Chapter 25: Devine Confronts the Medical Examiner

⚠️ 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

Devine drives to Bing and Sons Funeral Home to meet Françoise Guillaume, the local medical examiner. He challenges her official report by detailing the mechanics of long-range sniper shots—prone, sitting, kneeling, standing—and argues that the bullet’s angle of entry proves the shooter was standing less than ten feet from Jenny Silkwell, not lying prone three hundred yards away. Guillaume avoids making an official finding on distance or firing position, but she admits the town holds secrets. Her brother Fred Bing enters, interrupting the conversation. Fred reveals he knew Jenny from high school, yet claims he did not see her during her last visit. Devine notices that no one in town admits to seeing Jenny, deepening his suspicion that the official story is flawed. He leaves feeling more isolated, even missing the clarity of his military deployments.

Key Events

• Devine visits the funeral home and meets Françoise Guillaume in her office.
• He explains the four sniper firing positions and why a prone shot would be most stable, contrasting it with the unlikely standing position implied by the bullet’s entry angle.
• Guillaume refuses to officially address the distance or stance of the shooter, but her body language suggests she agrees with Devine’s reasoning.
• Fred Bing enters; he and Devine exchange introductions. Fred confirms he knew Jenny from high school and teaches science.
• Devine asks about the “Bing and Sons” sign; Fred explains the family history—his grandfather Frederic founded it, then his father and uncle ran it, now he and Françoise run it.
• Devine leaves, noting that everyone claims ignorance of Jenny’s last visit, and he feels increasingly uncertain about whom to trust.

Character Development

• Travis Devine – Demonstrates his military sniper expertise and analytical rigor. He pushes Guillaume to reconsider the evidence and shows he is willing to take risks by sharing his conclusions. His internal monologue reveals growing frustration and nostalgia for the clarity of combat.
• Françoise Guillaume – Torn between her duty as a medical examiner and loyalty to her hometown. Her evasive answers and pleading look when her brother enters suggest she might know more than she admits, but she is afraid to speak.
• Fred Bing – Appears cooperative but tired. He confirms he knew Jenny but offers no useful information about her last visit. His sudden appearance cuts off Guillaume’s potential revelation, hinting that he may have been listening.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

• Hometown Secrets – Guillaume explicitly states Putnam hits “above its weight” on secrets. The funeral home itself, a place of death and closure, becomes a symbol of the town’s refusal to reveal the truth.
• Truth vs. Official Narrative – Devine’s technical argument about sniper positioning directly contradicts the sheriff’s theory. The chapter emphasizes that evidence can be suppressed or reinterpreted to fit a preferred story.
• Isolation of the Investigator – Devine misses the simplicity of Iraq, where enemies were clear. In Putnam, he cannot tell friend from foe, and even potential allies like Guillaume remain cautious.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in the investigation. Devine has moved beyond questioning witnesses to challenging the official forensic evidence. His conversation with Guillaume exposes a fracture in the local consensus: the medical examiner privately agrees the shooting did not happen as publicly claimed. The introduction of Fred Bing adds a new character with ties to Jenny’s past, but his abrupt entry also stops Guillaume from sharing what she might have revealed. The mystery deepens as Devine realizes the town’s silence is coordinated.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What specific evidence does Devine use to argue that the shot was not a long-distance sniper shot? Devine explains that a prone position is most accurate for long-range shooting because it eliminates body wobble. The bullet’s angle of entry, he contends, could only result from a shooter standing within ten feet of the victim, not lying prone three hundred yards away. He notes that the official theory ignores this inconsistency.

2. How does Françoise Guillaume respond to Devine’s analysis, and what does her reaction suggest? Guillaume avoids making a formal finding on the distance or shooter position, saying she only measured entry and exit angles. Her clenched jaw and shaking hands indicate she agrees with Devine but is unwilling to contradict the official narrative. She later admits the town has secrets, suggesting she knows more but feels constrained by local loyalty.

3. What does the “Bing and Sons” sign reveal about the funeral home’s ownership? The name dates from the founder, Frederic Bing. It passed to his two sons (Fred’s and Françoise’s father and uncle), who have since retired. Now Françoise and Fred run the business, and Fred jokes they should change the sign. The name preserves a male lineage, while Françoise’s married surname hints at a personal history she does not elaborate on.

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