Open Season Chapter 39 Summary & Analysis
Spoiler Notice
This summary contains detailed spoilers for Chapter 39 of Open Season. Read the chapter first if you wish to avoid plot reveals.
Summary
Milo finishes typing at his keyboard and shares what he learned about Cameron Flick during the background check. Flick lives near Fairfax and Pico, not in Hollywood, and legally registered two high-end target pistols six years ago—a Pardini and a Hammerli. Milo notes that owning these expensive weapons suggests Flick is a serious marksman who likely practices at a range. The absence of a registered rifle is unsurprising, given the circumstantial evidence linking Flick to the sniper murder of Kevin O’Brien.
Milo asks Alex what he was working on. Alex repeats his findings about Flick’s brother, adding that he is not supposed to investigate that lead further unless the brother turns out to have contracted Flick. If it is a volunteer mission on Flick’s part, Alex sees no point in pursuing the sibling angle. Milo accepts this reasoning.
They discuss how Flick—or the brother—could have identified O’Brien with only a partial license plate. Both are math people, and Alex suggests basic algorithmic hacking would not be beyond either of them. Milo wonders why the shooter waited a full year after Jane Doe’s murder to target O’Brien. Alex proposes that the joy of the hunt—the planning, stalking, and staking out—could explain the delay, comparing it to solving advanced math problems that take a long time.
Milo decides to handle the informant issue by listing the source as an anonymous informant, a routine procedure in a murder book. He tells Alex he has called a meeting in an hour and insists Alex attend since he has no patients that day. Buck will be absent, visiting a daughter in South Dakota.
They leave the station and walk to Santa Monica Boulevard. Milo bypasses his usual restaurants and stops at a food truck called Tastee Bites. A young woman named Sasha takes their orders with enthusiastic service. Milo orders his usual breakfast burrito and a large Coke; Alex orders a roast beef sandwich with unsweetened iced tea. The sandwich is generously sized, stuffed with rare roast beef and whipped horseradish sauce.
After eating, Milo retrieves an enlarged DMV photo of Cameron Flick and tapes it to a whiteboard. The face is strikingly ordinary—bland features, medium brown eyes, slightly down-slanted, neither angry nor kind. Alex reflects that people expect monsters and ogres, but sometimes evil appears terrifyingly ordinary.
Key Events
- Milo reports that Cameron Flick owns two expensive target pistols (Pardini and Hammerli) but no registered rifle.
- Alex declines to investigate Flick’s brother further unless a contract is proven.
- Alex and Milo speculate that math skills allowed Flick or his brother to identify O’Brien from a partial plate.
- Milo decides to use the anonymous-informant designation for the source.
- Milo calls a team meeting for one hour later; Buck is absent.
- They eat lunch at a food truck (Tastee Bites), then examine Flick’s unremarkable DMV photo.
Character Development
Milo Sturgis shows his practical side by accepting the anonymous-informant workaround. He also demonstrates leadership by convening a meeting and keeping Alex involved. His regular patronage of the food truck and familiarity with the staff hint at a down-to-earth nature beneath his detective exterior.
Alex Delaware provides psychological insights, linking the shooter’s patience to the “joy of the hunt” and the slow, deliberate nature of advanced mathematics. He maintains a cautious, professional boundary about the brother investigation, only pursuing it if evidence warrants.
Cameron Flick (through his photo) is presented as chillingly ordinary. The absence of any monstrous features in his DMV image reinforces the idea that evil can hide in plain sight.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The Banality of Evil
The chapter’s closing thought—that evil can appear terrifyingly ordinary—echoes Hannah Arendt’s concept. Flick’s bland face and unremarkable eyes challenge the stereotype of a killer’s sinister glare.
Mathematics as a Tool for Crime
Alex argues that algorithmic thinking and problem-solving skills, common in mathematics, could be used for hacking partial plates and planning a methodical stalking. The comparison between math and hunting highlights patience and precision.
The Joy of the Hunt
The delayed attack—a year after the Jane Doe murder—suggests the shooter derives pleasure from stalking and anticipation, not just the kill itself.
Ordinary Settings
The food truck lunch, the police station, and the plain whiteboard are unglamorous backdrops that contrast with the serious investigation. Evil operates within everyday life.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 39 sharpens the focus on Cameron Flick as the prime suspect. By revealing his ownership of high-end target pistols and the lack of a registered rifle, the narrative strengthens the circumstantial case without proving guilt. The discussion of math and stalking adds psychological depth to the killer’s profile. Milo’s decision to convene a meeting raises the stakes, suggesting the investigation is moving toward an operational phase. The final image of Flick’s ordinary face leaves a haunting impression, reminding readers that the most terrifying threats are often the ones we least expect.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Milo decide to use an anonymous informant designation, and what does this reveal about police procedure?
Milo uses the label to protect the source of information without exposing Alex or compromising the investigation. Reveals that detectives sometimes need creative documentation to keep leads alive.
2. How does Alex explain the year-long gap between Jane Doe’s murder and O’Brien’s shooting?
Alex suggests the shooter relishes the “joy of the hunt” – the planning, stalking, and staking out take time, similar to solving long-term math problems. This implies the killer is methodical and patient, not impulsive.
3. What is the significance of Flick’s DMV photo being described as “terrifyingly ordinary”?
It reinforces the theme that evil does not always wear a monstrous face. The ordinariness makes Flick harder to detect and more unsettling, as anyone around him could be the killer.