Judgment Prey Chapter 13: Heath's Desperate Cover-Up and Hinton's Disappearance

⚠️ Spoiler Notice

This summary includes detailed plot events from Chapter 13 of Judgment Prey, including the disposal of a character’s body and the progress of the Sand murder investigation.

Summary

Noah Heath arrives at his office early the next morning. He selectively deletes files from his computer and copies others to flash drives for later editing. Reflecting on the previous night, he recalls how, after Hinton’s accidental fall on the staircase, he decided it would be convenient for Hinton to simply disappear. Heath loaded the body into a van along with a gardening spade, drove south along the Mississippi to a remote boat launch, dragged the body away from the launch, and buried it in the muck in a square hole four feet deep. He tramped the dirt down, then stopped at the Mall of America, where—wearing a hat and Covid mask—he bought University of Minnesota Golden Gophers athletic wear. He then parked the van in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Gold Ramp, took a cab to a St. Paul shopping center, and walked home. He scrubbed the stairwell steps, shredded the paper towels and fed them through the garbage disposal, then ran hot water and Drano. The items Hinton had left in the van were dropped at a homeless encampment along I-94. Heath spent the night actively forgetting about the burial, rehearsing it until the memory felt distant. By morning he felt confident he could deny any knowledge of Hinton’s whereabouts.

At 9:30 a.m., Doreen still hasn’t arrived. Heath sits at her desk, deletes calendar entries like “Noah to Antigua” that could incriminate him. At 10:00, he returns to his own office and watches YouTube videos. The office door opens and two men walk in: Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. They see Heath through the window. Lucas notes that Hinton is not there. The two approach the back office, and Heath greets them. Virgil identifies himself and Lucas, and says they spoke to Darrell Hinton (aka Bob Dahl) the night before. Heath acts offended, claiming he didn’t know Hinton’s real name. Virgil then confronts Heath about the Big Grin charity scam and asks point-blank if Heath murdered Alex Sand and his sons. Heath’s face drains of color; he sputters denials. Virgil calls him a dirtbag and asks if he killed Hinton too. Heath shouts, throws a paper ball at Virgil, and orders them out. Lucas yawns and notes that Heath never denied killing Sand. They leave.

Once alone, Heath collapses in his chair, sweating. He decides the police have nothing without Hinton, but they still have Doreen. He picks up his car keys, drives home, and goes to the garage workbench. He finds a ball-peen hammer, testing its heft.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Virgil drive to Hinton’s house in White Bear Lake. The house is dark, curtains drawn. No one answers the door. They walk around peering in windows. A neighbor woman watches them and calls the police. A White Bear Lake patrol car arrives. Lucas shows his U.S. Marshal ID and explains they are chasing a fugitive. The cop lets them proceed. The neighbor identifies the landlady, a real estate dealer. They call her; she arrives in ten minutes and lets them into the house. It is clear Hinton is running: all furniture remains, but nothing personal. The landlady comments on the security deposit and the dill-pickle-colored couch. They lock the house. On the way to the car, Lucas says they need to run Hinton’s license plate and consider how to push Heath. Virgil suggests finding the Heart/Twin Cities board of directors to nail down the scam. Lucas muses that killing Hinton would be hard to visualize given Heath’s apparent cowardice, but admits that if Heath is a psycho, all bets are off. They agree they need to find Doreen now.

Key Events

Heath arrives early, deletes computer files, copies others to flash drives, and later deletes Doreen’s calendar entries.
In flashback, Heath buries Hinton’s body in a remote Mississippi boat launch, buys Gophers gear at Mall of America, abandons the van at the airport, and cleans his house with Drano.
Lucas and Virgil confront Heath about the Big Grin scam and the Sand murders. Heath panics, throws a paper ball, and orders them out.
After the police leave, Heath retrieves a ball-peen hammer from his garage and drives to Hinton’s house (implied intention).
Lucas and Virgil arrive at Hinton’s house, find it empty, and the landlord confirms Hinton has fled.
The investigators decide to look into the Heart/Twin Cities board and urgently search for Doreen.

Character Development

Noah Heath: Emerges as more capable and ruthless than previously portrayed. He methodically disposes of a body, scrubs digital and physical evidence, and rehearses a cover story. Yet his panic during the police interrogation reveals the strain of his deception. His later trip to Hinton’s house with a hammer suggests he intends to silence further witnesses.
Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers: Work in tandem as seasoned investigators. Lucas remains calm and observational (noting Heath’s failure to deny the murder), while Virgil uses blunt confrontation to unsettle suspects. Their skepticism of Heath’s capability to kill Hinton shows their reliance on behavioral profiles, but they remain open to the possibility of a hidden psychopathy.
Darrell Hinton (Bob Dahl): Though absent from the chapter, his decision to flee confirms his fear and guilt. His disappearance forces the investigators to pivot to other leads.
Doreen: The only surviving witness to Heath’s schemes, her absence becomes the new priority.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Erasure of Truth: Heath’s obsessive deletion of files, cleansing of the stairwell, and mental rehearsal of forgetting illustrate the theme of truth being actively buried—both literally and digitally.
The Mask of Normalcy: Heath’s stop at the Mall of America to buy Gophers apparel while wearing a Covid mask symbolizes his attempt to blend in and perform a normal life despite his horrific acts.
The Unseen Witness: Doreen is the living thread that connects Heath to the Big Grin scam and potentially to the Sand murders. Her disappearance underscores the precariousness of justice when witnesses vanish.
Rural vs. Urban Disposal: The choice of a remote boat launch along the Mississippi versus the crowded Mall of America highlights the dual nature of Heath’s world: private wilderness for concealment, public space for alibi.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivot point. With Hinton both potentially a killer-on-the-run and a possible victim, the case against Heath becomes circumstantial. The discovery of Hinton’s empty house confirms he is fleeing, but it also raises the possibility that Heath may have murdered him as well—making Heath the most dangerous suspect. The chapter also reveals Heath’s capacity for premeditated violence, moving him from a mere fraudster to a plausible murderer. The investigators’ focus now shifts to Doreen, who is likely the last living person who can testify against Heath. Without her, the state’s case may collapse. The chapter sets up a race to find Doreen before Heath can silence her.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Heath go to Hinton’s house after the police interrogation?
Heath knows the police will eventually look for Hinton. By taking a ball-peen hammer from his garage and driving to White Bear Lake, he likely intends to intimidate or eliminate Hinton—unaware Hinton has already fled. This shows Heath’s desperation to remove all witnesses.

2. What evidence leads Lucas and Virgil to conclude Hinton is running?
Inside Hinton’s house they find furniture still present (dill-pickle-colored couch) but all personal items gone, closets empty, and the car keys missing. The landlady confirms Hinton is renting but has presumably skipped out on the lease.

3. How does Heath react to the direct accusation of murdering Alex Sand and his sons, and what does that reaction suggest?
Heath’s face turns white, he sputters denials, and he throws a paper ball—a classic fight-or-flight panic response. However, Lucas notes that Heath never actually denied killing Sand; he only denied knowing Hinton. This verbal evasion suggests guilt or at least knowledge of the crime.