Chapter 87: Unwelcome Knocks and Surveilled Alibis
Spoiler Warning
This analysis reveals key events from Chapter 87 of James Patterson's Crosshairs. Read on only if you’ve reached this point in the novel.
Summary
Mike Bennett decides to talk to Rob Trilling directly to verify his alibi for the night of Gus Querva’s shooting. He goes to Trilling’s apartment, enters the building, and knocks. A woman with long brown hair opens the door a crack, her identity obscured, and Bennett momentarily fears it’s his daughter Juliana. She insists Rob isn’t there and slashes Bennett’s hand with a knife when he tries to hold the door. Outside, Bennett speaks with the building super, a friendly Armenian man who admires Trilling. The super shows Bennett the building’s multi-camera surveillance system. Bennett reviews the footage from Querva’s murder night and sees Trilling enter at 6:05 p.m. and not reappear until the following morning. Satisfied that Trilling never left his apartment that night, Bennett burns a DVD of the day’s recordings. The super expresses concern for Rob’s safety as a police officer; Bennett says he worries about him too.
Key Events
- Bennett drives directly to Trilling’s apartment to confirm his whereabouts.
- He gains entry to the building and knocks; a woman answers but keeps several safety chains on the door.
- Mistaking the figure for Juliana, Bennett shouts his daughter’s name; the woman says “Rob not here” and slashes his fingers with a knife when he attempts to keep the door open.
- Bennett leaves the apartment and encounters the building super outside, who describes Trilling as “very levelheaded.”
- The super demonstrates the surveillance system; Bennett reviews footage from the night Querva was shot.
- The cameras show Trilling entering the lobby at 6:05 p.m. and not exiting until 7:05 the next morning; hallway and stairwell cameras confirm he never left his apartment.
- Bennett convinces the super to let him burn a DVD copy of that day’s video, ostensibly for training.
- The super confides his worry about the way people treat police; Bennett echoes that he worries about Trilling too.
Character Development
- Mike Bennett: Shows his instinct to take direct, even reckless action—walking into the building and grabbing the door—driven by a protective father’s panic when he thinks Juliana might be inside. His investigative logic is sharp; he uses the super’s pride in the security system to access the exact footage he needs.
- The mystery woman in Trilling’s apartment: Revealed only through a veil of hair and a thick accent, she acts with immediate violence, suggesting she is guarding something or someone. Her identity and relationship to Trilling remain unexplained, adding a layer of unease to Bennett’s perception of his partner.
- The building super: A hardworking Armenian man who sees Rob as a good cop and a model tenant. His willingness to show Bennett the surveillance system stems from pride and a desire for a professional evaluation, highlighting how community trust can be leveraged.
- Rob Trilling (off-page): Described by the super as “levelheaded” and a good partner, yet the hidden woman and the super’s later worries hint at complications beneath the surface.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Surveillance as truth: The comprehensive camera system becomes a tool for objective verification. Bennett’s ability to scroll through footage contrasts with the deceptive, closed-door encounter he just experienced, emphasizing that electronic records can corroborate or dismantle alibis.
- Parental anxiety and instinct: Bennett’s immediate fear that the woman is Juliana underscores how his family worries intrude on professional judgment. The moment reveals his vulnerability and drives his aggressive response.
- The mask of partnership: The chapter deepens the ambiguity around Trilling. Though the super speaks highly of him, the presence of the knife-wielding woman and the claim that she “has not been there long” suggest hidden dangers, testing Bennett’s trust in his own partner.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 87 provides apparent alibi evidence for Trilling: the surveillance footage places him at home during the entire night of Gus Querva’s murder. On the surface, this seems to clear him. Yet the unsettling encounter with the unnamed woman complicates the picture. Her defensive violence and the fact that she lives in Trilling’s apartment raise questions about what else Trilling might be hiding. The chapter also showcases Bennett’s resourcefulness—he turns a hostile visit into an opportunity to gather digital proof—while highlighting the emotional stakes through his momentary panic over Juliana. This blend of confirmed alibi and lingering suspicion advances the investigation while keeping the reader wondering about Trilling’s true involvement.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Bennett skip a surreptitious approach and confront Trilling directly?
- Bennett feels time is short and decides asking Trilling outright may yield faster results. His directness also stems from his instinct to protect Juliana; when he suspects she might be inside, his professional caution gives way to a father’s urgency.
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What does the surveillance footage prove about Trilling’s alibi for the night Gus Querva was shot?
- The lobby camera shows Trilling entering the building at 6:05 p.m., and he does not appear in any exterior or hallway footage until 7:05 the next morning. Since the system covers all entry points and stairwells, the footage strongly indicates Trilling never left his apartment that night.
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How does the incident with the knife-wielding woman affect Bennett’s view of the investigation?
- The violent reaction makes Bennett more suspicious of the circumstances around Trilling’s personal life. While the alibi footage provides a factual defense, the woman’s secrecy and aggression hint that Trilling may be entangled in something dangerous, keeping Bennett alert to hidden dimensions in the case.