Chapter summaries The Longmire Defense: A Longmire Mystery Craig Johnson

Chapter 14: The Deputies Depart and a Cell Phone Found

⚠️ 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

Deputy Santiago Saizarbitoria resigns, handing his badge to Walt Longmire after expressing a sense that their paths have diverged, partly due to a job offer from corporate fixer Mike Regis. Longmire warns him about Regis and his associate Maxim Sidorov, but Saizarbitoria leaves. Ruby reports that Trisha Knox, the young woman who had been camping in local motels, has been found strangled in a room at the AR motel in Absalom. Longmire visits Durant Memorial, where Jules Beldon has revived and recounts being shot; he identifies the shooter’s language as Russian when a recording is played. Outside the hospital, Jordan Heller tells Longmire that Regis offered him a contract to kill someone—likely Longmire—and asks to be deputized. Longmire sends him to fill out an application. At the Absalom crime scene, Longmire recalls a detail from his last stay in the room and retrieves a cell phone hidden in the toilet tank, a potential piece of evidence. The chapter closes with Heller again offering his help and Longmire realizing he cannot continue alone.

Key Events

  • Saizarbitoria resigns; Longmire accepts the badge and expresses concern over Regis’s influence.
  • Ruby reveals Trisha Knox has been murdered by strangulation in Absalom; Longmire contacts Campbell County Sheriff Sandy Sandburg.
  • Jules Beldon regains consciousness and confirms his shooter spoke Russian, matching a recording played by Doctor Nickerson.
  • Jordan Heller approaches Longmire, discloses that Regis tried to hire him for a killing, and asks to become a deputy.
  • Longmire drives to the AR motel to inspect the scene of Trisha Knox’s murder, where DCI investigator Price and a crime-scene tech find no usable prints.
  • Longmire remembers the broken toilet from a previous stay, lifts the tank lid, and discovers a cell phone in a waterproof case.
  • Heller appears again at the crime scene, having already turned in his application.

Character Development

  • Walt Longmire faces mounting isolation: his trusted deputy quits, Vic is unreachable, and Henry seems distant. He also shows a willingness to accept help when he tells Heller to apply.
  • Santiago Saizarbitoria chooses ambition over loyalty, but his discomfort suggests he may not be entirely at peace with the decision.
  • Jordan Heller moves from suspect to potential ally, demonstrating a moral line he will not cross and a desire to stand with Longmire.
  • Jules Beldon provides a crucial identification that ties the assassination attempt to the Russian-speaking enforcer.
  • Ruby remains the steady anchor, though she withholds information about Vic’s safety, hinting at secret communications.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

  • Loyalty and Betrayal: Saizarbitoria’s resignation and Regis’s attempts to recruit others underscore the theme of divided loyalties.
  • Isolation of the Sheriff: Longmire reflects on the photos of past sheriffs and muses about working alone, reinforcing his growing solitude.
  • Buried Evidence: The cell phone hidden in the toilet tank symbolizes secrets concealed in plain sight, waiting to be uncovered.
  • Language and Identity: The Russian-language clue ties the shooter to Sidorov and the corporate syndicate, emphasizing the foreign element in the Wyoming setting.
  • The “Bitchin’ Car”: The witness’s vague description of the getaway vehicle highlights the difficulty of solving a rural crime with limited resources.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter escalates the stakes for Longmire by removing his most viable deputy and adding a second murder to the investigation. The discovery of Trisha Knox’s body shows that the conspirators are willing to kill anyone who gets too close. Beldon’s identification of Russian speech gives Longmire a concrete link to Sidorov and Regis. The hidden cell phone promises to be a key piece of forensic evidence. Meanwhile, Jordan Heller’s offer sets the stage for a potential partnership, shifting the story toward a more direct confrontation. The chapter reinforces the novel’s central conflict between small-town justice and corporate corruption.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Saizarbitoria resign, and what does his decision reveal about his character?
He leaves because he feels his values have diverged from Longmire’s, and he is tempted by a lucrative consulting job from Mike Regis. It shows he prioritizes personal ambition over loyalty and is unwilling to weather the coming storm alongside his boss.

2. How does the murder of Trisha Knox connect to the larger conspiracy?
Although her death may appear unrelated, she was beaten earlier during her stay in Durant motels, and her killer left no forensic evidence—a sign of professional execution. The timing and location near Cody Richard’s trailer suggest the conspirators are eliminating anyone involved in the case.

3. What is the significance of the cell phone Longmire finds?
It is hidden in the toilet tank of the murder room and protected by a waterproof case, indicating that either Trisha Knox or her killer stashed it there deliberately. The phone likely contains call records, messages, or photographs that could identify the assassin and link him to Regis or Sidorov.

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