Cover of Listen for the Lie

Listen for the Lie

by Amy Tintera


Genre
Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Year
2024
Pages
317
Contents

Chapter Fifty-Four: Lucy

Overview

Before leaving town, Lucy confides to her grandmother that Ben’s podcast still does not contain the full truth, but she chooses to keep the remaining secrets for Savvy’s sake. Grandma reassures her that public opinion will never be fully satisfied and that Lucy does not owe anyone complete access to her pain.

Even as online backlash continues, Lucy stops trying to control how strangers see her. By finally responding to Ben’s invitation, with Savvy’s approving presence beside her, Lucy takes a small but important step toward a future beyond the murder and its aftermath.

Summary

As Lucy prepares to leave town and head to the airport, she stops at her grandmother’s house one last time. Relieved that her stay is finally ending, Lucy jokes that she has spent more than enough time in her hometown and that her grandmother should visit Los Angeles next time instead.

Once inside, Lucy admits that Ben’s podcast did not tell the whole truth about Savvy’s death. Lucy makes clear that she is deliberately keeping some parts of the story private because guarding those remaining secrets is the last thing she can still do for Savvy. Grandma understands and tells Lucy that she does not owe the public every detail of her own story or Savvy’s.

Grandma encourages Lucy to accept that Ben accomplished what they needed: he helped shift public understanding, even if some people will never believe Lucy. Lucy says that if people now think well of Savvy, that is enough. Grandma agrees that Savvy’s true self and the private bond she shared with Lucy belong only to them.

Lucy thanks Grandma for pushing her to come back and face everything. Their moment is interrupted by new messages on Lucy’s phone, reflecting the mixed reaction to the case: some people claim they always believed in her, while many online commenters still attack her. Lucy deletes an email from a journalist linking to a viral video accusing her of manipulating events to frame Emmett, recognizing that public judgment will never fully disappear.

When Grandma asks whether Lucy saw Ben before he left, Lucy thinks about Ben’s unanswered text asking to take her out in Los Angeles. At that moment, Savvy appears to Lucy, now dressed casually and grinning, and enthusiastically approves of seeing him. Lucy laughs and finally replies to Ben’s message, signaling that she is ready to move forward.

Who Appears

  • Lucy Chase
    Prepares to leave town, chooses to keep some truths private, and replies to Ben’s invitation.
  • Grandma
    Supports Lucy, validates her choice to keep secrets, and urges her not to seek public approval.
  • Ben Owens
    Podcaster whose incomplete account helped Lucy; invites her out in Los Angeles.
  • Savvy
    Appears to Lucy and symbolically encourages her to move forward with Ben.
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