Chapter 2

Summary

• The protagonist, Leah, is a reporter who encounters a roadblock by a lake on her way to school. She becomes apprehensive as her daughter Emmy has not returned home yet, and she worries that she could be involved in an accident.
• Leah parks her car and meditatively approaches the scene. She has a keen eye for detail, developed from her experiences as a crime reporter. She refers to her approach as 'practicing detachment', enabling her to assess a scene objectively and without emotional involvement.
• She describes Emmy in a clinical, factual manner, revealing some details of her life: four years in the Peace Corps; recently moved to escape a sour relationship; works nights at a motel lobby and occasionally cleans houses. She is unmarried, has a slight build, and dark hair cut to her collarbone.
• As Leah approaches the scene, she sees a group of people gathered around a patch of dried blood on the grass. She asks a woman what happened, who informs her that a woman named Bethany Jarvitz was hit and left there. Leah doesn't know Bethany, but is relieved that it wasn't Emmy involved.
• She quickly leaves the scene, worried that if she stays she might become a part of the investigation, which could complicate matters given her past that includes a restraining order and a threat of a lawsuit.
• On the way back to her car, Leah hears a rustling sound behind her. Though she doesn't see anything, she can't help but be on an alert, possibly indicating that she might have some enemies or is used to being in precarious situations.
• When she reaches school later, she finds teachers whispering about the woman found by the lake. She reflects on how different life is in this setting compared to a city, where such crimes would be considered almost routine.