Chapter Four: Meeting Norma Banks
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens with the narrator, a defense lawyer, crossing the street to a small park where Norma Banks waits on a bench, smoking. She complains that the courthouse staff wouldn’t let her smoke inside. The narrator sits upwind of her and they exchange pleasantries. Norma is described as a petite woman in her seventies, with white cotton‑tree hair, dressed in a pink sweater, blue jeans, and pink‑and‑blue running shoes. She knows about the narrator’s illness and his hope of being a permanent survivor, but she does not offer sympathy. Instead, she comments on his “loss” for having quit smoking, and the narrator smiles back.
When he thanks her for agreeing to work with him, Norma replies that it is “about time” he called. The narrator reflects on her reputation as one of the country’s most prominent jury consultants. She has worked with everyone from New York mob lawyers to Hollywood entertainment attorneys and has frequently appeared on talk shows. She famously turned down an offer to join O.J. Simpson’s “Dream Team” and later quipped on CNN: “If the gloves don’t fit you must acquit my ass.” The narrator notes that the prosecution, led by Katherine Welsh, has strong forensics: a murder weapon with Rob Jacobson’s prints (though not inside the barrel) and a photograph of him leaving the house the night of the murder. His client insists it was a setup. The narrator admits he is skeptical of the State’s case, not because of his client, but because of his father’s adage: “You want to know the only sure thing in this world? That there are no sure things.”
Norma then tells the narrator that he “got lucky” with Jacobson the first time around (presumably in a previous trial), and that the narrator is “scared right out of your designer jeans.” The narrator is amused and points out that his jeans are actually Levi’s. She smokes a cigarette and states bluntly: “I think your client is guilty as balls.” The narrator asks if that will be a problem, and she says it will not, so long as it does not bother him. She urges them to stop “screwing around” and get to work.
As they walk across the street to the courthouse, Jimmy Cunniff calls. Without preamble, he reports that Rob Jacobson is at the family townhouse in Manhattan—the same house where his father and teenage mistress were shot to death when Jacobson was in high school. The narrator is shocked, saying Jacobson is wearing an electronic monitoring device. Jimmy replies that Jacobson “wore it all the way back to daddy’s house.” The narrator asks what can be done short of picking him up, and Jimmy says he plans to drive to the city and drag Jacobson back out to the Hamptons, “not by his ankle, in case you were wondering.” The narrator ends the call, feeling an urge to kill his own client. Norma Banks, finishing her last cigarette, says, “Don’t tell me. Your client did something stupid.” The narrator replies, “Guilty.”
Key Events
- The narrator meets Norma Banks on a park bench; she is smoking and complains about not being allowed to smoke inside the courthouse.
- Norma reveals she believes the narrator is scared and that his client Rob Jacobson is guilty.
- They agree to work together despite her personal opinion.
- Jimmy Cunniff calls to report that Jacobson has violated his electronic monitoring by traveling to his family’s Manhattan townhouse.
- The narrator expresses frustration and a desire to harm his own client.
- The chapter ends with the narrator saying “Guilty,” echoing Norma’s earlier assessment.
Character Development
- The Narrator (the lawyer): This chapter shows his vulnerability. He is scared about the case, as Norma correctly reads, and he relies on his father’s wisdom about the impossibility of certainty. His immediate instinct to “kill” his client when he learns of the bail violation reveals a strained relationship with Jacobson and a growing moral unease.
- Norma Banks: Introduced as a seasoned, no‑nonsense jury consultant. She is blunt, cynical, and deeply perceptive. Her willingness to work for a client she believes is guilty underscores her professional detachment and pragmatism. Her ability to read people is demonstrated when she calls the narrator’s fear without hesitation.
- Rob Jacobson (off‑page): His decision to go to the Manhattan townhouse despite the monitoring device portrays him as reckless and untrustworthy. The narrator’s angry reaction suggests that Jacobson’s behavior undermines the defense.
- Jimmy Cunniff: A former cop turned investigator, he is proactive and direct. He does not wait for permission to take action; he plans to physically retrieve Jacobson.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Uncertainty vs. Certainty: The narrator’s father’s maxim—“there are no sure things”—is the philosophical anchor of the chapter. The narrator specifically says he is skeptical of the State’s case because of this idea, not because of his client’s denials. Norma’s blunt assertion of Jacobson’s guilt challenges him to confront the possibility that his own client may be lying.
- Smoke as a Symbol: Norma’s persistent smoking (called a “heater” by the narrator’s father) represents defiance and disregard for conventional warnings. The narrator physically positions himself upwind of her, but she blows smoke in his direction anyway. Smoke also echoes the haze of doubt that hangs over the case.
- The Photograph and Forensics: The evidence (fingerprints on the murder weapon, a photograph of Jacobson leaving the house) is described as “party favors,” suggesting that appearances can be deceiving. This reinforces the theme that what seems certain may be misleading.
- Professional Detachment: Norma’s ability to work for a client she thinks is guilty mirrors the narrator’s own struggle to separate his personal feelings from his professional duty.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter Four accomplishes several key narrative tasks:
- It introduces Norma Banks, a major ally whose expertise will be critical to the defense. Her personality and bluntness immediately establish her as a memorable character.
- It deepens the narrator’s internal conflict—his professional obligation to defend a client he may not trust, and his personal fear that the case might be unwinnable.
- It escalates the plot through Jacobson’s bail violation, which creates new legal jeopardy and tests the narrator’s patience. This violation also raises questions about Jacobson’s truthfulness and cooperativeness.
- It reinforces the book’s central thematic concern with the nature of certainty and evidence in criminal law.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Norma Banks mean when she tells the narrator, “I think your client is guilty as balls”? How does her admission affect the narrator’s perspective?
Norma states her belief outright, without hedging. She is not offering legal advice but her personal reading of the case. The narrator does not argue with her; instead, he asks if it will be a problem for her. She says it will not, as long as it does not bother him. By the end of the chapter, the narrator himself says “Guilty” when Norma guesses that Jacobson did something stupid. This suggests that Norma’s bluntness has forced him to acknowledge his own doubts about his client’s innocence.
2. Why does the narrator’s father’s saying about “no sure things” influence his skepticism about the State’s case?
The narrator explicitly contrasts his skepticism with his client’s protestations of a setup. He says his doubt stems from his father’s philosophy, not from Jacobson’s story. In other words, he applies a general principle of uncertainty to the State’s evidence: just because the forensics look strong (fingerprints, photograph) does not mean they are foolproof. This intellectual habit makes him question even the prosecution’s “sure” case.
3. How does Jacobson’s decision to go to the Manhattan townhouse despite electronic monitoring complicate the defense strategy?
Jacobson violates the terms of his bail by traveling from the Hamptons to Manhattan without permission. This gives the prosecution ammunition to argue he is a flight risk or cannot be trusted. It also forces the defense team to react quickly—Jimmy Cunniff must physically retrieve him—and it undermines any argument that Jacobson is fully cooperative. For the narrator, it erodes his confidence in his client’s judgment and truthfulness.