Things We Do in the Dark Summary By Chapter | Jennifer Hillier

Among the letters, she finds a lavender‑colored envelope from Sainte‑Élisabeth prison in Quebec. The letter is from Ruby Reyes, “The Ice Queen,” the woman whose daughter Paris allegedly killed.

Paris recalls nicking Jimmy’s throat with a razor earlier that week, a moment of tension before her trip.

Key Moment: Paris finds a blackmail letter from the “Ice Queen” in Jimmy’s mail.

New Information: Paris’s real identity is Joelle “Joey” Reyes, daughter of a notorious murderer.

Chapter 9: The Parole Reveal

Paris reads Ruby’s letter, which confirms the Parole Board of Canada has granted her release after 25 years. Ruby demands $3 million to keep Paris’s true identity—Joelle Reyes—a secret.

Paris googles the story and confirms Ruby is actually getting out, realizing she never expected the woman to leave prison. The letter includes a photo of Joey’s third birthday, bringing back the trauma of their shared life.

Paris destroys the letter, terrified that her past is catching up to her murder charge.

Key Moment: Ruby Reyes is free and knows Paris is her “dead” daughter.

New Information: Ruby was convicted of killing a bank president in 1992.

Part Two: “What a life to take”

Chapter 10: The Podcaster’s Rage

Drew Malcolm, a true‑crime podcaster in Toronto, reads the news of Ruby Reyes’s parole with fury. He considers it an insult to actual #MeToo victims and decides to cover her case on his show, The Things We Do in the Dark.

Drew recalls Ruby’s 1992 arrest for the murder of bank president Charles Baxter. He remembers Joey Reyes, Ruby’s daughter, who died in a fire at age twenty.

Drew vows to expose Ruby as the horrific mother she truly was.

Key Moment: Drew Malcolm decides to break his silence and investigate the Reyes family.

New Information: Drew was Joey’s former roommate and best friend before she died.

Chapter 11: The Social Worker’s File

Drew meets with Dr. Deborah Jackson, Joey’s former social worker, who quit the profession after Joey died. Deborah reveals that Joey deeply loved Drew and wanted a life completely different from her mother’s.

She hands Drew Joey’s CPS file and six spiral‑bound diaries that were used as evidence against Ruby. Drew feels overwhelming guilt, admitting he was the last person to speak to Joey before she died.

Key Moment: Drew receives Joey’s secret diaries, providing a direct link to her trauma.

New Information: The diaries were admitted in court to show Ruby’s abuse of Joey.

Chapter 12: The Ice Queen’s Trial

Drew reviews the history of Charles Baxter’s murder, a gruesome case involving sixteen stab wounds and a decapitation by an ice skate. Ruby was portrayed as a seductress who targeted a wealthy, older bank president.

Drew recalls how Joey Reyes first answered his “Roommate Wanted” ad in Toronto, looking like a shell of a person. Joey had used the name “Joelle” and eventually shared that all of Ruby’s boyfriends were married.

Drew prepares for an interview with Ruby by immersing himself in Joey’s writings.

Key Moment: Drew remembers meeting Joey for the first time; she was the “Ice Queen’s” twin.

New Information: Joey was Ruby’s daughter, and the murder weapon was an ice skate.

Chapter 13: The Necklace Origin

Through Joey’s diary, the story of her twelfth birthday is revealed. Charles Baxter gave Joey a ruby‑and‑diamond necklace, which sparked a violent, jealous rage in Ruby. Ruby branded Joey as a “slut” and beat her until she blacked out.

A neighbor, Mrs. Finch, knocked on the door but Ruby dismissed her, claiming Joey “tripped.” Joey learned to hide her injuries and her true feelings to survive her mother’s volatility.

Key Moment: Ruby beats Joey in a jealous rage over a gift from Charles Baxter.

New Information: Charles Baxter was Ruby’s married boyfriend, and Joey wore his gift.

Chapter 14: The Golden Cherry

Drew visits the former strip club where Joey worked under the stage name “Ruby.” He meets the owner, Cherry, who recalls Joey as a popular dancer who created deep intimacy with customers.

