Pip’s quest for the truth is the focus of her senior capstone project and sets in motion many of the book’s major events. While her initial drive to find out what happened to Andie stems from her positive impressions of Sal Singh and her disbelief that he could have killed Andie, her quest for the truth soon reaches much further as her investigation reveals more about the key players and the many secrets the people of Fairview are keeping.

In the opening chapters, Pip reveals her need to get to the bottom of things because of her personal connection with Sal. These feelings inform Pip’s motivations as a character and explain why she has a personal stake in the matter. Gradually, however, other motivations for Pip’s investigation come to light. For one, Pip thinks about how difficult it must be for the Singhs to live in Fairview after their son has been accused of killing Andie, and Ravi says as much, telling Pip he has not been allowed to properly grieve for his brother. Her investigation, then, is not purely personal, but seems to come from a desire to serve the greater good.

As events unfold, what may have started as a personal concern for Pip soon grows far beyond it.