The Waiting Chapter 52: Murder Investigation Begins

⚠️ 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

In the immediate aftermath of discovering Colleen Hatteras’s body, Ballard waits outside the crime scene while detectives Charlotte Goring and Winston Dubose conduct their initial survey. Ballard receives calls from her stunned unit members, all asking questions she cannot answer. She deflects their offers to come to the scene, knowing it will complicate things, but warns them to expect interviews.

Captain Gandle calls and tells Ballard this will be a “shitshow.” He suggests Hatteras might have been killed because of something she did before joining the unit—a company line that would insulate the department. Ballard rejects that idea, insisting Colleen was killed because of work she did for Open-Unsolved.

Detective Goring interviews Ballard in her car, recording the conversation. Ballard explains Hatteras’s background: a divorced mother of two, a citizen sleuth specializing in investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), recruited by Ballard for the cold-case team. Ballard describes the Pillowcase Rapist case, the four persons of interest (POIs), and their recent trip to Vegas to interview one suspect. She admits that Hatteras was frustrated by being kept out of the field.

Goring reveals that Hatteras was shot execution-style once behind the ear with a nine-millimeter, and that a computer and backup hard drive were taken from the house. Ballard, consumed by guilt, asks Anders Persson to hack into Hatteras’s phone records—an illegal act she justifies by saying “this was Colleen” and that she will cross every line needed.

Key Events

Ballard waits in her car outside Hatteras’s house while West Bureau detectives process the scene.
She receives calls from all unit members; Captain Gandle informs her the case will be a political firestorm.
Goring conducts a recorded interview with Ballard, detailing Hatteras’s role and the Pillowcase Rapist investigation.
Goring reveals that Hatteras was shot once behind the ear with a nine-millimeter, and that her computer and backup drive are missing.
Ballard learns the case will stay with West Bureau, not RHD, due to conflict of interest.
Ballard calls Anders Persson and asks him to illegally access Hatteras’s phone records.

Character Development

Renée Ballard: Plagued by guilt and self-blame—she questions whether she failed to train Hatteras properly or somehow caused her death. Her resolve hardens: she decides to break department rules to pursue justice for her volunteer.
Charlotte Goring: A competent, thorough detective who treats Ballard professionally but firmly. She represents the official investigative machinery that Ballard must now navigate.
Captain Gandle: Pragmatic and politically aware, he immediately worries about department liability and suggests shifting blame away from the unit.
Anders Persson: Though reluctant, he agrees to hack Hatteras’s phone records when Ballard appeals to his loyalty and grief.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Guilt and Responsibility: Ballard’s internal questioning—Had I not trained her well enough? Had Colleen made a mistake I missed?—reflects the burden of leadership and the fear that her decisions led to a volunteer’s death.
Institutional Politics vs. Justice: Gandle’s suggestion to blame Hatteras’s pre-LAPD work shows how the department prioritizes reputation over truth. Ballard refuses this narrative, asserting that Colleen was killed because of her work for the unit.
Crossing Ethical Lines: Ballard’s decision to ask Anders to hack into Hatteras’s phone records demonstrates her willingness to operate outside the rules when she believes the system will fail.
The Fragility of Cold-Case Units: The chapter underscores how one murder can threaten the existence of a volunteer-based unit, as internal review could lead to its shutdown.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 52 marks the transition from the discovery of Hatteras’s body to the active murder investigation. It establishes the official narrative (West Bureau handling the case, conflict of interest with RHD) and Ballard’s parallel, unofficial investigation. Her decision to go rogue sets up the central tension for the remainder of the novel: will she follow procedure or pursue justice on her own terms?

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Ballard reject Gandle’s suggestion that Hatteras was killed because of something she did before joining the unit?
Ballard insists that Hatteras was working on the Pillowcase Rapist case for Open-Unsolved. She believes the killer came from that investigation. Gandle’s suggestion is a political maneuver to shift blame away from the department; Ballard prioritizes truth over institutional protection.

2. What does Goring’s revelation about the murder weapon and the missing computer reveal about the killer’s intent?
The killer used a nine-millimeter Glock, fired once behind the ear at point-blank range—an execution-style killing. The theft of Hatteras’s computer and backup drive suggests the killer wanted to destroy evidence of her investigative work, indicating that the murder was premeditated and connected to her research.

3. Why does Ballard ask Anders to hack Hatteras’s phone records, and what does this decision say about her character?
Ballard believes the official investigation will be too slow (warrant process could take a week). She wants immediate access to calls and texts from the last 48 hours to find leads. This decision shows her willingness to break ethical and legal rules when she feels justice demands speed, reflecting her deep loyalty to Hatteras and her growing distrust of institutional procedures.