Cherry reveals that Joey was close friends with another Filipino dancer, Betty Savage, who went missing the same weekend Joey died. Drew remembers the night of his bachelor party when he discovered Joey was a stripper.

He recalls their final argument in his sister’s car before the fire.

Key Moment: Drew learns that Joey’s “twin” dancer, Betty Savage, disappeared during the fire.

New Information: Betty Savage was a dancer who went missing the same weekend as Joey’s fire.

Chapter 15: The Final Argument

In a flashback to New Year’s Eve 1998, Drew confronts Joey in his car. He reveals he is getting married to a woman named Kirsten because she is pregnant. Joey is devastated, having lost the only two people she loved (Drew and Simone) to Vancouver.

Drew shames Joey for her job as a dancer, calling her a “whore.” Joey slaps him and tells him to have a “nice life,” slamming the door for the last time.

Key Moment: Drew’s judgmental behavior and the reveal of his fiancée’s pregnancy break Joey’s heart.

New Information: Drew was engaged and moving to Vancouver, abandoning Joey.

Chapter 16: The Night of the Fire

Drew returns to Joey’s house at 4:00 a.m. to find it blocked by fire trucks. A neighbor tells him Joey didn’t make it, as the fire started in the basement fireplace. Drew identifies the body, which is charred beyond recognition except for the butterfly tattoo on the thigh and the ruby necklace.

Cherry shows Drew old photos of Joey and Betty Savage, noting how much they looked like sisters. Drew realizes Betty’s boyfriend was a member of the violent “Blood Brothers” gang.

Key Moment: Drew identifies a body he believes is Joey’s based on her jewelry and tattoo.

New Information: The ruby necklace was still on the body, linking it to Ruby.

Chapter 17: Reopening the Case

Drew investigates the official fire report, which ruled the 1999 fire an accident due to creosote buildup. He contacts Sergeant Hannah McKinley, the officer from that night, and suggests the fire was a cover‑up for murder.

He theorizes that Betty’s gangster boyfriend might have killed Joey by mistake, thinking she was Betty. McKinley is intrigued and agrees to check missing persons reports for Betty Savage.

Drew reads Joey’s diaries about her time in Maple Sound.

Key Moment: Drew begins to suspect Joey’s death was a murder cover‑up.

New Information: The fire report was incomplete; no one investigated the possibility of foul play.

Chapter 18: Exile in Maple Sound

After Ruby’s arrest, Joey is sent to live with her aunt Flora and uncle Micky in Maple Sound. She meets her grandmother, Lola Celia, who is sharp‑tongued and calls Joey’s mother a “whore.” Joey realizes the family is only taking her in for the kinship‑care payments.

Tito Micky makes Joey uncomfortable by touching her back and telling her she looks like her mother. Joey finds a secret hiding spot under a floorboard for her necklace and cash.

Key Moment: Tito Micky begins grooming Joey, using her resemblance to Ruby.

New Information: Joey was placed with relatives who treated her as a source of income.

Chapter 19: The Gang Connection

Drew tracks down Tony Tranh, a former “Blood Brothers” leader now living in a mansion in Oakville. Tony identifies Betty Savage as “Mae,” his brother Vinny’s former girlfriend. He reveals that Mae was a thief who stole something valuable from the gang before she vanished.

Tony’s brother Vinny was murdered shortly after Mae disappeared, and Tony wants back what was taken. Drew realizes Mae had a record for violent assault, contrary to her “flaky” reputation.

Key Moment: Tony Tranh reveals Mae (Betty) stole from a gang and has been missing since 1999.

New Information: The “Blood Brothers” were a violent Toronto gang involved in drug trafficking.

Chapter 20: The One Percent

Drew reflects on Occam’s Razor: the simplest explanation is usually that Mae is dead. He recalls Joey calling her mother “Ruby” to create emotional distance. Joey’s file reveals old cigarette burns and broken ribs from years of abuse.

Drew remembers kissing Joey before he left for Vancouver and her sudden rejection. Sergeant McKinley calls with news that Mae had a new tattoo: a butterfly on her left thigh, identical to Joey’s on her right.

