The Waiting Chapter 9 – Surf’s Up and Forensic Breakthroughs
⚠️ 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
Ballard deduces that the thieves who stole her badge and gun are using the Surf’s Up app to target surfers at the best waves. She drives to Staircases beach before dawn to scout the location, suspecting the thieves won’t return but hoping to find evidence. On a bluff overlooking the parking lot and surf break, she finds a Red Bull can that appears to have been used as an ashtray—a possible clue. She bags the can as evidence. She sees surfer Van in the water, then visits Topanga Beach (where a fruit vendor was mentioned in an earlier report) but finds nothing. She proceeds to the LAPD forensics lab at Cal State L.A., bypassing security by using her knowledge of the guard’s nickname. At the latent-prints unit, she persuades criminalist Federico Beltran to process the can on a priority basis. To avoid an official case number that could later compromise a prosecution, Ballard uses the number of a 1988 unsolved murder of Jeffrey Haskell—a case the Open-Unsolved Unit has already deemed unsolvable. Beltran agrees to fume the can for fingerprints. Ballard waits.
Key Events
- Ballard analyzes Surf’s Up app data and finds that every surfer theft in the past year occurred at the break with the best waves that day.
- She drives to Staircases beach in the dark, scopes out the bluff as an observation point, and discovers a Red Bull can that seems deliberately placed (upright, ashes around the pop-top hole).
- She collects the can with latex gloves, placing it in an evidence bag.
- She stops at Topanga Beach but finds neither surfers nor the fruit vendor.
- At the lab, she uses her old familiarity with the building to get past security guard Clint Eastwood without showing ID.
- She convinces Beltran to process the can immediately by claiming it was touched by a suspect.
- She assigns a fake case number (88-0394 for Jeffrey Haskell) to avoid creating a paper trail that could damage a future prosecution.
Character Development
- Ballard: Demonstrates both analytical skill (correlating Surf’s Up data) and practical cunning (using a dead cold case to get lab work done). Her willingness to bend rules reflects her focus on solving the immediate crime, even at ethical cost.
- Federico Beltran: Initially reluctant, he is won over by Ballard’s persistence and promise of credit. He represents the overburdened lab techs who must prioritize work.
- Paul Masser (marginal): Mentions he gave two DNA samples (including one from the lipstick) to Darcy Troy, showing he follows Ballard’s instructions without question.
- Clint Eastwood: The security guard is a minor figure but highlights Ballard’s ability to use personal connections and quick thinking to bypass obstacles.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The Surf’s Up App: Symbolizes how technology can be co‑opted for crime. The app is used by thieves to predict where surfers will be most vulnerable, turning a tool for enjoyment into a targeting mechanism.
- The Red Bull Can: A physical clue that contrasts with the digital analysis. Ballard’s decision to collect it on a hunch shows her reliance on both data and instinct.
- The Fake Case Number: Represents the moral gray areas of police work. Ballard uses a dead boy’s murder case to advance her own investigation, highlighting the tension between justice for the unsolved and the needs of the present.
- Observation and Surveillance: The bluff where the can is found is a literal vantage point; the chapter emphasizes watching—Ballard watching the beach, the thieves watching surfers.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter advances the investigation from general suspicion to concrete forensic action. Ballard’s analysis of the Surf’s Up app establishes how the thieves operate, and the recovery of the Red Bull can provides the first physical evidence. The ethical dilemma of using a cold case number deepens Ballard’s character and sets up potential consequences. The lab scene shifts the story from field work to forensic procedure, a hallmark of Connelly’s police procedurals.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ballard believe the thieves are using the Surf’s Up app?
She matched theft reports against wave history from the app. Every reported theft in the past year occurred at the surf break the app designated as having the best waves that day.
2. What is Ballard’s ethical compromise in this chapter?
She uses a 1988 unsolved murder case number (Jeffrey Haskell) to request a fingerprint analysis of the Red Bull can, bypassing the need for an official investigation. She knows the cold case will never be solved, so she repurposes it to avoid creating a discoverable record that could undermine a future prosecution.
3. How does Ballard get past the security guard at the lab?
She recognizes the guard, Clint Eastwood, calls him by his likely nickname (“Clint”), quickly gives her badge number (7658), and pretends her heavy carton is a reason to hurry. The guard buzzes her through without checking her ID.