Chapter Twenty-Two (Chapter 25): The Wanderer – 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.

Complete and Chronological Summary

Two weeks after the Phantom killed Mr. Tremblay, he enters a hospital room disguised as a staff member named Steve. An elderly woman named Ethel lies in the bed, near death. She immediately sees through his ruse and guesses he has come to kill her, jokingly mentioning a muffin magnate named Bob Foster. The Phantom denies knowing Foster and insists he is an angel of death delivering her to God. Ethel refuses to confess her sins repentantly; instead she mocks him with bawdy regrets about sex and recipes. The Phantom recites scripture and administers three injections through her IV: first saline, then lorazepam, then a final saline flush. As she drifts, Ethel whispers that if he touches her Lark, Lark will kill him. The Phantom smiles, hoping to provoke that confrontation. He watches her die.

Key Events

The Phantom enters Ethel’s hospital room using a stolen ID.
Ethel immediately identifies him as a killer and references Bob Foster.
The Phantom recites Bible verses while preparing his syringes.
Ethel taunts him with crude, unrepentant confessions.
The Phantom injects a lethal dose of lorazepam into her IV.
In her final moments, Ethel warns him about Lark.
The Phantom leaves with her bloodied handkerchief as a trophy.

Character Development

The Phantom (Unnamed Narrator) – This chapter reveals the killer’s self-image as a divine instrument. He believes God rewards his killings and is avenging his brother Harvey. He feels a thrill in the act and views his victims as “offerings.” His obsession with order and scripture contrasts with Ethel’s irreverence, which he finds unsettling yet unshakable. His internal monologue shows a deeply religious yet twisted worldview.

Ethel – Though present only briefly, Ethel emerges as a sharp, defiant woman. She refuses to be intimidated, uses humor to undermine the Phantom’s gravitas, and shows no fear. Her final warning about Lark suggests she knows the Phantom’s ultimate target and that she cares for Lark (likely a major character). Her death is dignified despite her weakness.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Divine Mission vs. Human Defiance – The Phantom frames his murders as God’s will, but Ethel’s refusal to play the role of repentant sinner challenges his narrative. She treats his religious rhetoric as absurd, exposing the gap between his self-righteousness and her reality.
The Muffin Metaphor – Ethel’s jokes about Bob Foster’s banoffee muffins and her regret over not stealing the recipe symbolize the mundane, petty frustrations that outlast grand religious claims. The Phantom cannot understand this distraction.
The Handkerchief – The bloodied handkerchief the Phantom takes becomes a token of the encounter. He calls it a “magic trick” and a reminder that death is an illusion, reinforcing his detachment from the humanity of his victims.
The IV as a Symbol of Control – The Phantom’s controlled injection process contrasts with Ethel’s uncontrollable body (coughing, phlegm). He seeks to impose order on death, but she maintains agency through her words until the very end.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the Phantom’s backstory (brother Harvey, his childhood in a burned house, his connection to the Kanes) while establishing his next target indirectly. Ethel’s mention of Lark provides a crucial link: the Phantom is hunting someone close to her, presumably a major protagonist. The chapter also humanizes the killer’s victims; Ethel is not a passive prey but a spirited opponent. The juxtaposition of the Phantom’s solemn ritual with Ethel’s crude humor makes this a memorable, darkly comic interlude that raises the stakes for the characters Lark protects.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does the Phantom recite “Abide with Me” to his victims?
He sings the hymn as a “parting gift” to usher their souls to judgment, reinforcing his belief that he is an angel of death acting on God’s behalf. The hymn is part of his ritual to justify murder as a holy act.
What does Ethel’s joke about Bob Foster’s muffins reveal about her character?
It shows she is unafraid, clever, and grounded in the absurdities of ordinary life. She uses humor to strip the Phantom of his gravitas and to assert her own agency even in a powerless situation.
What does the Phantom mean when he says he hopes Lark will try to kill him?
He desires a confrontation with a worthy opponent. Killing Ethel is a means to provoke Lark, whom he sees as part of the corrupt system protecting his brother’s murderers. The line foreshadows an eventual clash.