The Dry

“Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral.”

Falk receives this note from Gerry Hadler right before Luke's funeral. Falk is unsettled by this, enough that it convinces him to return to Kiewarra for the first time in 20 years. It is later revealed that Gerry has known that Luke and Falk lied about their alibis the day Ellie was found dead. These phrases are reiterated throughout the first two chapters, symbolizing how haunted Falk feels by this lie.

“It’s almost like they’re jealous […] Of the fact that he did what they can’t bring themselves to do, I think. Because now he’s out of it, isn’t he? While the rest of us are stuck here to rot, he’s got no more worrying about crops or missed payments or the next rainfall.”

Gretchen tells Falk that some residents of Kiewarra have expressed jealousy that Luke is dead because the weather conditions have made everyone feel unbelievably desperate. The fact that others can feel jealous, considering the violent measures he is presumed to have taken against himself and his family, highlight just how dark the energy is in Kiewarra.

“So my question is whether that puts the blood of my daughter-in-law and grandson on my hands […] You and I both hid the truth. If I’m guilty, so are you.”

Gerry confides in Falk that he is unsure if Luke murdered Ellie. Mistrust and uncertainty are pervasive throughout Kiewarra, even between close family members and friends. This parallels the doubt Falk's father had about his innocence, and the consequences of this secret is a driving force for Falk to uncover the truth about Luke and Ellie.

“The arrow pointed insistently at the bright orange segment of the semicircle. Prepare. Act. Survive.”

The fire warning signs are a recurring symbol throughout the novel, used to indicate the severity of a possible wildfire and the rising interpersonal tensions in Kiewarra. When Falk arrives, the level is considered “severe,” and by the end it has risen to “extreme,” foreshadowing the dangerous standoff with Whitlam. The sign’s commands, “Prepare. Act. Survive,” echo the mentality Falk uses to initially get through his time in Kiewarra, the mentality Ellie uses to plan her escape, and the mentality Whitlam uses to get away with murdering the Hadlers.

“I think it was just one of those sad coincidences […] knowing how close he came to not being there. God, it leaves you with a lot of what-ifs.”

Whitlam tells Falk and Raco that Billy Hadler was supposed to be at the Whitlams' house the afternoon he was killed, having a playdate with his daughter Danielle. At the moment, it seems that this is one of several coincidences that end tragically in Kiewarra. This statement, however, foreshadows the discovery that Whitlam is the murderer. While it was in fact a coincidence that Billy was home—Whitlam had intentionally organized the playdate so that he would not have to kill Billy—Whitlam extensively lies to the police and justifies his horrific actions to himself.

“The rumors were fed well by Ellie's father, Mal Deacon, and grew fat and solid. They sprouted legs and heads, and they never died.”

Rumors and gossip tend to take on a life of their own in Kiewarra. The accusations about the Falks killing Ellie were believed by enough people and warranted enough threats that they left Kiewarra for good, changing the Falks’ lives forever. It also exemplified the power and hold Deacon had over the town—something that no one can shake.

“His own naivete taunted him like a flicker of madness. How could he have imagined that freshwater still ran by these farms as animals lay dead in the fields? How could he nod dumbly as the words drought was thrown around and never realize this river ran dry?”

Falk is appalled when he realizes the Kiewarra river has dried up. The river is both the source of Falk's happy, carefree childhood memories, and a reminder of Ellie's death. Falk's admission of naivete reveals just how far he has distanced himself from his farming roots; despite knowing how much the drought had been affecting Kiewarra, he was unaware of just how bad it had become.

“[F]or the first time since he had arrived in Kiewarra he felt the stirrings of homecoming. He put his hand out. It was still there. It was still the same.”

Finding the rock tree he had discovered as a teenager brings Falk genuine happiness, especially when compared to the devastating realization the river had dried up just moments before. It is one of the few things that remains unchanged in Kiewarra and was a special spot that he had shared only with Ellie. The tree serves as a setting for two major plot points: Falk later finds Ellie's stashed backpack in the crevasse of the tree, confirming that Ellie had not committed suicide. Unbeknownst to Falk, it is also where Deacon murdered his daughter, while spending the rest of his life accusing Falk.

“He knew he had a habit of keeping people at arm's length, collecting acquaintances rather than friends. But all the better should one of them ever again float bloated and broken to the surface of a river, a stone's throw from his family home.”

Ellie's death profoundly affected Falk's childhood, and consequently, affected the types of relationships he kept as an adult. Despite being remarkably close with them in childhood, he instantly loses contact with Gretchen after he leaves Kiewarra and finds himself questioning why he tried to maintain his distant, forced friendship with Luke. He is not particularly close with anyone in his adult life, and his previous girlfriend of two years ultimately leaves because he is too distant.

“Luke Hadler may have had a light on waiting for him when he came home, but something else from this wretched, desperate community had seeped through that front door and into his home. And it had been rotten and thick and black enough to extinguish that light forever.”

Thinking about how different his life could have been had he stayed in Kiewarra, Falk consoles himself with the knowledge that at least Melbourne is not plagued by the desperation brought on by a two-year-long drought. Harper personifies this insidious force with a powerful darkness, which stands in stark contrast to the metaphor of Luke's family being the light waiting for him at home. As more of Kiewarra's secrets are revealed, Falk realizes that hardly anyone remains untouched by this darkness.

“It takes a lot for people to be willing to stand up and rock the boat. It was the same then as it is now. We all need each other to get by.”

Gerry explains to Falk that the interdependence of a small town like Kiewarra is what keeps the status quo in place. Families' livelihoods depend on business with their neighbors, regardless of their personal relationships, which is why Deacon got away with running the Falks out of town. This has not changed in Kiewarra, which is why everyone still puts up with the people they dislike.

