The Official Darynda Jones Fan Group discussion

Hello Grimlets! Today we will be recapping chapters 16-18, and posting chapters 19-20 on Wattpad.

You can find chapters 19-20 here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/5574782... We will be discussing these chapters on Friday, 12/18!

This thread is where you can discuss chapters 16-18, but be considerate of any newbies who are reading for the first time and keep your spoilers to a minimum!

Anyone who comments in this discussion is eligible to win one early copy of THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE!! Winners will be chosen on Friday, 12/18.

Charley checks on Swopes in the hospital -- after taking three bullets, he's going to be fine. In the shootout, the gunman was killed along with one of Charley's kidnappers. The kidnapper turned out to be one of the fake FBI agents who visited Charley's office. This begs the question: where is the other fake FBI agent? Special Agent Powers? He must have gotten away. Charley also hopes that Mr. Smith, Mr. Chao, and Ulrich are okay.

Back at Charley's apartment, Ubie and Cookie are supposed to be looking after her and making sure she doesn't fall asleep with a concussion, but they're just flirting with each other instead. Reyes visits Charley in the shower (a definite upgrade from Dead Trunk Guy), but she won't let him in until he tells her where he is. Furious, he vanishes. Charley suddenly has an idea for where to look for Mimi.

Back at the Chocolate Coffee Cafe, Charley and Cookie question two ghosts they saw there the first time they went to look for Mimi -- a Humphrey Bogart look-alike, and a junkie. Charley is hoping that as they cross through her, she can check their memories for a sighting of Mimi. Humphrey Bogart declines to cross over to the other side, but the junkie decides to try it. Charley can see all of her memories, most of which are heartbreaking, but she shuffles through to find Mimi. It works! She knows where Mimi is hiding: across the street at the homeless shelter.

Charley bribes the guard at the door to let Cookie and herself into the homeless shelter, and there they find Mimi, who has been going by "Molly." Mimi relates the whole story about the disappearance of Hana Insinga: Hana was drunk at Tommy Zapata's house party and was being raped by a group of football players. She threw up and stumbled to her feet, but either fell or was pushed into a dresser. She cracked her head open and was dead in minutes. There were seven witnesses, and the three football players freaked out and forced all seven to carry the body to a freshly dug grave, bury Hana under the grave, and never tell a soul (this whole plan was Tommy Zapata's idea -- his father worked in the cemetery). The next day a casket was buried over Hana's body, ensuring that she'd never be found. Janelle and Tommy, who had been making out in the corner, became the lapdogs of the football players, but Mimi and the friend that was hiding in the bathroom with her were violently bullied by them. This friend was Kyle Kirsch, who is gay, and, as it turns out, entirely innocent.

After Mimi relays the story, Charley realizes that someone followed them into the homeless shelter and knocked out the guard at the door. The girls try to slip out the back way, and Angel shows up and tells Charley that the last fake FBI agent is after them. Thankfully, Cookie has a gun, which she gives to Charley. They turn to make a run for it, and Charley gets sliced across the back with a knife.

A shootout ensues in an alleyway behind the homeless shelter. Just as she's about to get shot, Charley summons Reyes. He asks her if she wants him to take care of this guy for her, but she says no, actually, not unless he tells her where he is. Time slows, and she's able to dodge the bullet herself. Just then, a black SUV barrels into the alley and takes out the shooter. It's Mr. Smith, Mr. Chao, and Ulrich! To the rescue! Again! And, once again, they hit the road before the cops show up, after dropping a hint that they somehow work for the government.

Once the cops arrive, the REAL FBI shows up (Agent Foster and Special Agent Powers -- sound familiar?) and Charley heads down to the police station. The FBI imposters turn out to be the Cox cousins from Minnesota. Kyle Kirsch shows up to make his statement with Mimi, but he asks if he can call his parents first, before this hits the news. His mom is away in Minnesota. Charley realizes: his mother is the one who tried to wipe out all of the witnesses. Charley asks Kyle if his mother is capable of doing something like that, and he tells Charley that his mother knew about Hana all along and made him swear never to tell anyone. She told him that he'd be arrested and it would ruin his chances at the Senate and, eventually, the presidency. Bingo.

Charley is just about to congratulate herself on a job well done, when her dad, evil step-mom, and sister show up. They are there to review the tapes of Charley's dad getting threatened. Charley decides to listen in. Soon after they begin, it becomes clear that Charley's dad made Charley the stalker's primary target on purpose, by begging him not to kill her specifically. Everyone in the room understands the implications of this except Charley's step-mother, who is mad that her husband didn't beg the stalker not to kill her, too.

Charley storms out into the hall, crying. Her dad tries to apologize, but Charley is not listening. Charley's sister Gemma, who is not on the best of terms with Charley, leaps to Charley's defense and condemns their dad for doing such a thing. Charley's dad finally admits why he did it: he knew Charley could defend herself, while Gemma and his wife can't. He knows that Charley is special. Charley and Gemma sob and hug, and soon Charley's dad joins in. And Ubie, too. This seems like the beginning of a better relationship between Charley and her sister.

Extra points for discussion:
1. Were you relieved that Swopes was okay?
2. How do you feel about Charley's abilities to see a departed's life as they cross through her?
3. What did you think of Mimi's hiding place?
4. Who do you think Mr. Smith, Mr. Chao, and Ulrich really work for?
5. What did you think about what Charley's dad did? What about Gemma's reaction?

Were you relieved that Swopes was okay.
I was so relieved that Swopes was okay. By then, he’d grown on me. I’ve got a crush on him now.

2. How do you feel about Charley’s abilities to see a departed’s life as they cross through her?
I think it’s sad that Charley gets to experience the good, the bad, and the ugly of the departed’s life
as they cross through her. I don’t think I could recover so quickly if a departed lived a horrible life.

3. What did you think of Mimi’s hiding place?
Brilliant. A rich woman hiding in a homeless shelter.
Talk about hiding in plain sight.

4. Who do you think Mr. Smith, Mr. Chao, and Ulrich really work for?
I thought they worked for the FBI.

5. What did you think about what Charley’s dad did? What about Gemma’s reaction?
Leland set Charley up by a madman because he knew she could take whatever he dished out. That she was special and capable of taking care of herself. I was so angry with Leland. I thought parents were supposed to protect their children from all harm and danger, not throw them to the wolves to fend for themselves. I was shocked by Gemma's reaction. I thought she was jealous of Charley and didn’t like her.

1. I was so thrilled to read swoops was going to be ok I actually jumped up and down a little.
2. I think it takes a very special person to accept the bad along with the good and still keep a positive attitude.
3. I thought her hiding place was fantastic.
4. I still think they are secret service or CIA or something.
5. I thought Charlie's dad was wrong for naming her but in his defense he was trying to make sure she was protected. I was so glad to find out Gemma really thinks highly of Charlie and cares about her. I can't imagine not sharing everything with my sisters.