Chapter Two: The Shooting Range and a Battle on Two Fronts
⚠️ 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
Chapter Two opens at a shooting range before eight in the morning. The narrator—the Hamptons lawyer—and his friend Jimmy are locked in a competitive drinking-glass target match. After splitting the first six rounds, the narrator edges ahead in the fifth when Jimmy misses his last target. The two exchange teasing banter, but the mood shifts when the narrator jokes about being a cancer patient. Jimmy, who dislikes that subject, confronts him directly: he asks whether the narrator is truly capable of handling another trial, given his illness. The narrator insists he is, citing his personal code: “live to work, work to live.” He does not add the implied “or die trying.”
The conversation turns to their current case. Rob Jacobson is about to be retried in Nassau County for the murder of an entire family—a father, a teenage daughter, and her mother, a former high school acquaintance of Jacobson. The evidence against him is even stronger than in his first acquittal. Two days before jury selection, the prosecution, led by new District Attorney Katherine Welsh, revealed a time-stamped photograph showing Jacobson leaving the victims’ house on the night of the murders. The judge granted a two-week continuance, and the narrator reluctantly hired a jury consultant for the first time in his undefeated career.
The consultant is eighty-three-year-old Norma Banks, whom Jimmy derisively calls “Queen Elizabeth.” The narrator defends her, admitting she is old but not dead, and prepares to drive fast to Mineola to meet her on time.
Key Events
- The narrator and Jimmy shoot six rounds of target practice, with the narrator winning the final round.
- The narrator makes a dark joke about being a cancer patient, which dampens Jimmy’s mood.
- Jimmy asks whether the narrator is fit to take on another trial; the narrator reaffirms his commitment.
- The narrator explains the Jacobson case: a triple homicide, new photographic evidence, and a two-week continuance granted by Judge Horton.
- The narrator announces he has hired a jury consultant, Norma Banks, for the first time in his career.
- Jimmy mockingly refers to Banks as “Queen Elizabeth,” suggesting she is too old to be effective.
Character Development
- The Narrator (the Hamptons Lawyer): He is portrayed as fiercely competitive, hiding his physical suffering from chemo. His personal motto (“live to work, work to live”) defines his identity, and he refuses to admit weakness even to Jimmy. He is pragmatic, hiring a jury consultant only when the evidence forces his hand.
- Jimmy: A loyal friend and former partner (implied), he worries openly about the narrator’s health. He reads the narrator’s mood “with annoying frequency” and pushes for honesty. His teasing nickname for Norma reveals a protective skepticism.
- Norma Banks (mentioned): Though not present in the chapter, she is described as eighty-three (possibly older) and is treated with a mixture of respect and ageist humor. Her expertise is trusted by the narrator but doubted by Jimmy.
- Rob Jacobson (mentioned): The defendant in a devastating murder case; his acquittal in the first trial is now threatened by new evidence.
- Katherine Welsh (mentioned): The new Nassau County DA, aggressive in prosecuting Jacobson.
- Judge Michael Horton (mentioned): Grants the continuance, described with light gratitude (“bless his heart”).
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Mortality and Work Ethic: The chapter juxtaposes the narrator’s cancer with his relentless drive to try cases. The shooting range becomes a physical expression of his refusal to lose—both to Jimmy and to his disease.
- Competition as Coping: The banter and shooting match allow the narrator to act normal and avoid discussing his illness. Winning the last round is a symbolic assertion of control.
- The Code of the Lawyer: The narrator insists his code never changes; truth and duty override personal circumstance. This foreshadows moral dilemmas about evidence and justice.
- The “Queen Elizabeth” Motif: Jimmy’s nickname for Norma Banks implies that age is a liability in the legal arena, yet the narrator’s choice to hire her suggests that experience can be an advantage.
- New Evidence as the “Baby on the Doorstep”: The prosecutor’s sudden discovery of damning evidence echoes a foundling metaphor, implying questionable provenance or a manufactured gift.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter Two establishes the high stakes of the story on two levels: the narrator’s personal battle with cancer and the professional challenge of the Jacobson trial. It introduces the key plot device—the incriminating photograph—that will drive the investigation and defense. The shooting-range scene deepens the bond between the narrator and Jimmy while showing how the narrator’s illness affects those around him. The decision to hire a jury consultant signals that this case is different from any the narrator has handled before, raising the tension for the reader.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator hide the extent of his exhaustion from Jimmy?
He does not want to add to Jimmy’s worry. Earlier in the chapter he notes that Jimmy “worries enough about me already,” and the narrator’s joking manner is a defense mechanism. Admitting that he almost canceled would confirm Jimmy’s fears that the trial may be too much.
2. What does the new time-stamped photograph mean for the Jacobson case?
The photograph places Jacobson at the scene of the murders on the night they occurred, a piece of evidence absent from the first trial. It significantly strengthens the prosecution’s case and forces the defense into a reactive position, prompting the narrator to seek professional jury consulting for the first time.
3. How does the shooting competition mirror the upcoming trial?
Both are contests of precision, nerve, and strategy. The narrator wins by a narrow margin and refuses to leave on a loss, just as he is determined to win the trial despite the odds. The final round is symbolic: he beats Jimmy one last time because “we both know I’m not leaving on a loss,” foreshadowing his tenacity in the courtroom.