Big Lies in a Small Town: A Novel

As speculation over Martin’s disappearance runs wild, Anna finds herself in denial and wonders if she’s losing her grip on reality. While she struggles with her mental health and loses motivation to continue her work, Jesse paints the mural’s background for her. One morning, she arrives at the warehouse to find Jesse staring at the mural. He is shocked that she has painted the front end of a motorcycle protruding from the Tea Party ladies’ skirts and offers to paint over it, but Anna insists that the motorcycle remain in the mural.

After Nelle’s death, Morgan returns to her library research and stumbles upon a news article reporting Martin’s disappearance. She finds a second article, this one about Anna closing the warehouse to the public while she finishes the mural. She copies the articles and shows them to Oliver. He is intrigued but believes that the mystery of Anna and her mural will never be solved.

Myrtle reports that the police have found Martin’s body. Anna is frozen, unsure how to respond, and Myrtle speculates that Martin’s wife did it in response to his physical abuse. Anna flees the house, desperate to conceal her sobs. She wants to confess, but she fears that if she does, Jesse will become the scapegoat. As she walks past Mill Village, she notices skulls in the windows of the homes, skulls that she faithfully incorporates into her mural.

Morgan attends Nelle’s funeral, and afterward, Nelle’s daughter, Saundra, says that her mother has left her diary to Morgan. Morgan eagerly accepts it, hoping to discover more answers about the past.

Jesse manages to keep Anna functional, but her mind slips in and out of delirium. Myrtle calls a doctor to examine Anna, but he only recommends that she eat more. When he asks if she feels “melancholy,” it triggers memories of her mother’s depression, and she feels a deep-seated fear she may be treading the same path.

Morgan checks in with her parole officer, and when the conversation turns to Morgan’s deadline, Rebecca informs her that there’s no risk of her going back to prison. She emphasizes this, saying, “Morgan, you are out” (301). With the threat of prison no longer hanging overhead, Morgan resolves to finish the mural on time for Lisa, for Jesse, and for herself.

Martin’s motorcycle is discovered in the woods, and Myrtle says that Martin’s wife suspects Jesse of the murder. Anna argues that Jesse would never commit murder. Myrtle laments Anna’s habit of staying late in the warehouse, which has caused rumors to circulate.

That morning, Karl and another officer come to the warehouse to question Anna and Jesse. She claims that the last time she saw Martin was the day he slapped his wife. When Jesse offers an answer, Karl snaps, “I wasn’t addressin’ you, boy” (306). Anna reproaches Karl for his disrespectful tone and then fears that she has said too much. Karl takes her outside to question her privately, asking whether Jesse is hurting her. She denies it. After the officers leave, Anna tells Jesse that they have to “think of [themselves] as innocent” (308).

Saundra brings the diary to the gallery, but it turns out to be Anna’s diary, not Nelle’s. How Nelle came to possess it is still a mystery. Saundra also drops off some early sketches of Jesse’s, although Morgan doesn’t see the artist’s signature style in them. Saundra leaves, and Morgan is eager to dive into the diary.

A month after the assault, Anna discovers that she is pregnant with Martin’s child. She is determined to finish the mural before the town finds out about the pregnancy. She agrees to remove the motorcycle and other oddities before the mural is hung, but insists upon keeping them for the time being, stating, “That’s my Edenton in the mural right now” (313). Jesse argues that she should terminate the pregnancy—his Aunt Jewel is a midwife and could help—but Anna cannot bring herself to do it. In an attempt to protect Jesse, she also vows to keep him out of the situation.

The next day, Pauline comes to visit and asks pointed questions about the warehouse. A day later, Karl stops by and questions Anna about her hammer. He claims that a hammer was found near the motorcycle, and Anna realizes that Pauline’s visit was intended purely to gather information. When Anna cannot produce the hammer—or a good excuse for not having it—Karl leaves. Jesse, however, claims he threw the hammer deep into the woods, far from the motorcycle. Later that day, Peter bursts into the warehouse, warning them that the police are coming to arrest both Anna and Jesse. They run, taking the mural with them. Jesse flees in Anna’s car, and Anna remains behind with Jesse’s family. His Aunt Jewel leads Anna up to Nelle’s room where Anna tells her the whole story—the rape, the murder, and Jesse’s disposal of the body. Jewel argues that Anna must stay with them until the baby comes, seven months hence. She shows Anna a secret space behind a false wall in a closet: a place to hide in case the police come. A short time later, the police do come, and Nelle hides Anna in a wooden chest. One of the officers enters the room but doesn’t find her.

Anna follows the news and is relieved that Jesse has not been found. She does her best to help out, but Jesse’s family is not happy she’s there. After two months, she has a routine—cleaning, cooking, sewing—but she’s still seen as a burden. At this point, she is simply marking time until her baby comes and is unsure of what to do afterward. One night, she feels the baby move, and although Jewel tells her the baby is healthy, she feels only revulsion at having Martin’s baby inside her. Jewel knows of a white family who might want to adopt the child if Anna decides she doesn’t want it. Months later, Anna gives birth to a red-haired baby boy. She gives the baby up and makes plans to leave, to start a new life under a new name. She leaves the journal with Nelle, convinced that Nelle would never divulge Anna’s secret. She hopes to one day reconnect with Jesse.