Lethal Prey Chapter 24 Summary and Analysis
Spoiler Notice
This summary includes major plot details from Chapter 24 of Lethal Prey by John Sandford. If you have not yet read the book, you may want to do so before continuing.
Summary
After seeing the DNA samplers and Flowers out, Amanda Fisk broods in her home. She recognizes Flowers's friendly, deliberate manner as a detective tactic; he is known as an unusually perceptive investigator. Worried she talked too much, she searches true-crime sites and discovers a link between Flowers and Timothy—a man with dementia recognized Timothy in an old photo. Fisk realizes Flowers will not stop with a false DNA match; he may probe deeper. She decides she must divert Flowers from the case. Meanwhile, Virgil Flowers works several angles: the DNA samples and research from true-crime investigators. He wants time off to write his novel but is restless. He calls Bee CEO Cory Donner to ask about key access to the building after hours. Donner explains that keys are tightly controlled, and that Doris Grandfelt had a key as part of her mail-clerk duties. Donner doubts a Bee accountant would commit such a violent murder. Fisk, alone, considers the risk of Flowers focusing on Timothy. If Flowers concludes Timothy did not kill Grandfelt, he may examine her own past, where she associates a series of violent deaths. Fisk decides small risk now may be better than larger risk later. She takes a jug of Drano Max Gel from a storage cabinet, pours the contents down the sink, rinses it three times, and drives to an all-night gas station to fill the jug with gasoline. She contemplates the reality of her plan at 1:30 a.m., realizing the risk suddenly seems considerable.
Key Events
- Fisk observes Flowers's departure and reflects on his investigative reputation.
- She discovers true-crime sites linking Flowers to Timothy via a man with dementia.
- Fisk deduces that Flowers might not accept a false negative DNA result and could investigate further.
- She formulates a plan to divert Flowers from the case, possibly by harming him.
- Virgil Flowers calls Cory Donner to inquire about key access to the Bee building.
- Donner explains that keys are limited; Doris Grandfelt held one, as did several others.
- Donner dismisses the idea that a Bee employee would commit the murder in such a brutal manner.
- Fisk retrieves a Drano jug, empties it, rinses it, and fills it with gasoline at a gas station.
- She hesitates at 1:30 a.m., realizing the small risk she envisioned now feels substantial.
Character Development
Amanda Fisk moves from cautious brooding to active planning. Her prosecutor’s mindset turns her worry over a possible Flowers-led investigation into a concrete, dangerous scheme. She shows resourcefulness—searching true-crime sites, mapping roads around Flowers’s girlfriend’s farm, and methodically preparing a weapon (gasoline in a Drano jug). Her internal debate between “small risk now” versus “possible bigger risk later” reveals her calculating nature and her willingness to escalate violence to protect her secrets.
Virgil Flowers displays his characteristic methodical thinking: calling Donner, building a picture of Bee’s key control, and dismissing improbable theories. His distraction—wanting to work on his novel—adds a layer of personal conflict, showing that the case competes with his creative drive. His ability to sense emerging patterns (“tend to think… like painting a picture”) remains central to his approach.
Cory Donner appears as a practical, cooperative witness. He provides clear information about key control and offers a skeptical view of the murder, reinforcing the Bee setting’s logistical constraints.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Appearance versus reality: Fisk’s careful preparation mirrors the theme of deception. She poses as a cooperative ex-prosecutor while assembling a weapon. The Drano jug—once a household cleaner—becomes a container for gasoline, symbolizing how innocence is corrupted.
Control and access: Keys to the Bee building symbolize power and trust. The tightly controlled keys narrow the suspect pool, but also highlight the vulnerability of security systems. Fisk herself exploits her knowledge of Flowers’s movements and the investigation’s trajectory to plan her attack.
Risk calculation: Both Fisk and Flowers engage in risk assessment. Flowers weighs time away from the case against his desire to write; Fisk weighs the danger of acting versus the danger of inaction. The chapter ends on her uncertainty, underscoring that even the most careful plans can falter when confronted with reality.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 24 is a turning point because Fisk shifts from passive surveillance to active conspiracy to harm a law enforcement officer. Her plan to use gasoline in a Drano jug introduces a new, credible threat to Virgil Flowers and raises the story’s stakes. The chapter also advances the investigation by revealing key-control details at Bee, which rule out some theories and reinforce the possibility that the murder did not occur there. Fisk’s discovery of Flowers’s link to Timothy further tightens the connection between the two story lines. This chapter sets up the climax, where investigative pressure and personal danger will collide.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Amanda Fisk decide to take direct action against Flowers rather than waiting for the DNA results?
Fisk fears that Flowers, due to his reputation and persistence, will not accept a false negative DNA result. She worries that if he concludes Timothy did not murder Grandfelt, he will examine her past and find a pattern of violent deaths. She believes a small risk now (diverting Flowers) is preferable to the larger risk of being investigated.
2. How does Virgil Flowers’s conversation with Cory Donner affect the investigation’s direction?
Donner explains that keys to the Bee building are tightly controlled—only twelve exist—and that Doris Grandfelt had one. This makes it highly unlikely that an outsider committed the murder there, supporting the theory that Grandfelt was killed elsewhere. Donner also dismisses the idea of an accountant committing such a brutal crime, which steers Flowers toward other possibilities.
3. What does Fisk’s method of preparing the weapon (the Drano jug) reveal about her character?
Fisk’s actions show she is methodical, patient, and willing to use household items to disguise her intent. She empties the Drano, rinses it three times to avoid detection, and fills it with gasoline at an all-night station. This attention to detail mirrors her prosecutor’s background, yet it also reveals her ruthlessness: she is prepared to commit violence to protect herself.