The Reappearance of Rachel Price
by Holly Jackson
Contents
Chapter Twenty-three
Overview
Bel's attempt to push the police toward Rachel's reappearance backfires when Dave confirms the forensic evidence supports Rachel's story: the DNA is real, the tote bag is where Rachel claimed, and no trace of a captor has been found. Bel therefore turns from official channels to family gossip, pressing Sherry for the secret hinted at during the dinner.
Sherry reveals that Rachel may have had an intimate connection with Julian Tripp shortly before vanishing, and that Tripp was the man who found Bel at the original disappearance scene. The revelation gives Bel a new target and shifts her investigation from Rachel's staged return to a possible accomplice or motive in the original disappearance.
Summary
On Saturday morning, Bel wakes to find Charlie already gone to work, which Bel reads as an excuse to be away from home. When Bel says she is going out to see friends, Rachel tries to be included but backs down after Bel makes clear that normal plans do not include Rachel. Rachel accidentally calls Bel Anna again, apologizes, and Bel leaves coldly.
Outside, Bel sees Police Chief Dave Winter speaking with Ms. Nelson, who reports a man in a baseball cap standing late at night under a tree and watching the Price house. Bel dismisses the idea as likely reporters and privately believes the real danger is Rachel. Dave warns that the unidentified man is still a threat, but Bel instead presses Dave about Rachel's case.
Dave tells Bel that DNA tests prove the returned woman is Rachel Price and that police found Rachel's tote bag exactly where Rachel said it was. The bag and Rachel's damaged clothing contain only Rachel's DNA, plus Bel's on the clothing from when Bel found her, and the clothing labels are too deteriorated to trace. Bel interprets these results as evidence that Rachel carefully covered her tracks for her reappearance and decides the police are useless if they only chase Rachel's alleged captor.
Bel goes to Sherry's house to exploit Sherry's resentment after the disastrous dinner. Carter briefly interrupts, defending Rachel's effort to adjust, but leaves when a package arrives. Alone with Sherry, Bel frames herself and Sherry as being on Charlie's side and asks directly whether Rachel was seeing someone else before she disappeared.
Sherry admits she saw Rachel with Julian Tripp a few days before the disappearance, walking from school to his car in the snow and looking closer than friends. Sherry says Tripp had been like a lovesick puppy and that he was also the first person on the scene after Rachel vanished, the man who found toddler Bel. Sherry explains that she never told police her suspicions because Tripp had been cleared and because suggesting Rachel had another man might have given police a motive to suspect Charlie. Bel concludes that Tripp may be connected to Rachel's lies and decides to confront him.
Who Appears
- Bel Priceprobes police evidence, manipulates Sherry for information, and identifies Julian Tripp as her next lead.
- Sherryreveals suspicions about Rachel and Julian Tripp while explaining she protected Charlie from police suspicion.
- Rachel Pricetries to connect with Bel, misnames her again, and remains Bel's chief suspect.
- Police Chief Dave Winterinvestigates Ms. Nelson's reported watcher and shares forensic updates that support Rachel's account.
- Ms. Nelsonreports seeing a man in a baseball cap watching the Price house late at night.
- Carterbriefly defends Rachel's efforts before leaving Bel and Sherry alone to talk.
- Julian Trippabsent but newly revealed as Rachel's possible admirer and the man who found Bel.
- Charlie Priceabsent from home; Sherry's past silence centered on protecting him from suspicion.