The Reappearance of Rachel Price
by Holly Jackson
Contents
Chapter Forty
Overview
Bel's faith in Charlie collapses when she finds proof that he lied about small domestic incidents and realizes he had been gaslighting both Bel and Rachel for years. A publication date in The Memory Thief confirms that Rachel must have had access to the book during her disappearance, pushing Bel toward Pat's house as the next key location.
Bel rejects Charlie as her unquestioned ally, steals Pat's pills to manufacture a reason to leave, and secretly sets out to investigate. By apologizing to Ash and asking for help, Bel chooses the truth over loyalty to her father and moves toward the confrontation Rachel has tried to prevent.
Summary
After Jeff's revelation about Charlie leaving young Bel alone, Bel leaves the birthday table under the excuse of getting water. Instead, Bel searches the back of a cupboard and finds Charlie's supposedly broken Santa mug intact. The discovery proves that Charlie lied about the mug, just as he lied about the Taco Bell incident and other household mistakes Bel had been made to believe were her fault.
Bel reevaluates years of memories and realizes Charlie repeatedly made both Bel and Rachel doubt themselves by blaming them for things like open doors, running faucets, unsealed trash cans, and forgotten ovens. Because none of those incidents happened after Charlie disappeared, Bel concludes Charlie was the source of the manipulation. Bel throws the Santa mug in the trash and recognizes that Charlie's warning about manipulation pointed back to himself.
Bel goes to her room and follows another clue: Rachel's comments about The Memory Thief. Bel checks the copyright page and sees that the book was first published in March 2008, one month after Rachel disappeared. Since Rachel could not have read it before vanishing, and Bel no longer believes in the basement-abductor story, Bel realizes Rachel must have read the book during the missing sixteen years.
Bel connects this realization to the copy of The Memory Thief at Pat's house and accepts that the truth about Rachel's disappearance leads back to Charlie. Bel thinks through the hints she had rejected, including Susan's comments, Mr. Tripp's doubts, Phillip Alves's question, and the lock on Rachel's door. Bel looks at a photo of herself with Charlie, recognizes that Charlie was never truly on Bel's side, and turns the photo facedown.
When Bel heads downstairs, Carter tries to stop Bel for an important conversation, but Bel says she cannot talk and asks Carter to cover for her. Bel then secretly takes Pat's digestion pills from Yordan's bag so she can create an excuse to leave the party and go to Pat's house without Rachel following or suspecting Bel's real purpose.
After Pat finishes cake, Yordan notices the missing pills and says he must have left them at home. Bel volunteers to fetch them, insists despite Rachel's concern, and leaves on her bike. Outside, Bel texts Ash an apology, says she knows how to find the truth, and asks Ash to meet her at Pat's house with the camera because everything will end that night.
Who Appears
- Bel PriceReassesses Charlie's lies, identifies a book clue, and secretly heads to Pat's house.
- Charlie PriceAbsent but newly exposed as a manipulative father who distorted Bel's and Rachel's memories.
- Rachel PriceWatches Bel with concern while unknowingly becoming central to Bel's new theory.
- CarterTries to talk to Bel about something important, then agrees to cover for her.
- YordanCaregiver whose bag and missing pills become part of Bel's escape plan.
- PatGrandfather whose digestion pills and house provide Bel's pretext and destination.
- AshAbsent ally whom Bel apologizes to and asks to bring the camera.
- SherryDinner guest whose chatter underscores the tense silence at Pat's birthday meal.