“That’s the thing though, isn’t it? No one can control the ripple effect of something like this.”

The tragedy like the Hadler deaths affects everyone in a community as small as Kiewarra's, pushing many people to other violent actions, such as the bar fight and vandalizing Falk's car. This remark is doubly significant, though, coming from Whitlam to Falk. While it does not constitute a confession at this moment, it does reveal that Whitlam clearly did not take into consideration the consequences and fallout of his violent impulse.

“When you’ve been lying about something for so long it becomes second nature.”

Dr. Leigh uses this to justify why he and Jamie kept their relationship (and their whereabouts the day of the murders) secret, though this sentiment is relevant to many residents of Kiewarra. Nearly everyone connected to the murders of Ellie and the Hadlers has lived with a significant lie to protect themselves or someone else.

“It was a cry that had come from too many lips since he'd returned to Kiewarra. If I'd known, I would have done things differently. It was too late for that now. Some things had to be lived with.”

The guilt Kiewarra's residents feel regarding the Hadlers' deaths invoke the same sentiments many characters feel about Ellie's. The novel explores and uncovers many characters' significant choices, the consequences of their decisions, and how the characters' personalities are affected by having to live with the choices they have made.

“She cradled the thought in her chest as she pushed her way down the corridor. After this weekend, everything would be different. This weekend had an end firmly in sight.”

In a flashback, it is revealed that Ellie was planning something on the day she died. She is looking forward to it, and briefly considers sharing her plan with Falk but decides not to in fear of him dissuading her. Since a popular assumption in Kiewarra is that Ellie committed suicide, Harper uses purposefully vague language to keep Ellie's true plan of running away a secret until the big reveal at the end of the novel. Ellie's thoughts here are tragically ironic, obviously unaware that she would die that night, and unaware just how much her death would change so many people's lives.

“It's a lesson we've all had to learn the hard way. There was a lot going on back then. It wasn't all about Luke.”

Falk and Gretchen both feel guilty when they think about how unaware they were of Ellie's suffering, blaming themselves for not doing more to help her. They prioritized their relationships with Luke, and only with the clarity of hindsight (and age) did they realize they should have paid more attention to Ellie. Though Gretchen says this regarding their teenage years, it proves to be a relevant statement for the Hadler investigation: Raco and Falk both believe Luke is at the center of the case, when it was really Karen that was targeted but only thought to be collateral damage.

“‘Since when,’ Falk said, ‘has [love] ever stopped anybody from hurting someone?’”

In his intense altercation with Deacon, Falk accuses him of knowing more about Ellie's death than he has ever let on. Deacon says he loved Ellie, though it is later revealed that he was abusive and then ultimately killed her for trying to run away from him. Falk's response is poignant not just because his suspicion proves to be correct, but because various characters have been hurt by people who loved them.

“Melbourne and his real life seemed five hours and a million miles away. The city might have got under his skin, but for the first time he wondered what was hidden in his core.”

Despite his eagerness to leave Kiewarra as soon as possible, Falk keeps finding more reasons to stay and help on the case. At this moment, he feels especially at ease, enjoying an evening with Gretchen, imagining the life he could have built for himself had he stayed in Kiewarra. His time in his hometown forces him to reexamine his personality and those of the people he once knew.

“These gambling types are fair old suckers, though. Always looking for strategies and loopholes. End of the day, it only works if you back the right horse.”

After disclosing to Falk that Whitlam has a gambling problem, which serves as an instrumental clue, the last part of what McMurdo says is what helps Falk solve the case. It prompts him to reexamine the evidence and people's motivations, which make him realize that he and Raco had been “backing the wrong horse” (276)—the murders were ultimately about Karen, not Luke; and Karen's note was about grant money, not Grant.

“It was never going to be an easy game for him to win, but it was at that moment that he lost.”

This is the moment Whitlam panics and tells Karen to disregard the documents from the Crossley Education Trust. Up until that point, he had been relatively confident that his plan of using the grant money to cover his personal debts could work. Realizing that Karen has figured it out, he later plans how might get away with murdering her and Luke.

“Tempers were so fraught, a part of her worried they might actually harm him. She couldn't let loose an accusation of that scale without solid proof.”

Afraid to accuse Whitlam of stealing the grant money without proof, Karen takes her time deciding what to do about her suspicion. Unfounded accusations and rumors are what drove the Falks out of town and continue to be a source of violence in Kiewarra after the Hadlers' deaths. Ironically, it is Karen's hesitation that allows Whitlam enough time to murder her, Luke, and Billy.

“It was the stuff of nightmares. It was a tangled parachute, failed brakes on the motorway. It was a premonition, and Falk felt the fear flood from his core until it prickled against his skin.”

When Whitlam pulls a lighter out in the bush, Raco and Falk both know this is a weapon significantly more dangerous than a gun. As the plot reaches its climax and all the previously mentioned fire warnings come a head, the three characters grapple with the possibility that Kiewarra—with everyone in it—could burn down. Through intense imagery during their confrontation, it becomes clear that the risk of fire is by far the most dangerous effect of the extreme drought. 

“They asked for a name for the reservation, and she automatically said the only one that made her feel safe. Falk. On a piece of notepaper, she scribbled his name and the date she had chosen and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. A talisman for luck.”

In the last flashback of the novel, the significance of the note with Falk's name on it is finally revealed: Ellie chose to use Falk's name for a motel reservation on the day she was going to run away from home because he was so dear to her. What was meant to be her lucky talisman became the sole piece of incriminating evidence against the Falks, turning everyone's attention away from her guilty father and cousin. Whether Falk finds this out from her diary, this flashback provides a resolution to a 20-year-old question.