Key Moment: Drew realizes Joey and Mae had identical matching butterfly tattoos.

New Information: The matching tattoos suggest the women were close enough to share ink.

Chapter 21: The Best Gift

Joey recounts her life in Maple Sound, where Deborah gave her Skittles as a symbol of a “hug.” She hides a box cutter under her mattress for protection against Tito Micky. Lola Celia smacks Joey across the face after a pond incident, calling her “useless.”

Joey asks Deborah if she can live with her, but the request is declined. Joey feels immense jealousy toward Deborah’s daughter, wishing she could trade places with someone loved.

Key Moment: Joey arms herself with a box cutter to survive her uncle’s nightly visits.

New Information: Tito Micky was abusing Joey, and no one in the family intervened.

Chapter 22: The Interview with the Ice Queen

Drew visits Ruby Reyes at Sainte‑Élisabeth prison just before her release. Ruby is unrepentant, blaming Charles Baxter for being a predator and mocking Drew’s grief for Joey. She reveals she is being paid to keep a secret and plans to buy a house in Toronto.

Ruby mentions the Jimmy Peralta case, noting his fifth wife is Filipino and killed a rich older man. Drew is disgusted by her lack of remorse for her daughter.

Key Moment: Ruby hints that she is blackmailing someone over a crime more recent than her own.

New Information: Ruby has been receiving payments in prison to keep a secret.

Chapter 23: The Revelation

Drew visits his mother at an assisted living home and sees the Jimmy Peralta news on TV. He looks at a wedding photo of Paris Peralta and realizes she is actually Joey Reyes. His spine “vibrates” as the truth clicks into place: Joey faked her death and is now a wealthy widow in Seattle.

He connects Ruby’s blackmail to Paris and realizes the Ice Queen has found her daughter. Drew’s world is upended as he stares at his “dead” best friend’s face.

Key Moment: Drew recognizes Paris Peralta as Joey Reyes, realizing she is alive and in trouble.

New Information: The woman in Seattle is the same person Drew believed died in the fire.

Part Three: “That night in Toronto”

Chapter 24: The Reinvention of Paris

Paris reflects on her mother’s blackmail and the irony of being on trial for murder again. She recalls the “official” story of meeting Jimmy in yoga class, which was a lie. In reality, they met years before at the Golden Cherry when Jimmy was a customer in the Champagne Room.

Jimmy recognized her in Seattle and apologized for any discomfort from the past. Paris is released from the hotel and returns to her home, which is still swarmed by paparazzi.

Key Moment: Paris reveals she and Jimmy shared a secret history from her time as a stripper.

New Information: Jimmy was a client at the strip club where Joey worked in 1998.

Chapter 25: The Assistant’s Confession

Paris arrives home and finds Zoe has used her code to enter the house. Zoe apologizes for accusing her and admits she caught Jimmy using drugs once before a performance. She reveals Jimmy was lashing out and suffering from memory lapses.

Paris realizes Zoe is inheriting $11 million from the Quan deal and the will. Paris fires Zoe but then rescinds it, realizing they are both grieving and misjudged each other.

Key Moment: Zoe reveals Jimmy was using drugs to cope with his worsening mental state.

New Information: Zoe has a financial stake in Jimmy’s estate and felt guilty about not helping sooner.

Chapter 26: The New Year’s Eve Shift

Flashback to 1998: Joey prepares for the high‑paying New Year’s Eve shift at the Golden Cherry. She avoids a customer’s harassment and meets bouncer Chaz, who loves her. Joey bonds with Mae (Betty Savage), who is dealing drugs for her gangster boyfriend, Vinny.

Cherry mentions that Mae hasn’t shown up for work, and Joey promises to check on her. Joey puts on her “Ruby” persona to start the night.

Key Moment: Joey prepares for a night that will change her identity forever.

New Information: Mae was dating Vinny Tranh, a member of the Blood Brothers gang.

