Chapter summaries Return of the Spider James Patterson

Return of the Spider Chapter 70: A New Hideout and Forced Plans

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Classes at Washington Day School end early on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Gary Soneji leaves before the holiday traffic, glad he did not see Cheryl Lynn Wise because getting too close too soon might lead to an uncontrollable obsession. He drives north, searching for an abandoned farm to use as a new, secluded hideout for future kidnappings. His experience with Bunny made him value his Pine Barrens cabin as a rare resource, and Diggs’s grandmother’s property is no longer usable. After rejecting two farms for being too open or inaccessible, Soneji finds a third promising location but when a real estate agent arrives with a client, he abandons the plan. He returns to his home in Wilmington, where his daughter Roni greets him. Inside, his fiancée Missy, her sister Trish, and his mother-in-law Christiana are planning a wedding reception on Christmas Eve. Soneji resents being forced into a decision, but he suppresses his anger and agrees with a forced grin.

Key Events

  • Soneji leaves school early for Thanksgiving break, deliberately avoiding Cheryl Lynn Wise to prevent suspicion and obsession.
  • He drives to Delaware and New Jersey, inspecting three farms for sale as potential new kidnap sites.
  • The third farm appears ideal (secluded, overgrown fields) but Soneji leaves when a real estate agent and a client arrive.
  • He returns to his Wilmington home, greeted by his daughter Roni.
  • He learns that his fiancée, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law have already decided the wedding will be on Christmas Eve.
  • Soneji hides his fury and agrees to the plan, feigning enthusiasm for the ceremony.

Character Development

  • Gary Soneji: Demonstrates calculated restraint by avoiding Cheryl Lynn Wise, showing his ability to delay gratification. His search for a new hideout reveals his meticulous planning and paranoia about security. The family scene exposes his deep resentment toward being controlled, especially by the women in his life. He can still feign normalcy despite internal rage.
  • Missy (fiancée): Acts decisively, planning the wedding with her family without consulting Soneji, revealing her assumption that he will comply.
  • Christiana (mother-in-law): Shows polite but forced warmth toward Soneji. The tension between them persists, and Soneji wonders how much Missy confides in her.
  • Trish (sister-in-law): Provides comic relief with her exhaustion but also participates in the unilateral decision-making.
  • Roni: Innocent child who greets her father joyfully, highlighting the contrast between Soneji’s domestic life and his criminal activities.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Secrecy and hiding: Soneji’s quest for a secluded farm mirrors his need to keep his double life hidden. The farm represents a physical space for his crimes.
  • Control vs. coercion: Soneji justifies his evil acts by seeing himself as a victim of others’ control. His resentment of being “under someone else’s thumb” fuels his anger and shapes his actions.
  • Domesticity as a mask: The warm home scene with family planning a wedding conceals Soneji’s true identity as a kidnapper. The wedding itself becomes another part of his cover.
  • Impulse regulation: Soneji deliberately does not see Cheryl Lynn because he fears his obsession will become uncontrollable. He practices self-restraint, which he later fails to apply when his family pressures him.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Soneji’s psychology, showing that his violent tendencies coexist with disciplined planning. The search for a new hideout signals that another kidnapping is imminent, raising suspense. The domestic scene reveals the emotional toll of his double life and the fractures in his relationships. The forced Christmas Eve wedding adds a ticking clock: Soneji must maintain his cover while also securing a new location for his next victim. The chapter also introduces Cheryl Lynn Wise as a specific target, making her later disappearance more personal.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Soneji avoid Cheryl Lynn Wise before Thanksgiving?
    He fears that getting too close too soon will lead to an uncontrollable obsession and risk suspicion. He uses the holiday break to strengthen his cover and become “invisible” to police.

  2. What does Soneji’s search for an abandoned farm reveal about his state of mind?
    It shows his need for a secure, secluded location for future crimes, his caution after his experience with Bunny, and his willingness to abandon a potential site if any risk (like a real estate agent) appears.

  3. How does Soneji react to the news of the Christmas Eve wedding, and what does that reaction tell us?
    He is furious but suppresses his anger and agrees with a false grin. This shows his deep resentment of being controlled, especially by women, and his ability to wear a mask of normalcy even when enraged.

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