Chapter 27 Summary – Lethal Prey by John Sandford
Spoiler Notice
Warning: This chapter contains spoilers for Lethal Prey. Proceed with caution.
Summary
While Frankie shops online for tack after losing everything in the stable fire, Lucas Davenport calls Virgil Flowers from St. Paul to share disappointing DNA results: the hair from Timothy Carlson’s sink does not match the semen recovered from the Grandfelt murder. The next morning they meet at the BCA with director Duncan. DNA tech Linda Esselton reports that all jewelry scrubs returned zero DNA because the pieces had been deliberately sterilized—a first in her experience. The sink hair appeared chopped, not naturally fallen, and the shower drain contained only Amanda Fisk’s hair. Virgil notes that Fisk donated all of Carlson’s clothing and thoroughly cleaned the house. Suspicion shifts from Carlson to Fisk. The detectives visit Turtle Lake Golf Club to check Carlson’s locker, but Fisk had already emptied it. However, the locker room attendant finds one pair of forgotten golf shoes. Virgil seizes them for DNA testing. Back at the BCA, Virgil bets the shoes will match the murder DNA, and Duncan orders the test.
Key Events
- DNA comparison fails: sink hair does not match Grandfelt semen.
- Linda Esselton reveals jewelry was sterilized and hair was chopped, suggesting a deliberate cover-up.
- Amanda Fisk’s thorough cleaning of Carlson’s house raises suspicion.
- Virgil and Lucas decide to investigate Fisk before confronting her.
- They visit Turtle Lake Golf Club but find Carlson’s locker already cleared.
- A forgotten pair of golf shoes is discovered and seized for DNA testing.
- Virgil predicts the shoes will match the murder DNA; Duncan greenlights the test.
Character Development
- Virgil Flowers: Shows frustration at the DNA dead end but quickly pivots to a new theory involving Fisk. His willingness to leak information about the stable fire to true-crime sites shows strategic thinking. His confidence in the significance of the golf shoes underscores his investigative instincts.
- Lucas Davenport: Provides calm, analytical balance. He questions Virgil’s theory by noting that a male suspect (Carlson) is more conventional, but he also recognizes the oddness of Fisk’s behavior. His experience with “odd things” guides the investigation in a new direction.
- Amanda Fisk (inferred): While not present in the chapter, her actions—sterilizing jewelry, removing all of Carlson’s possessions, cleaning drains—paint her as a calculating and methodical figure. The text builds her as a plausible antagonist.
- Linda Esselton: Her professional observations about the sterilized jewelry and chopped hair lend credibility to the suspicion. She is precise and slightly defensive about her technique, reinforcing the reliability of the evidence.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Deception and Concealment: The deliberate destruction of DNA evidence highlights how far someone will go to hide the truth. Fisk’s exhaustive cleaning symbolizes an attempt to erase a person’s entire existence.
- Forensic Science and Uncertainty: The chapter contrasts the precision of DNA technology with human intervention that can corrupt evidence. The mismatch between hair and semen forces the detectives to reconsider their assumptions.
- Gender and Criminality: Lucas comments that women rarely commit violent serial murders, especially by stabbing or beating. This motif prompts readers to question biases in criminal profiling, as Fisk’s actions become increasingly suspicious.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the investigation. The DNA mismatch eliminates Carlson as a clear suspect and shifts the focus squarely onto Amanda Fisk. The discovery of sterilized jewelry and the seizure of the golf shoes provide concrete new evidence. Characters’ reactions—Virgil’s shift from certainty to humility and Lucas’s openness to oddities—show how good detectives adapt. The chapter also deepens the theme of deception, setting up the final act of the novel.
Study Questions
1. Why does Linda Esselton believe the jewelry was deliberately sterilized, and what does this suggest about the case?
Esselton explains that in all her years of scrubbing jewelry, she always finds some DNA—skin cells, hair, blood—but the seven pieces from Carlson’s collection yielded nothing. The absence is so complete that it cannot be accidental. This suggests that someone—likely Amanda Fisk—took extraordinary steps to eliminate any biological trace, implying she is hiding evidence related to the murders.
2. How do Virgil and Lucas interpret the fact that Fisk removed all of Carlson’s clothing and personal items from the house?
Virgil points out that she donated everything except the jewelry, which she kept. Lucas sees the pattern as an attempt to erase Carlson’s identity from the home. Combined with the sterilized jewelry and cleaned drains, they infer that Fisk is covering up something incriminating—possibly her own involvement in the murders.
3. What is the significance of the golf shoes found at Turtle Lake Golf Club?
The shoes are the only personal item of Carlson’s that Fisk missed. They likely contain Carlson’s DNA, which can be compared to the Grandfelt murder evidence. If the DNA matches, it will confirm that Carlson was present during the crime, but given the earlier dead ends, Virgil suspects the shoes will point back to Fisk’s interference. The shoes represent a loophole in Fisk’s otherwise meticulous cleanup.