53 pages • 1 hour read
Catherine SteadmanSomething in the Water
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 24-26Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 24 Summary: “Are We Dead Yet?”
Back home, Erin and Mark resume their lives, preparing for the wedding and looking into how to sell the diamonds. They get a call from Mark’s mother one night, who tells them a couple at their Bora Bora hotel (the Sharpes) was killed in a scuba diving accident. There were “no signs of foul play” (181), but the timing and circumstances seem too suspicious to be a coincidence.
Mark rationalizes how it couldn’t possibly be murder, but Erin isn’t convinced. She asks how the murderers would know to look for a British couple, and Mark reveals he told one of the hotel employees the bag belonged to the Sharpes in a moment of panic. Mark’s now sure no one is looking for them anymore, but Erin doesn’t believe that either. She knows deep down “they are still looking for us” (186).
Chapter 25 Summary: “Holli’s Follow-Up”
Erin goes for Holli’s follow-up interview. The Sharpes and death intrude on her thoughts, but Erin resolves to stick to the “plan to carry on like normal” (187). At Holli’s place, Erin meets Michelle Byford, Holli’s mother. Holli disappeared yesterday, and Detective Chief Inspector Foster (Andy), the detective working Holli’s case, believes she is involved in counterterrorism in Syria. Due to the documentary, Erin is involved and will likely be investigated. Andy implies Erin could be incriminated if things work out a certain way and requests a copy of Holli’s interview for the investigation. Outwardly, Erin remains calm. Inside, she panics about the diamonds and how they need to “get this stuff out of our home as soon as we can” (203).
Chapter 26 Summary: “The Stones”
Through an old contact from work, Mark finds a way for them to get rid of the diamonds. Posed as a fake seller’s personal assistant, Erin meets with the contact and drops off the diamonds. As she leaves, she feels “eyes on my back” (208), but no one watches her. A short time later, the contact calls and says he can’t help, implying he believes the diamonds were stolen. Erin collects the diamonds, sure they can be sold without a middle man. She goes to the diamond exchange, where an associate offers to buy the diamond she shows. Erin leaves, secure in the knowledge “these stones can be sold” (216).
At home, Mark confronts Erin about Andy. He found his business card in Erin’s coat pocket and looked through Erin’s email, where he discovered the investigation surrounding Holli. Mark tells Erin not to “freeze me out” and asks what else she hasn’t told him (218). Erin apologizes but doesn’t reveal her other secrets.
Chapters 24-26 Analysis
The death of the Sharpes in Chapter 24 represents Erin’s fears. They died in a suspicious scuba diving accident, which plays both on her fears of the plane people and scuba diving. The Sharpes influence Erin for the rest of the book. Their deaths make her question whether the plane people are still looking for the couple with the bag. This becomes ironic in Chapter 33, when the man on the iPhone’s voicemail says he wants only the USB and not to take action against whoever has the bag. Erin discusses the Sharpes’ deaths with Mark, who rationalizes the coincidence away. Erin trusts his logic less than in previous chapters, showing she’s grown. Mark’s lack of empathy for the Sharpes also puts Erin on edge.
In Chapter 26, Erin and Mark have their first argument about trust. After finding Andy’s business card, Mark engages in a blatant invasion of Erin’s privacy by reading her emails, showing his lack of respect for her. He calls Erin on her secret-keeping and demands she be honest while he keeps even bigger secrets than she does. In response, Erin divulges her secrets, except for her pregnancy and Eddie knowing so much about them. She doesn’t confide in Mark because she doesn’t want to ruin the moment or have him overreact, but again, there is an undercurrent of fear from her. She feels in control of her part in the plan and fears Mark will take that control away if he knows about Eddie or the baby. Erin still gives Mark control over decisions that are hers to make, but her feeling of control in other areas shows growth. She still isn’t aware of fearing Mark at this point.