Chapter 27: History and Soulmates

Elsie visits Paris and reveals she was Jimmy’s high school sweetheart. She expresses deep bitterness that Jimmy chose Paris over her after fifty years of loyalty. Elsie announces she is handing the case to Sonny Everly because she is “too close” and missed the new will.

Paris receives another letter from Ruby demanding $10 million and mocking the “urn” situation. Paris burns the letter over the stove.

Key Moment: Elsie admits her resentment of Paris and steps down as her lawyer.

New Information: Elsie’s feelings for Jimmy were romantic, not just platonic.

Chapter 28: The Champagne Room Disaster

1998: Vinny Tranh sneaks into the club looking for Mae and something she stole. Joey finds all the dressing room lockers ransacked by Vinny. She takes a bachelor party request in the Champagne Room, which turns out to be Drew’s group.

Drew sees Joey naked and the shock is mutual. Joey enters a private booth with Drew’s friend Jake to hide from Drew’s gaze.

Key Moment: Drew sees Joey dancing naked, destroying her sense of dignity.

New Information: Joey was working as a stripper when Drew’s bachelor party arrived.

Chapter 29: The Power Moves

Sonny Everly, Paris’s new lawyer, aggressively grills her about her marriage and motives. He shows her gruesome crime scene photos of Jimmy in the tub. They discuss the “missing” straight razor that was not in the drawer in the original photos.

Sonny points out that Zoe or Jimmy deleted the smart home usage reports. Paris maintains her alibi about Vancouver but Sonny suspects she has deep secrets.

Key Moment: Sonny identifies a missing razor from Jimmy’s collection, suggesting tampering.

New Information: The smart home data could have proven Paris’s alibi but was deleted.

Chapter 30: The Trip to Maple Sound

Paris recalls her secret trip to Canada while allegedly at the yoga convention. She obtained a fake Canadian ID as “Victoria Bautista” to break into her aunt’s house. Her goal was to switch the ashes in the urn because she feared DNA testing.

Inside the house, she finds no urn but sees a “ghost” of Tito Micky in a window. She flees in terror, haunted by memories of his abuse.

Key Moment: Paris travels to Canada to hide evidence but is paralyzed by her past trauma.

New Information: Paris went to Maple Sound to retrieve Mae’s ashes and replace them with something else.

Chapter 31: The Death of Mae

1998: Joey returns home to find her apartment ransacked by Vinny. She finds five stacks of cash and a brick of cocaine Mae hid in her secret spot. Joey hears a phone ringing and discovers Mae dying on the sofa with a slashed face.

Mae’s final words are a plea for Joey to “stay with me” before she dies. Joey realizes Vinny did this and will come back for her.

Key Moment: Joey finds Mae murdered in her apartment and decides to run.

New Information: Mae stole money and drugs from Vinny, and he killed her for it.

Chapter 32: The Escape

Joey decides to set the apartment on fire to fake her death and disappear. She puts her ruby necklace on Mae’s body to ensure the ID “sticks.” She escapes with the gang’s cash and drugs, fleeing to a motel.

Chaz helps her procure the “Paris Aquino” ID in exchange for the cocaine. Joey leaves Toronto forever, running toward a new life in America.

Key Moment: Joey swaps her identity with Mae’s corpse and burns her past down.

New Information: The ruby necklace was used to misidentify Mae’s body as Joey’s.

Part Four: “Don’t think I haven’t been”

Chapter 33: The “Murderers” Episode

Present: Paris waits for a trial date and watches the “Ruby Reyes” episode of the show Murderers. The show reenacts Ruby’s affair with Charles Baxter and his brutal murder. Paris recalls her prison visit with Ruby, where her mother demanded she lie in court.

Ruby wanted Joey to testify that Charles was abusing her to justify the murder. Joey realized her mother’s love was entirely conditional on this lie.

Key Moment: Paris relives the moment Ruby pressured her to lie about Charles Baxter.

New Information: Ruby tried to use Joey as an alibi, claiming she killed Charles in self‑defense.

