The Reappearance of Rachel Price
by Holly Jackson
Contents
Chapter Thirty-four
Overview
Bel and Ash break into Grandpa Pat’s house ahead of Rachel and hide a small camera in the living room, hoping to catch Rachel searching for whatever she secretly wants near the fireplace. Their trap also pushes Bel and Ash into a vulnerable moment when they kiss, but Bel immediately retreats behind defensiveness.
Rachel’s arrival confirms Bel’s instincts: she knows Pat’s spare-key hiding place and enters the house alone. However, Rachel spots the hidden camera almost immediately, destroying Bel’s chance at easy proof and escalating the conflict between them.
Summary
Bel and Ash hide across from Grandpa Pat’s house while Yordan takes Pat out in the yellow car. Because Yordan previously caught Rachel searching Pat’s living room, Bel has deliberately told Rachel a false time so Bel and Ash can enter first and set a trap.
Bel uses the spare key hidden under Pat’s ceramic toad, Barry, and leads Ash into the overheated living room. They choose the bookshelves near the fireplace as the best place to hide Ash’s small camera, because Rachel is likely to search the room without expecting surveillance.
While Ash connects the camera to Pat’s Wi-Fi, Bel and Ash banter tensely. Ash reveals that Ramsey sees the documentary not as Rachel’s story but as Bel’s, because Bel is the person most changed by Rachel’s return. This unsettles Bel, and the emotional moment leads Bel and Ash to kiss.
Bel immediately pulls away and denies the kiss meant anything, trying to protect herself from caring about someone who will leave. Ash is hurt but accepts Bel’s deflection, and they leave the house, replace the key, and return to their hiding place across the street to watch the live feed.
At 11:31, Rachel arrives in her silver Ford Escape, retrieves Pat’s spare key from under Barry, and lets herself into the house. Bel feels vindicated as Rachel walks into the living room, but Rachel almost instantly notices the hidden camera on the bookshelf, reaches for it, and covers the lens, ending Bel and Ash’s attempt to record proof.
Who Appears
- Bel PriceSets the trap for Rachel, kisses Ash, then emotionally shuts him out.
- Ash MaddoxHelps Bel install and monitor the hidden camera; admits Ramsey’s documentary focus.
- Rachel PriceArrives at Pat’s house as Bel predicted and quickly discovers the hidden camera.
- YordanTakes Grandpa Pat out, giving Bel and Ash time to set up surveillance.
- Grandpa PatAbsent for most of the trap; his house and spare key enable Rachel’s entry.
- RamseyDiscussed by Ash as believing Bel is the documentary’s true subject.