Contents
Chapter 10
Overview
The Trawler is publicly named as Julie Selwyn’s killer, tying her death to earlier murders and home invasions, yet Buckley largely ignores it. Bret grows paranoid, keeps clandestine sex with Ryan, and suspects Susan’s interest in Robert. During PE, Robert corners Bret about rumors and Matt, their fraught exchange exposing rivalries and fear until Bret explosively tackles Thom to mask his rage.
Summary
News breaks that Julie Selwyn’s mutilated body has been found publicly, and the killer’s taunting calls and letter earn the nickname “the Trawler.” Reports link the murders to a wave of home invasions, silent calls, rearranged rooms, ominous gifts, and missing pets. Bret obsesses over these details while classmates show little interest.
Haunted at night yet aroused by the danger, Bret notes Buckley’s indifference. He and Ryan avoid each other in public but rush to Bret’s house after school for hurried sex, replacing their former lunchtime closeness. When Bret tries to discuss the Trawler at lockers, Ryan feigns ignorance but arranges to meet later.
Susan’s appearance and confidence sharpen; Bret suspects she is dressing for Robert Mallory. Susan presses Bret about his vanished weekend and Debbie’s concern, hinting she knows he’s hiding something. Bret deflects, grows angry, and questions why Susan is throwing Robert a party. She ends the confrontation by reminding him they only have one more year.
A week later in PE, Bret lies on the bleachers watching Ryan and Thom when Robert approaches. Robert prods Bret about avoiding him, his crude talk about Susan, and rumors funneled through Matt. Bret pushes back, accusing Robert of asking about him through others. Robert implies Matt is “weird” and depressed, and claims Susan and Thom say Bret thinks he’s a liar, infuriating Bret.
Robert momentarily softens, asking what distracts Bret. Bret cites Julie Selwyn’s murder; Robert’s demeanor shifts, growing opaque and hostile. As the whistle blows for the locker room, Thom and Ryan call to them. Bret suddenly tackles Thom, converting pent-up rage into horseplay that Thom misreads, and the group carries a false narrative of what just happened back down the hill.
Who Appears
- BretNarrator; fixates on the Trawler, maintains secret sex with Ryan, clashes with Susan, and endures a manipulative confrontation with Robert.
- Robert MalloryNew senior; alternates charm and menace, presses Bret about rumors and Matt, briefly shows vulnerability before turning opaque.
- Susan ReynoldsFriend organizing a party for Robert; confronts Bret about his weekend and Debbie, radiates new confidence and allure.
- Ryan VaughnBret’s secret lover; distant in public but visits after school for quick sex, avoids discussing the murders.
- Thom WrightClose friend; plays sports with Ryan, unknowingly becomes Bret’s outlet when Bret tackles him in apparent horseplay.
- Matt KellnerClassmate; absent and rumored depressed; Robert cites him as source of gossip about Bret.
- Debbie SchafferBret’s public girlfriend; affectionate at school, largely uninterested in the Trawler case.
- The TrawlerSerial killer; claims Julie Selwyn’s murder, linked to prior killings and home invasions, heightening Bret’s fear.
- Julie SelwynMurder victim; body found on a public tennis court, catalyzing official recognition of the Trawler.