Chapter 88: Perry Martin’s Buried Past – Summary and Analysis
Spoiler Warning: This summary and analysis contains significant details from Chapter 88 of Obsessed (Michael Bennett #15). If you have not yet read the chapter, proceed with caution.
Summary
Chapter 88 opens with Michael Bennett reviewing the extensive criminal history of William Tassick, provided by Walter Jackson. Tassick’s record begins in San Diego with arrests for selling cocaine, assaulting a police officer, unlawful firearm display, and multiple disorderly conduct charges — all resulting in only probation. Later, more serious crimes landed him in prison.
Bennett then shifts his focus to verifying Perry Martin’s alibi. After an unproductive call to Syracuse University police, he is directed to the Syracuse city police department. After being transferred several times, he finally speaks with Sergeant Pagan, a veteran officer who recalls a case from sixteen years earlier.
Pagan recounts a disturbing incident: a freshman woman reported being assaulted on a date with a blond Syracuse football player. When she refused sex, the player punched her hard in the face and ripped her shirt. She identified Perry Martin. Pagan found the victim credible and prepared to file charges. However, the victim’s brother shot at Martin with a .38 revolver. To avoid prosecuting the brother, the state attorney arranged to drop all investigations — the assault case and the shooting. Martin was never charged, and Pagan was silenced from discussing it with Syracuse University.
Bennett is stunned by this off-the-record revelation. He immediately calls Terri Hernandez and requests a meeting, asserting that they need to take Perry Martin much more seriously as a suspect.
Key Events
- Bennett receives a detailed criminal report on William Tassick from Walter Jackson.
- Bennett calls Syracuse University police (no record) and then the Syracuse city police.
- After a long wait, Sergeant Pagan takes the call and reluctantly agrees to speak off the record.
- Pagan reveals a 16-year-old assault allegation against Perry Martin.
- The victim’s brother shot at Martin, leading to all investigations being dropped.
- Bennett realizes Martin has a hidden past and must become a primary focus.
- Bennett contacts Terri Hernandez to re-evaluate the case.
Character Development
- Michael Bennett demonstrates relentless investigative persistence. Rather than accepting a dead end, he follows a tip to city police and patiently works through multiple transfers. His ability to earn Pagan’s trust shows his skill in building rapport.
- Sergeant Pagan carries lingering guilt over the suppressed case. She speaks cautiously off the record, revealing a conscientious officer troubled by the injustice.
- Perry Martin is now implicated in a violent past. The possibility that he committed assault and avoided consequences deepens the mystery around him and casts doubt on his innocence.
- Terri Hernandez is not directly present but becomes a key collaborator as Bennett updates her.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Institutional Protection of Privilege: The state attorney’s decision to drop all investigations rather than charge the victim’s brother protected Perry Martin’s football career and the university’s reputation.
- Suppressed Justice: Pagan’s off-the-record admission symbolizes how the legal system sometimes buries truth to avoid scandal.
- Relentless Pursuit: Bennett follows a thin thread — a suggestion from an unknown sergeant — and uncovers a hidden record. This reinforces his obsession with finding the truth, central to the book’s title.
- The Past Haunting the Present: An assault from sixteen years ago re-emerges to potentially change the course of the investigation.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 88 serves as a major turning point in the investigation. Until now, Perry Martin seemed like a secondary suspect. The revelation of his assault allegation — and its cover-up — makes him a prime candidate for the crimes being investigated. It also introduces a troubling pattern: Martin may have a history of violence against women that was never accounted for. The chapter deepens the narrative complexity by showing how systemic failures allow powerful individuals to escape accountability. For Bennett, this is both a breakthrough and a moral wake-up call.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What specific details does Sergeant Pagan recall about the assault case against Perry Martin?
Pagan states that a freshman woman reported being punched hard in the face and having her shirt ripped by her date, a blond Syracuse football player, after she refused to have sex. She identified Perry Martin. Pagan found the victim extremely credible and her memory of the event clear.
2. How did the victim’s brother’s actions affect the legal outcome?
The brother shot at Perry Martin with a .38 revolver. The state attorney, wanting to avoid charging the brother, arranged a deal to drop all investigations — both the assault case and the shooting. No charges were filed against anyone, and Martin’s record remained clean.
3. Why does Bennett decide to refocus on Perry Martin after this conversation?
Bennett realizes that Martin was involved in a serious violent incident that was deliberately hidden. This new information suggests Martin is capable of violence and may have avoided accountability before. Bennett believes the current case could be connected to Martin’s past behavior.