Chapter 68 – The Reporter's Call
Spoiler Notice
This summary contains spoilers for Chapter 68 of Crosshairs. Read on for a complete breakdown of the chapter's events, character development, and themes.
Summary
While running down leads, the detective receives a call from reporter Lois Frang. He answers reluctantly, fearing she will contact Harry Grissom instead. Frang says she is chasing a rumor about Thomas Bannon, the Longshot Killer’s second victim—specifically that Bannon was caught downloading child pornography on an FDNY computer. She seeks verification or a source, even an anonymous one. The detective flatly denies hearing any such rumor and deflects her questions by mentioning Grissom’s silence. He reflects on his sore hand, a lingering injury from punching one of Bannon’s brothers-in-law during an earlier confrontation with the family. After ending the call, he realizes he has never seen any mention of this allegation in NYPD files and resolves to investigate the rumor himself, adding yet another item to his mounting list of concerns.
Key Events
- Lois Frang unexpectedly calls the detective while he is actively pursuing leads.
- She reveals a rumor that Thomas Bannon downloaded child pornography on a fire department computer and asks for confirmation or an attributable source.
- The detective balks at the rumor, denies knowledge, and sidesteps her questions by redirecting the conversation toward Harry Grissom’s usual reticence.
- He recalls the physical altercation with Bannon’s family, evidenced by his still-sore hand, and suspects the family’s hostility may be tied to the hidden scandal.
- After hanging up, he decides to check the rumor’s validity and wonders why it never appeared in any NYPD report, signaling a new investigative thread.
Character Development
- The detective demonstrates strategic caution, answering the call not out of openness but to control information flow away from Grissom. His physical discomfort serves as a visceral reminder of the case’s toll and the family’s volatility. The chapter reveals his instinctive distrust of incomplete official records, reinforcing his independent streak.
- Lois Frang emerges as a persistent and resourceful reporter willing to chase a salacious lead. Her attempt to source the rumor—even anonymously—shows the ethical tightrope she walks.
- Harry Grissom is characterized indirectly as a detective who never discusses casework with outsiders, underscoring his professionalism and the narrator’s reliance on him.
- Thomas Bannon (posthumously) gains a darker dimension through the rumor, complicating the victim narrative and hinting at motives behind the family’s aggressive secrecy.
- Rob Trilling is mentioned in the detective’s internal anxiety about a possible NYPD leak, adding unease about internal trust.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Secrecy and Information Control: The entire chapter revolves around who knows what, who can verify it, and who has the power to reveal or suppress uncomfortable truths. The detective’s deflection mirrors the institutional layers of silence within the NYPD.
- The Shadow of the Victim’s Past: The rumor suggests that Bannon’s wrongdoing, if true, could reframe the murder investigation and explain the family’s extreme reluctance to cooperate.
- The Press–Police Relationship: Lois Frang test the boundaries, while the detective’s guarded responses highlight the tension between the press’s need for a story and the police’s need to manage a sensitive investigation.
- Physical Cost of Investigation: The sore hand symbolizes the personal violence the detective has already absorbed and the lingering friction that undercuts any notion of a clean professional process.
- Closed Communities: Lois explicitly references “Irish Catholics” as closemouthed, reinforcing the motif of an insular family protecting its image even after a murder.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 68 cracks open a new dimension of the Longshot Killer investigation. The child pornography rumor—whether true or false—gives a plausible reason for the Bannon family’s hostility and raises questions about what the NYPD is hiding. The detective’s instinct to verify the rumor independently, absent official documentation, signals his growing suspicion of internal leaks and incomplete records. The chapter also deepens the fraught dynamic with the press, as Lois Frang becomes a persistent voice on the periphery. By the end, the reader understands that the Bannon case is no longer simply about finding a serial killer; it is entangled with buried secrets that may influence both the motive and the cover-up.
Study Questions and Answers
- Why does the detective answer Lois Frang’s call even though he has no information to share?
He makes a calculated decision: if he ignores her, she will likely call Harry Grissom, and he wants to keep Grissom out of the conversation. His quick pickup is a defensive move to control the narrative. - What does the child pornography rumor add to the investigation?
The rumor recasts Thomas Bannon from a purely sympathetic fireman-victim into someone with a potential criminal past. It could explain the family’s violent resistance to questioning and opens an entirely new theory for why Bannon was targeted—or how someone wanted his secrets buried. - How does the detective’s reaction to the rumor reveal his investigative style?
His immediate internal response is to wonder why no NYPD report mentions the allegation, and he resolves to check it out himself. This shows he trusts his own legwork over bureaucratic paper trails and suspects that something is being deliberately omitted, making him a more isolated and determined investigator.