Truly Devious

As Stevie takes in the party, she notices a strange dynamic between Hayes and a girl named Gretchen. She redirects her attention to Germaine Batt, who turns out to be a journalist who writes about the goings-on around Ellingham Academy. When Stevie and Nate have a moment alone, Nate confesses that he is struggling to write the sequel of his book because “the second [writing] became something [he] had to do, [and] something in [him] broke” (104). Stevie notices Hayes flirting with a first-year girl, Maris, and Gretchen doesn’t seem happy. In the middle of the party, David Eastman arrives from California and joins Ellie and the Minerva group. Stevie has a sneaking suspicion that she has seen David somewhere before. Ellie explains that David makes video games, and as the group introduces themselves, Janelle tells David that Stevie studies crime and wants to solve the Ellingham murders. Stevie starts to talk about the details of the crime and how there might have been a false confession involved, but the chaos of the party takes over, and Stevie realizes that no one around her shares her interest in the Ellingham case. Later that night, Stevie lies in bed and tries to fight off a panic attack. She thinks about her difficulties with social interactions and her feelings of being misunderstood by her parents and peers, and she wonders if she belongs at Ellingham. She lays out all of her findings regarding the Ellingham case, including the most significant piece of evidence: the “Truly Devious” letter. Stevie thinks about how the suspect who confessed to the crime, Anton Vorachek, barely spoke English and couldn’t have written this letter. Stevie decides that although many people have tried to solve this case, she is driven by passion, and despite her self-doubt, she will be the one to crack the Ellingham case once and for all. In 1936, George Marsh returns to the Great House injured and empty-handed. He met with the kidnappers, but they attacked him and demanded more money. Robert pleads with Ellingham to call the police and stop giving the kidnappers money because Ellingham is “an endless source of funds” (118) for these criminals, but Albert refuses. As they plan their next move, they learn that Dottie Epstein is missing.

The morning after the party, Stevie starts adapting to life in Minerva House. She meets the other students for breakfast, and as David teases her about the free food, Stevie begins to assess him. She notices his unusual tan lines and guesses that he is a rich kid who moved to California recently. The topic of David’s home and family “[makes] him a little frosty” (125), and when she correctly guesses that David has “Daddy issues,” David laughs nervously and distances himself from her. As the new students discuss their upcoming meetings with their faculty advisers, Hayes arrives and tells the group that he is talking to a famous director about turning his YouTube series into a movie. Pix hurries them along because “real life at Ellingham [is] calling” (130).

Stevie goes to the Great House to meet with her adviser, Charles. As she takes in the Great House, Stevie recalls all of the small details about the building and its significance in the 1936 murders and kidnappings. Charles calls for her, and he tells Stevie that her application for Ellingham was “one of the most interesting applications [he] ever read” (134). Stevie announces that she plans on solving the Ellingham case, and she has read everything she could get her hands on that covers the famous case. Charles decides to show her the attic of the Great House, where all of the Ellingham antiques are kept, and he points out a dollhouse that Ellingham made for his daughter, Alice. He warns Stevie that although the crime is popular, “crime has a human face,” and before she jumps right into trying to solve this famous case, she should complete a smaller project that gives a “human face to this tragedy” (139) and reminds her that this is about real people. In 1936, chemist Leonard Holmes Nair wakes up in the Great House on the morning after the kidnapping. Flora confronts him and tells him what has happened: Iris and Alice have been kidnapped, and the attempts to get them back have been unsuccessful as the kidnappers keep demanding more money. Leo asks Flora if she cleaned up the evidence in Iris’s room, and Flora confirms that she did what she could. Flora suggests they tell everyone the truth, but Leo doesn’t think this will help. Suddenly, Albert appears and tells Leo to make some of his famous invisible ink as quickly as possible.

At lunch, Stevie, Nate, and Janelle meet with Hayes, Ellie, and David. They are joined by Vi, a student Janelle met at the party, and Stevie watches as the people around her seem to pair off. She worries that she won't be able to make friends at Ellingham after all. David announces that the school has its “own personal TMZ” (151) because Germaine Batt published photos of Hayes and Maris together. Hayes shrugs it off, and David supposes that losing one’s privacy is a tragic consequence of achieving fame. After lunch, Stevie tries to keep her anxiety at bay by trying to learn more about David. She tries searching for him on the internet, but “the more she look[s], the less David seem[s] to exist” (152-53). Janelle apologizes for ignoring Stevie at lunch, and she gives Stevie a pep talk: she tells her that they will get through the year together and pursue their passions: Janelle will build machines, and Stevie will solve a crime. Stevie is encouraged, but she can’t stop wondering about the new mystery of David: Who is he, and why does she feel like she knows him?