Chapter Four: Snowflakes, Rainbows, and the Vortex of Overanalysis Hell

Summary

• The chapter is set in the context of a family coping with the disappearance of their father, amid unusual circumstances.
• Detective Morgan Janus is introduced as a tall woman with short, red hair who had previously spoken at the narrator's high school following student suicides.
• Janus had made an impact on the family years earlier, leading to changes in police terminology after the protagonist, Mia, confronted her about the phrase "committed suicide."
• Mia is confused by Janus's seeming kindness, suspecting she might be trying to gain their trust as part of her investigation tactics.
• The family sat through an interrogation where Janus compared their morning routine to snowflakes—similar at a glance but unique upon closer inspection.
• Janus's focus on abnormalities and details during her inquiry left Mia feeling conflicted—a mix of annoyance and kinship with the detective's methodological approach.
• A flashback recounts an incident from Mia's youth, emphasizing the importance of minor differences, such as those in DNA, which set the stage for the novel's theme of minor variances having significant effects.
• A genetic detail about the protagonist and her twin brother, John, demonstrates their physical differences despite being nearly genetically identical.
• The family expressed urgency to find the missing dad, and tension mounted as Janus took a slow, deliberate approach to the investigation.
• Detective Janus suggested various mundane reasons why the father might be missing, prompting the family to insist on the severity of the situation.
• Mia reflects on the family's morning, noting retrospectively that everything seemed unusually "on" and suspects that it might hold clues to her father's disappearance.
• The family divided tasks in an attempt to piece together the situation—the mother called contacts, the son worked with their brother Eugene who has special needs, and Mia attempted to access the father's electronic information.
• Mia stumbled upon a manila folder and a portable hard drive with potential codes and hints, raising more questions about their father's activities and prompting her to share with her mother.
• The family was interrupted by the approaching sound of a helicopter, leading to a tense moment where they embraced in a group hug, seeking comfort amid the uncertainty.