Chapter Eight: Just Tell Us

Summary

• The narrator experiences intense déjà vu while meeting with Detective Janus.
• Janus delivers the news that the search for the narrator's father (Dad) was unsuccessful.
• The initial search included infrared helicopter searches, thermal scans, and canine teams.
• Dad's backpack was found in the river, caught on a rock, with his intact phone inside, but the rest of the contents were wet.
• Janus retrieves a file, giving the family time to process the severity of the situation and the likelihood that Dad might not be found.
• Despite unspoken questions, the family is reluctant to vocalize their fears regarding Dad’s fate.
• The narrator struggles to ask about the implications of the backpack being found in the water.
• The mother takes over the questioning, asking what the backpack might indicate about Dad's fate.
• Janus discusses the difficulty of water rescue and the possibility that Dad's body may not be recovered.
• Janus presents photos of the items from the backpack to the family for any unusual observations.
• A green spiral-bound notebook, unidentified by the mother, is among the wet belongings.
• The notebook cover is mostly illegible, but the narrator discerns the letters "H" and "Q" from the title.
• After an initial misinterpretation of the letters, Detective Janus shares that the "H" likely stands for Happiness and the notebook is being dried for further examination.
• The narrator suddenly realizes the "Q" stands for Quotient, and the term "Happiness Quotient" materializes in their mind.