Heatwave

The heatwave is a persistent feature of the summer in which Charlie Hamilton disappears, shaping the conditions of the investigation and providing a weather-bound marker for the story’s movement toward its aftermath. Its oppressive presence links the foul, airless crime scene to the storm that breaks the heat and the gentler day at Charlie’s funeral three weeks later.

Conditions During the Investigation

The heat has lasted for days when Chase Cooper leaves the crime scene to shower, change, and eat before returning to work. Even with clouds beginning to gather, the temperature remains unusually high. The foul smell in the shipping container and the surrounding area clings to him like sweat, making the heat part of his physical exhaustion as well as the scene’s oppressive atmosphere.

Clouds and the Expected Break

When Chase arrives at the renovation property, light rain has begun, but the humidity is still stifling. He thinks of his mother, who used to say that a storm was needed to clear the air, and agrees that a thunderstorm and heavy rain are overdue. Distant rumbling makes him look up and smile. The storm’s approach coincides with his inspection of the empty property, where construction tools and offcuts of wood are visible through the window; the weather offers a marked contrast to the heat that has persisted through the investigation.

Abatement and Aftermath

Three weeks later, the heatwave has abated. At Charlie’s graveside, the day is cloudless and a gentle breeze moves the long grass as the congregation walks away. Flowers and stuffed animals, mainly horses, surround the grave, while a glitter-filled red balloon rises above them. The change in weather gives the funeral a calmer setting than the oppressive conditions that accompanied the search, without erasing the loss at its center.