laughing” (192).

Lisa goes to Fiona Farrell’s house. The house is covered in police tape, but “[t]he crime scene tape itself had pulled away and torn in places, thanks to days of wind and rain” (192). Lisa sneaks into the house through the back door. Inside, she notices fingerprinting dust anywhere. She also notices that one of the knives from the butcher block in the kitchen is missing. In the living room, she looks at the pictures of Fiona’s family on the mantle. Lisa notices that Danny isn’t in any of the pictures. Lisa also notices that Fiona wears a wedding ring, but Fiona’s husband isn’t in any of the pictures either. Lisa notices broken glass on the carpet and, opening an end table drawer, she finds a broken picture frame containing a photo of Fiona and her husband on their wedding day. Lisa notes, “Fiona had married him, but now he was a broken picture in a drawer” (196). Lisa follows a police evidence marker up the stairs and into the master bedroom. The bedroom is covered in blood, and Lisa realizes this must be the scene of Fiona’s murder. 

Lisa drives to the building that houses the local newspaper, where she knows the newspaper’s editor Tom Doggett takes a smoke break every day at 2 o’clock. Lisa and Tom have known each other for a long time, and Lisa trusts Tom not to tell anyone she’s in town. Lisa waits for Tom to come outside and texts him, “Camaro on 4th” (199). Curious, Tom approaches the car and gets inside. Lisa asks Tom about the murder of Fiona Farrell.

Tom explains that Denis Farrell “kept his daughter under his thumb the way he did when she was still a kid” (200). A few years ago, Fiona met a man named Nick Loudon at a festival in Bemidji. Fiona and Nick got married, but Nick was physically abusive. After Nick hurt Fiona so badly Fiona ended up in the emergency room, he spent two months in jail. Fiona got a divorce and a restraining order. When Nick was released from jail, Denis began keeping a police car stationed outside Fiona’s house. Nick disappeared to Florida, but he returned to Thief River Falls ten days ago, managed to break into Fiona’s house, and killed her. Tom theorizes that Nick stole a car and returned to Florida. However, Lisa wonders if Nick is still in town. Tom says, “Maybe Nick is still holed up somewhere around here. He can’t hide forever, though. And I’ll tell you one thing. Nick better hope that the cops catch him before Denis Farrell does. This was his daughter. Believe me, Denis is out for blood” (203).

Lisa returns to her childhood home and finds Purdue hiding in the secret crawlspace in the basement. Purdue hugs Lisa and tells her he was worried she wasn’t coming back. Purdue tells Lisa he explored the house while she was gone. Purdue found Lisa’s novel, Thief River Falls, and began reading. Lisa tells Purdue she wishes he hadn’t done that, because it’s a scary book for adults, not a book for children. Lisa asks Purdue if he remembers anything about a cemetery, to see if that brings back any memories but to no avail. Lisa takes out a couple photographs she stole from Fiona’s house. Purdue doesn’t Fiona, but he recognizes Nick Loudon as the man he saw tortured and killed two nights earlier. Then, Lisa shows Purdue a picture of Denis Farrell. Purdue recognizes Denis Farrell as the man at the scene of the murder who said, “Kill the boy” (208).

Purdue explains that the man he now knows to be Denis Farrell was the leader of the group that tortured and killed a man in the woods. Even though Lisa doesn’t like Denis, “she felt sorry for him. Deep down, he was a sad old man caught up in his grief, and she knew that grief could change someone. Turn them into someone new, twist around their minds until they didn’t even recognize themselves” (210). Lisa tells Purdue she has to go out again. Lisa hopes to find proof that Denis murdered the man so she can bring the evidence to Will at the FBI. Lisa remembers Denis owned a little cabin by the river in town and thinks that may have been where Nick was killed. Lisa reassures Purdue that she will come back and reminds Purdue to hide in the crawlspace if he hears anyone come by the house.

A woman named Keri McDonnell, along with her husband and young daughter, Emma, are renting the house on Lisa’s property. Keri is a big fan of the book Thief River Falls and thinks it’s exciting to be renting the house where Lisa wrote the book. Keri knows the main home on the property has been empty for a year, but she hopes Lisa will come by the house eventually. All day, Keri has had a feeling that someone is at the house, but she hasn’t seen anyone yet. Keri takes a shower and prepares to take her daughter to a friend’s house. When she comes out of the shower, Emma tells Keri she saw a woman come out of the main house. Keri walks outside and sees Lisa hurrying down the street on foot. Keri considers should after her, but “she really didn’t want to be a creepy fan” (215). Keri goes back inside and calls her friend from her book club, Laurel March. Keri tells Laurel she just saw Lisa, and Laurel reveals she has been looking for Lisa herself.