“I need to talk to you. That girl. I saw that girl.”

At the opening of the book, Nic reflects on a note her father wrote, the entirety of which is quoted above. It is our first introduction to Corinne, before we even know her name. It is also what provokes Nic to return to Cooley Ridge. Eventually, we learn that Patrick is having flashbacks and remembering the night when he found Corinne’s body and wrapped it up in a quilt. For a sizable portion of the book, Patrick’s statements are unverifiable, as he leaves his remarks elusive. They become clearer and more rooted in reality over the course of the book, until we realize that he’s been giving the reader the correct answers from the start. 

“And later that night, sometime between the fair closing and six A.M., Corinne disappeared, and everything that had happened that day took on new weight, new meaning.”

The book’s plot largely revolves around the night of Corinne’s disappearance, and, we find out later, death. So much took place that night: the Ferris wheel, Daniel’s punch, and all of the unexpected moments in between. Nic consistently revisits this scene from different angles, piecing together the perspectives of the friend group and from Annaleise, in order to make sense of what happened to Corinne.