The Thursday Murder Club – Chapter 87 Summary & Analysis
⚠️ 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
Jason Ritchie and Bobby Tanner share lunch at Le Pont Noir, a familiar setting that now feels different. They play a guessing game about what Bobby dreamed of becoming as a child – astronaut, jockey – but Bobby refuses to confirm the right answer. Jason checks if Bobby is happy, and Bobby affirms he is. Their conversation turns to Johnny, an old associate whose fate has long been uncertain. Jason always suspected Johnny was dead; Bobby assumed the same about Jason. Now sober and older, they reflect on their past. Jason wonders if Steve Ercan, their expected guest, will know whether Johnny ever returned from his travels. They order another bottle of Malbec and soon after, Steve Ercan walks in.
Key Events
- Jason and Bobby Tanner have lunch at Le Pont Noir, joking about childhood dreams.
- Bobby states he is happy; Jason says he is glad Bobby is still alive.
- They discuss the disappearance of Johnny and both confess they thought the other was dead.
- Jason checks his watch, expecting Steve Ercan.
- They decide to order a second bottle of wine.
- Steve Ercan arrives, ending the wait.
Character Development
Jason Ritchie: This chapter shows Jason in a reflective, almost vulnerable state. He is no longer the brash criminal of his youth; he is an old man reconciling with his past. His line “We do and we don’t” suggests a conflicted sense of deserved happiness.
Bobby Tanner: Bobby appears content, having found some personal resolution. He is open about his happiness and grateful to still be alive. His refusal to reveal his childhood dream hints that he has moved beyond old ambitions.
Steve Ercan: Though he only appears at the end, his arrival signals the culmination of a long‑awaited conversation. Steve is likely the key to understanding Johnny’s fate and closing a chapter from the characters’ shared history.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Aging and Reflection: The characters acknowledge they are “old men now,” unable to drink at lunch as they once did. The lunch setting in a familiar restaurant, yet “not like them at all,” underscores how time has changed them.
Friendship and Loyalty: Despite years of uncertainty about each other’s survival, Jason and Bobby share a genuine bond. Their easy banter and willingness to order another bottle together show enduring loyalty.
Mystery and Suspense: The chapter builds quiet tension around Steve Ercan’s arrival. The guessing game about Johnny’s fate keeps the reader wondering what the past holds.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter provides necessary closure for two of the novel’s secondary but important characters. It humanises Jason Ritchie, showing him as more than a former con man, and it tees up the critical information that Steve Ercan will deliver. The moment also deepens the novel’s exploration of how people confront the secrets of their youth in later life.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why do Jason and Bobby play a guessing game about Bobby’s childhood dream?
The game masks deeper emotions. Bobby’s refusal to reveal the true answer (and Jason’s quick acceptance) shows that their conversation is really about shared history and mutual acceptance, not the dream itself.
2. What does Jason mean when he says, “We do and we don’t” regarding deserving happiness?
Jason is acknowledging that he and Bobby have survived and found some peace, but he also feels that their past misdeeds make them partly undeserving. It captures a central moral ambivalence of his character.
3. How does the setting of Le Pont Noir contribute to the chapter’s mood?
The restaurant is a familiar haunt from their younger days, but the atmosphere is now “not like them at all.” This contrast highlights the passage of time and life’s changes, setting a reflective, slightly melancholic mood that suits the chapter’s themes.