The Blue Hour

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, illness, and suicidal ideation.

The narrative flashes back to the summer of 2002 when Julian abruptly arrived on Eris. Grace was unhappy to see Vanessa’s estranged husband: She felt that his presence was distracting to Vanessa, and it made her jealous to see the sexual chemistry between the couple. Grace expressed her dislike of Julian to Vanessa, but Vanessa rationalized her ongoing attachment to him. Vanessa left the island for a few days; Julian lingered but was supposed to depart before her return. On the day that Vanessa was scheduled to come back to Eris, Grace went to her cottage to meet her. When Grace arrived, she found Vanessa, alone, with blood all over her.

In the narrative present, Becker arrives on the island; he mentions to Grace that he read the diary entry about Grace rescuing Vanessa when she was attacked. Grace explains that the attacker was a local man named Stuart Cummins; he was the husband of Marguerite (the woman with Alzheimer’s) and was abusive toward her. After the attack, Stuart left