Into the Water

Sean realizes that the place Mark has taken Lena is the area where his mother wanted to take him many years ago. He recalls Nel coming to his house to ask to talk to Patrick about Lauren, then eventually coming to talk to him. Sean describes Nel as “the sort of trouble I’d been waiting for my whole adult life” (304). He and Nel started having an affair. Patrick discovered them and beat Sean. Helen found out about the beating and the affair and was furious. 

Mark threatens Lena and slams her head into the table. He insists that he did not kill Nel, claiming that Nel felt guilty and wanted him to take the blame. Mark tells Lena that he will tell her the truth if she promises to tell the police that she and Josh lied about his relationship with Katie. When Lena lies and agrees, Mark tells Lena that he found Nel’s bracelet in Helen’s desk. Lena picks up the nail again and goes towards Mark as Mark tries to tell Lena that Katie’s death is her fault, saying “She killed herself for you” (310).