Chapter 60 Summary and Analysis – The Color of Death
⚠️ 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
While monitoring Colm’s house through a camera feed, JD grows uneasy because Colm hasn’t moved from his den for an unusual length of time. Knox dismisses it, suggesting Colm may have passed out from heavy drinking. JD insists something feels different and orders Knox to put on a delivery uniform so they can check on him.
They drive a delivery van past Colm’s house. Knox notes that the garage is closed and Colm’s car is still there. JD directs Knox to park where a delivery van would normally stop. After shutting off the engine, JD hears a car running inside the garage. Knox initially doesn’t understand why anyone would start a car indoors. JD realizes Colm is attempting suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
JD grabs a fake delivery box and approaches the garage. Looking through the small windows at the top of the garage door, he sees Colm slumped in the driver’s seat, unconscious. JD has a moment of relish, thinking “suicide king.” But then he yanks open the garage door and shuts off the car. He checks on Colm, who is still alive but barely conscious. JD takes the keys and returns to the van. They speed away.
Knox questions why JD saved Colm instead of letting him die. JD explains he wants Colm to suffer more – a failed suicide attempt is worse than death. Later, Knox asks how JD knew what Colm was going to do. JD reflects that broken people do stupid things when they see no way out, and he compares it to his own past attempt at suicide, which failed only because his car ran out of gas. No one came to rescue him.
Key Events
- JD notices Colm’s prolonged absence on the surveillance feed.
- JD and Knox go to Colm’s house under the guise of a delivery.
- They hear a car engine running inside the closed garage.
- JD finds Colm unconscious in his car, attempting suicide.
- JD rescues Colm, then they flee the scene.
- JD admits he saved Colm only to ensure he suffers more.
- JD reveals he himself once attempted suicide but failed because the car ran out of gas.
Character Development
JD shows a chilling side: he relishes the moment of Colm’s vulnerability yet intervenes not out of compassion but to prolong Colm’s torment. His cold rationale – that failing at suicide compounds the suffering – reveals a calculated cruelty. At the same time, the chapter offers a brief glimpse into JD’s past: his own suicide attempt, which was thwarted by mechanical failure. This parallel suggests JD’s obsession with Colm may stem from unresolved pain of his own. Knox remains a loyal but puzzled accomplice, questioning JD’s motives but carrying out orders.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
Suicide as Control: Colm attempts to end his life on his own terms, taking control by choosing death. JD’s intervention strips away that control, turning the act into another failure.
Surveillance and Vulnerability: The camera feed gives JD a detached, god-like view of Colm’s decline. But seeing the actual scene forces JD to act, breaking the voyeuristic distance.
Suffering and Justice: JD believes Colm deserves to suffer more intensely than a quick death. This reflects a theme of vigilante justice where death is not punishment enough.
The Car Engine: The running engine symbolizes both the method of escape and, for JD, a reminder of his own escape that failed. The car that runs out of gas becomes a symbol of his continued survival and bitter resentment.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in JD’s pursuit of Colm. For the first time, JD physically intervenes rather than just observing or orchestrating events. His decision to save Colm – and the reason for it – deepens his villainous complexity. The revelation of JD’s own suicide attempt humanizes him while also reinforcing his darkness: he is not merely a sadistic plotter but a man driven by a personal wound. The chapter raises the emotional stakes, showing that JD’s motives are not just about revenge against Colm but also about reckoning with his own past.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does JD initially let the moment pass and rescue Colm, even though he takes a kind of pleasure in seeing Colm’s state?
JD wants Colm to suffer more than a quick death. He reasons that failing at suicide is a deeper torment than succeeding. By saving Colm, JD ensures Colm continues to experience the pain JD believes he deserves.
2. How does JD’s own history influence his actions in this chapter?
JD attempted suicide by the same method – carbon monoxide in a car – but failed because the car ran out of gas. No one saved him. This personal experience gives him a unique understanding of Colm’s mindset (as he explains to Knox) and also fuels his resentment: he was left to survive alone, so Colm should not be allowed the “easy way out.”
3. What does Knox’s reaction reveal about his relationship with JD?
Knox is uneasy with JD’s actions and questions his motives, yet he complies without resistance. This shows Knox is both complicit and morally conflicted. He follows JD because of loyalty or fear, but his questions hint at a growing discomfort with JD’s ruthlessness.