The Whistler

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-13

Chapters 14-19

Chapters 20-23

Chapters 24-28

Chapters 29-35

Chapters 36-40

Chapters 41-42 and Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Chapters 20-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 20 Summary

Lacy receives an email from Verna in which Verna says that she would like to see Lacy, but right now, every time she thinks of Lacy, she thinks of Hugo and the way he died. She says that she needs time before she’ll be ready to see Lacy again.

Greg Myers comes to see Lacy. Lacy tells him all about the trap laid by the anonymous “informant” and the collision. Myers tells her that the purpose of the collision was intimidation and suggests that Lacy consider withdrawing from the case. Lacy stubbornly refuses. She won’t allow Hugo’s death to be for nothing; she’s determined to expose the corruption, to have Junior Mace exonerated, and to bring about justice for everyone. Myers reluctantly agrees to stick around if the BJC brings in the FBI—and if Lacy agrees to keep his name completely out of it.

Chapter 21 Summary

Lacy and Guismar finally serve the complaint on Judge McDover. They deliberately play down the severity of the accusations, focusing on the four condominiums apparently given to her as bribes. The judge appears indifferent to the complaint apart from potential damage to her reputation. Afterward, Lacy and her coworkers conclude that the judge’s hiring the most expensive lawyer in the area suggests that she’s guilty of something. When they leave the courthouse, they decide to speak to Lyman Gritt. Arriving at the police station near the casino, they learn that Constable Gritt has been fired.

Chapter 22 Summary

The chief’s son, Billy Cappel, is the new constable of the reservation police. Billy learns that a videotape exists of the theft of the Dodge Ram used in the collision, but he can’t find it. He and the chief visit Lyman Gritt, but Lyman claims to know nothing about the recording. In reality, he has hidden it in his attic. Lyman is investigating the collision on his own. Near the filling station, he finds a wad of bloody paper towels and realizes that it must be a blood sample from the killer.

Cappel, the tribal chief, meets with Vonn Dubose. The chief has found a copy of the video recording of the Dodge Ram being stolen and tells Dubose that of the few people who have seen the tape, Lyman is the only one he doesn’t trust. Dubose tells the chief to intimidate Lyman, saying, “You don’t understand intimidation, chief. I wrote the book. It’s all I’ve ever known. It’s what I enjoy” (218).

Chapter 23 Summary

Lacy receives a phone call from Judge McDover’s lawyer, Edgar Killebrew. He threatens Lacy and the entire BJC with defamation lawsuits if they don’t drop the claim against the judge. Lacy feels somewhat intimidated after she ends the call. Killebrew is a notoriously aggressive litigator and could make trouble for them if they don’t present a watertight case against the judge.

Verna Hatch finally texts Lacy with an invitation to come over. They talk about Verna’s future and about the various lawsuits that Hugo’s law school friends proposed. Their suggestions disgusted Verna. From her reaction, Lacy realizes that Verna never for a moment considered blaming Lacy, much less suing her, for any part she might have had in the collision. Verna asked Lacy if she thinks Hugo’s death might have been murder.

Chapters 20-23 Analysis

The first email from Verna suggests that the rumor of her blaming Lacy for the collision is false, but the fact that she doesn’t want to see Lacy right away leaves some ambiguity. Later, when Verna recovers from the initial shock and grief, she demonstrates the strength of friendship between women, showing that to her, Lacy is still an ally. They engage in the kind of emotional caretaking that women provide for each other in addition to simple sociability. Verna’s first assumption—that Hugo was murdered—reinforces her assertion that she never thought of seeing Lacy as an enemy or placing the blame on her.

Dubose’s statement that intimidation is all he’s ever known is a significant character trait. It informs all his interactions with other people and the strategies he uses to solve problems. It leads to his first major mistake—which is to kill Hugo. He expects that killing to intimidate Lacy and the BJC is enough to make them back off. It might have worked if he was dealing with someone other than Lacy. By threatening her and killing someone she cares about, he triggers her aggressive instincts, and instead of backing off, she reacts by attacking. Dubose makes the same error with Lyman Gritt. He can’t understand what drives other people, and his intimidation tactics merely make them more determined.

Like Dubose, the judge’s lawyer attempts to use intimidation to get the BJC to drop the case. Intimidation is the strategy that the story’s antagonists use most often. However, none of them understand how the minds of honest people work.