Chapter summaries Becoming the Boogeyman Richard Chizmar

Chapter Nine: The Hangman Cometh — Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Lieutenant McClernan and Detective Gonzalez arrive unannounced at Rich’s house the morning after the security footage discovery. Gonzalez openly suggests the masked figure in the video could be a prank—or a publicity stunt to sell books. Rich reacts angrily, defending his integrity. McClernan then reveals a crime‑scene photograph of Peyton Bair’s hand: inside her palm is a childlike hangman drawing with eight dashes, the last one filled with the number “7.” She implies the killer is continuing Joshua Gallagher’s old pattern. Rich and Kara argue over safety; Kara hints she and their son Billy might leave town.

Later, a Baltimore Sun photographer is arrested for trespassing on a neighbor’s property. The neighborhood circus intensifies. Elsewhere in Edgewood, a thirteen‑year‑old boy wearing a Boogeyman mask is held at gunpoint by a WWII veteran. Two Fox News crew members are ambushed and severely beaten behind a shopping center. A couple on Tupelo Court reports a masked man who sniffed at them and then leaped onto their roof. The memorial for Annie Riggs grows larger each day.

Rich participates in the Bullets and Brains podcast with his son Billy. The first live caller, David Boyd, reminisces about high school and says Rich and Josh Gallagher were alike. The final caller—a man using a disguised voice—claims to be a “friend,” taunts Rich, and threatens “There will be others. Soon. Who knows? Maybe even you.” The call ends. A Reddit thread discusses whether the caller was the real killer.

Key Events

  • McClernan and Gonzalez interrogate Rich on his porch; Gonzalez accuses him of staging the intruder.
  • McClernan shows Rich the hangman photograph with a “7” scratched on Peyton Bair’s palm.
  • Kara tells Rich she and Billy may need to leave the house.
  • A newspaper photographer is arrested for trespassing.
  • A teen wearing a Boogeyman mask is nearly shot by a veteran.
  • Fox News journalists are ambushed and hospitalized; community panic escalates.
  • The Citro couple report a masked intruder who sniffed them and jumped onto the roof.
  • Rich receives a silent phone call from an unknown number.
  • The Bullets and Brains podcast airs; a caller named David Boyd connects Rich to Josh Gallagher.
  • The final live caller taunts Rich, denies Peyton cried, promises more deaths, and possibly threatens Rich.

Character Development

  • Rich Chizmar: Grows confrontational when his honesty is questioned. He also shows fatigue and guilt as the town’s spotlight intensifies.
  • Kara Chizmar: Her fear crystallizes into a clear ultimatum—she and Billy may leave, showing the strain on the family.
  • Detective Gonzalez: Remains suspicious of Rich’s celebrity status, treating him as a potential suspect rather than a witness.
  • Lieutenant McClernan: Balances trust and duty, revealing the photograph only after persuasion, but also backing Rich against the media.
  • David Boyd (minor): Provides a glimpse of high‑school Rich and Josh as similar personalities, adding unease.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

  • The Hangman Game: The childlike drawing and numbered dashes tie the new murders directly to Gallagher’s original spree, suggesting a copycat or continuation.
  • The Mask as Identity: The Boogeyman mask is now worn by pranksters, the killer, and fear‑driven citizens, blurring the line between monster and community.
  • Media as Predator: The attack on the Fox News crew and the circus outside Rich’s home show that the press itself becomes a target and a catalyst for violence.
  • Public vs. Private Self: Rich must maintain a public persona (celebrity author) while his private life disintegrates; the podcast exposes his dual roles.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 12 provides the first concrete link between the 2022 murders and the 1988 Gallagher case: the hangman clue with a “7.” It also marks the killer’s first direct contact with Rich via the live podcast call, escalating from surveillance to communication. The town’s chaos—false sightings, vigilante fear, media attacks—demonstrates how a killer’s reputation can metastasize beyond the original crimes, turning an entire community into a pressure cooker.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Detective Gonzalez suspect Rich of staging the security footage, and how does Rich respond?
Gonzalez believes Rich might have faked the intruder as a publicity stunt to boost book sales, especially after the media attention. Rich reacts with indignation, pointing out that he is already famous and has no motive to fabricate a threat. McClernan later explains that Gonzalez’s distrust stems from his wariness of celebrities.

2. What is the significance of the hangman drawing found on Peyton Bair’s hand?
The drawing mirrors the hangman game, with eight dashes and one filled with a “7.” This parallels Gallagher’s previous practice of leaving numbered clues (e.g., “6” after Cassidy Burch’s murder). The “7” suggests the killer sees Peyton as the seventh victim in a sequence, indicating a calculated continuation of Gallagher’s pattern.

3. How does the final podcast caller create a direct threat against Rich?
The caller claims to have been a fan, says “Peyton Bair never cried,” and warns “There will be others. Soon. Who knows? Maybe even you.” This message not only taunts Rich but also places him as a potential target, moving the killer from a stalker to an active antagonist. The call also generates immense public speculation, as shown by the Reddit thread.

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