Chapter 34: The Burning of the Books

1992: In Maple Sound, young Joey finds her cousin Carson has cut the covers off her favorite books. In a rare outburst, Joey smacks the child, prompting a violent reaction from Tita Flora. Flora and Lola Celia punish Joey by burning all her books in a trash can.

Joey is heartbroken, as her books were her only escape and connection to her mother. She vows she will never be like her mother.

Key Moment: Joey’s aunt and grandmother destroy her only possessions, deepening her isolation.

New Information: Joey’s books were her lifeline; without them she felt even more alone.

Chapter 35: The Night of the Movie

Joey testifies about the night of Charles’s murder. She recounts how Ruby ditched their movie plans to stalk Charles at his home. Ruby went inside and returned without her lipstick, claiming they “made up.”

Charles invited Joey inside to stay in the guest room while Ruby moved the car. Joey explains how she felt like an intruder in Lexi Baxter’s perfect life.

Key Moment: Joey details the beginning of the night that led to Charles Baxter’s death.

New Information: Lexi Baxter was Charles’s wife, and the family seemed normal from the outside.

Chapter 36: The Stomping

In court, Joey describes hearing Ruby and Charles argue at 1:00 a.m. She testifies that Ruby came into her room covered in blood and holding a knife. Joey claims she helped Ruby clean up and told her to leave before the police arrived.

She tells the jury she heard Charles moan and ask for help before Ruby returned. Joey drops the bombshell: Ruby put on Lexi’s ice skate and stomped on Charles’s neck.

Key Moment: Joey testifies to the most gruesome detail of the murder: the ice skate stomp.

New Information: The murder weapon was an ice skate from Lexi’s collection.

Chapter 37: The Oath

Ruby’s lawyer grills Joey about whether Charles was sexually abusing her. Under oath, Joey looks at her mother and chooses to tell the truth: Charles was a “nice man” and never touched her. This testimony destroys Ruby’s “protective mother” defense.

As Joey leaves the stand, Ruby grabs her arm and calls her a “lying little bitch.” Joey realizes she is finally saving herself from her mother’s control.

Key Moment: Joey refuses to lie for Ruby, ensuring her mother’s conviction.

New Information: Ruby’s defense hinged on Joey claiming Charles abused her.

Chapter 38: The Box Cutter

Back in Maple Sound, Tito Micky enters Joey’s room at night and touches her. Joey disassociates, imagining herself as a dancing frog from a cartoon to escape the horror. She finally snaps and stabs Tito Micky in the thigh with her hidden box cutter.

Micky flees, apologizing in terror as his blood looks “black” in the dark. Joey realizes she must survive this life alone.

Key Moment: Joey defends herself against Tito Micky, marking her transition into a survivor.

New Information: Tito Micky had been sexually abusing Joey for years.

Part Five: “We’re just two lost souls”

Chapter 39: The DA’s Decision

Present: Sonny and Elsie reveal that the border patrol photos arrived, clearing Paris. The medical examiner rules the cause of death as “undetermined,” and the charges are dropped. Paris collapses in relief but feels guilt over Jimmy’s suicide.

She begins cooking traditional Filipino food to process her grief. A tall man appears at her patio door, demanding to be let in.

Key Moment: The murder charge is withdrawn, but a new visitor arrives.

New Information: The border patrol photos proved Paris was in Canada during the time of death.

Chapter 40: The Reunion

Paris lets the man in: it is Drew Malcolm. They are both overwhelmed, and Paris initially considers using a cleaver on him. Drew apologizes for his past judgment and tells her he identified Mae’s body thinking it was her.

They share a meal of pork adobo, feeling the years of separation melt away. Drew tells her he never got married and is still haunted by her.

Key Moment: Drew and Joey are reunited after nineteen years of presumed death.

New Information: Drew never married the woman he was engaged to in 1998.

Chapter 41: The Common Denominator

Paris tells Drew the truth about Mae and the fire. Drew is skeptical, pointing out that everyone around Paris ends up dead from “exsanguination.” Paris lashes out, accusing Drew of always trying to “fix” her and being a “toilet” for his opinions.

She tells him to go back to Toronto and “fuck himself.” Drew softens and stays, and they sleep on the sofa together as friends.

