Cover of Not Quite Dead Yet

Not Quite Dead Yet

by Holly Jackson


Genre
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime
Year
2025
Pages
417
Contents

Chapter 5

Overview

Jet concludes nothing was stolen, strengthening her belief that the attacker came to her house specifically to kill her. Using her Apple Watch with Detective Ecker, Jet pinpoints the attack to 10:46 p.m., sees a suspicious “Sorry” text from her ex JJ at 10:58 p.m., and locates her stolen phone’s last ping on River Street at 10:56 p.m.

Police move to investigate the phone location, while Jet records the timeline to protect against memory lapses. Billy arrives with Reggie, and Jet’s blunt confession that she’ll die within a week devastates him, raising the emotional stakes around her shrinking time to solve the case.

Summary

Crime-scene cleaners remove the blood-soaked rug while Jet Mason eats a sandwich her father brings. Jet’s mother presses Jet to reconsider the high-risk surgery, but Jet refuses and instead questions what police found inside the house. Jet learns nothing appears missing or disturbed, which makes a robbery motive less likely.

Thinking through the evidence, Jet argues the attacker likely brought the weapon, meaning the assault was planned and personal. Jet tells her father the third blow suggests the attacker wanted to be sure Jet died, not merely escape. When Jet asks who would want to kill her, her father has no answer, devastated.

Jet stops Detective Ecker as he leaves and pushes to work alongside him. With Chief Lou Jankowski’s approval, Jet is allowed to look through her Apple Watch. The heart-rate data on Halloween shows a sudden spike and crash that pinpoints the attack at 10:46 p.m..

Jet checks messages visible on the watch: a mundane text from her mother at 10:48 p.m., and then a single text from her ex-boyfriend JJ (saved as “Don’t Pick Up”) saying “Sorry” at 10:58 p.m., after the attack. Jet insists she has no explanation and notes JJ has left town and is not answering. Realizing the attacker took her phone, Jet uses the watch’s device-finding feature to locate Jet’s iPhone: last connected at 10:56 p.m. on River Street near North Street. Ecker and the chief drive off to canvass the area, offering Jet no firm promises about updates.

Jet writes the crucial times and leads down so she won’t forget. Sergeant Jack Finney then tells Jet someone has come to see her: Billy arrives with Reggie, who rushes to Jet happily. Billy explains he brought Jack’s wallet back after someone found it on The Green, likely dropped during Jack’s scuffle with Andrew Smith, and that Billy heard Reggie screaming the night of the attack. Billy hugs Jet, relieved, but Jet realizes Billy doesn’t know the truth and finally tells him she will be dead in a week, leaving him shocked and reeling.

Who Appears

  • Jet Mason
    Determined victim-investigator; deduces intent, extracts watch data, finds phone location, records timeline.
  • Detective Ecker
    Lead investigator; reluctantly lets Jet review Apple Watch; heads to canvass River Street.
  • Jack Finney
    Sergeant on scene; listens, takes notes, lends pen/paper; steps aside as Billy arrives.
  • Lou Jankowski
    Police chief; authorizes Jet’s watch review and rides with Ecker to investigate phone ping.
  • Jet’s mother
    Pressures Jet to choose surgery; confirms nothing missing; overwhelmed by Jet’s conclusions.
  • Jet’s father
    Supports Jet; confirms house unchanged; reacts to Jet’s theory that someone intended to kill her.
  • Billy Finney
    Brings Reggie; explains returning Jack’s lost wallet; hugs Jet and is shattered by her prognosis.
  • Reggie
    Jet’s dog; excited reunion with Jet; his screaming helped Billy discover the attack.
  • JJ
    Jet’s ex-boyfriend; sends “Sorry” text after the attack; potential lead or suspect.
  • Andrew Smith
    Mentioned as involved in a scuffle with Jack at the fair, during which Jack likely dropped his wallet.
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