Key Moment: Paris confronts Drew’s self‑righteousness, demanding he accept her as she is.

New Information: Drew’s podcast persona often comes across as judgmental, and Paris calls him on it.

Chapter 42: The Missing Razor

Paris wakes to find Drew still there, having cleaned the kitchen and made coffee. Zoe arrives with more fan mail, including another threat from Ruby. Paris realizes one of Jimmy’s straight razors—the one engraved by Elsie—is back in the drawer after being missing.

She checks the crime scene photos on her phone and confirms there were only three razors originally. She realizes someone tampered with the scene after the police left.

Key Moment: Paris finds physical proof that the crime scene was staged.

New Information: The engraved razor was returned after the police had already photographed the scene.

Chapter 43: Interrogating the Assistant

Paris asks Zoe if she took the engraved razor, but Zoe denies it. Zoe explains she put a new cassette tape in the bathroom stereo at 9:30 p.m. the night Jimmy died. Paris realizes the police tape with Elsie’s voice could not have been from Tuesday—it had to be from the night of the death.

Drew and Paris realize Elsie was at the house much later than she claimed. Elsie walks into the kitchen as they discuss her lie.

Key Moment: The timeline of the cassette tape proves Elsie was at the house the night Jimmy died.

New Information: Elsie claimed she hadn’t been to the house that night, but the tape proves otherwise.

Chapter 44: The Confession

Paris confronts Elsie about the razor and the tape. Elsie breaks down and confesses she killed Jimmy accidentally during an argument about his new will. She reveals Jimmy told her to “get a life” and that she snapped, slicing his thigh with the razor.

Elsie staged the suicide to cover her tracks, believing Jimmy’s history would make it believable. Paris realizes Elsie let her be arrested to save herself.

Key Moment: Elsie Dixon confesses to killing Jimmy and framing Paris.

New Information: Elsie was in love with Jimmy and felt replaced by Paris.

Chapter 45: Final Goodbyes

Elsie is arrested and sentenced to seven years for manslaughter. Jimmy’s celebration of life is held, and Paris begins selling the house. Drew prepares to return to Toronto, and Paris promises to see him there.

Ruby sends one last letter demanding money for the “urn.” Paris writes back a short note: “Be there soon. J”.

Key Moment: Paris decides to confront her mother in person to end the blackmail.

New Information: The “urn” contains Mae’s ashes, which Ruby is holding as leverage.

Part Six: “I’m only here to witness”

Chapter 46: Returns

Paris returns to Toronto and watches Chaz from Drew’s car. She and Chaz share a silent moment of recognition and thanks across the parking lot. She visits her old apartment at 42 Willow Avenue, mentally saying goodbye to her former self.

Paris realizes that while the memories are painful, they no longer define her.

Key Moment: Paris reunites with her old ally, Chaz, and finds closure in Toronto.

New Information: Chaz helped her escape Toronto in 1999 and never revealed her secret.

Chapter 47: The Truth About Charles

Paris meets Ruby at Tita Flora’s house in Maple Sound. She forces Ruby to listen to the true story of the night Charles died. Paris reveals that Charles was in her bed that night, molesting her, when Ruby walked in.

After Ruby stabbed Charles and left, Joey found him still alive and pleading for help. Joey was the one who put on the ice skate and stomped on his neck to “slay the monster.”

Key Moment: Joey Reyes, not Ruby, delivered the killing blow to Charles Baxter.

New Information: Charles Baxter was abusing Joey, and she killed him to end it.

Chapter 48: The Pond

Paris offers Ruby a $1 million check for the urn containing Mae’s ashes. Ruby demands $10 million and calls Paris “exactly like her.” Paris rips the check in half, and a furious Ruby pushes her into the deep pond.

Drew, who was filming from the car, saves Paris from drowning. Ruby is arrested for violating her parole and attacking Paris, ensuring she returns to prison for life.

Key Moment: Ruby is sent back to prison, and Paris is finally free of her mother’s shadow.

New Information: The assault on Paris violates Ruby’s parole, sending her back for life.

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