Chapter Thirty-Seven Summary: A Hidden Phone

⚠️ 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

Myron sits at Emily's kitchen table across from a small black flip phone — a burner — that Emily found taped under Jeremy's bed. She heard it vibrate and retrieved it with scissors, then called Myron before opening it. Myron asks for latex gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, but Emily already touched the phone; he eventually gives up on gloves after finding only too-small gloves under the sink. Emily suggests they call Jeremy first without mentioning the phone. She dials but gets voicemail.

Myron opens the phone and checks the call log. There are four incoming calls from an anonymous number over the past three days, plus two outgoing calls to the same 215 area code number. He searches the number online and discovers it belongs to the Prine Organization. The intercom buzzes — Greg Downing arrives, having been called by Emily after she spoke to Myron.

The three sit at the table. Greg immediately claims the phone is a setup, part of the serial killer's pattern of framing others. Myron counters that the killer already framed Jackie Newton, so this would be a second frame-up, breaking the pattern. Greg insists they keep the phone secret to protect Jeremy, offering to claim it as his own and take the blame if necessary. Emily agrees and asks Myron to stand with them. Myron refuses, pointing out that calls were made to the Prine Organization — and Ronald Prine was murdered while Greg was in custody, making Greg's cover-up impossible.

Myron explains that the serial killer's cases had no connections until Greg's DNA appeared at the Cecelia Callister murder scene and his connection to Jordan Kravat. He asks who could have framed both Greg and Joey Turant, implying the link might be Jeremy. Greg dismisses this, saying he hadn't seen Jeremy in months due to a mission.

Myron's phone rings. It's Jeremy, calling to say he's an hour out and wants to meet at the Dakota to explain his discharge and new IT job. Myron agrees without telling the others about the phone. Emily objects, saying Jeremy is their son, not Myron's. Myron retorts that they only treat him as a father when convenient — when Jeremy needed a bone marrow donor at thirteen, and now when the phone is found. He leaves to meet Jeremy, ignoring Greg's plea not to tell Jeremy about the phone. Myron says he doesn't trust Greg on anything.

Key Events

Emily discovers a burner phone taped under Jeremy's bed and calls Myron.
Myron checks the phone's call log and finds outgoing calls to the Prine Organization.
Greg Downing arrives, having been called by Emily after Myron.
Greg insists the phone is a setup by the serial killer to frame Jeremy.
Myron points out the logical problems: the killer already framed Jackie Newton, and calls to the Prine Organization contradict Greg's narrative.
Greg offers to take the blame for the phone, claiming he bought it and his DNA is already at crime scenes.
Myron refuses to go along, arguing the pattern of frame-ups suggests a deeper connection — possibly Jeremy.
Jeremy calls Myron directly, asking to meet at the Dakota.
Myron leaves despite Emily and Greg's objections, asserting his independent relationship with Jeremy.

Character Development

Myron Bolitar: Shows growing frustration with Emily and Greg's attempts to control his role in Jeremy's life. His investigative instincts override emotional pleas; he sees the flaws in the cover-up plan. His past hurt over losing Emily to Greg resurfaces, but he remains focused on the truth.
Emily Downing: Torn between protecting Jeremy and trusting Myron. Her fear for her son makes her cling to Greg's explanation, but she also instinctively called Myron first. Her discomfort with Greg's touch hints at unresolved tension in their marriage.
Greg Downing: Calculative and protective, he immediately proposes a narrative that shields Jeremy. His willingness to sacrifice himself mirrors his old competitive drive, but Myron's logic exposes the plan as unworkable. His rivalry with Myron remains palpable.
Jeremy Downing: Though not present, his call to Myron and his mysterious discharge from the military raise questions. The burner phone connects him to the Prine Organization, deepening suspicion but also his isolation from his parents.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Framing and trust: The chapter explores how quickly a parent's love can turn into a cover-up. The burner phone symbolizes hidden secrets and the erosion of trust between family members.
Paternal vs. biological father: Myron's confrontation with Emily and Greg about his role in Jeremy's life highlights the tension between biological connection and lived parenthood. Myron insists on being treated as a father only when convenient.
Pattern and disruption: Myron's analysis of the serial killer's pattern — one frame-up per crime — contradicts the possibility of a second frame-up targeting Jeremy, hinting that the killer's method may be more personal.
The past's grip: Myron's memory of losing Emily to Greg and the Jim Croce song "Operator" underscores how old wounds still shape present conflicts.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter raises the stakes dramatically by placing Jeremy at the center of the investigation. The discovery of the burner phone and its link to the Prine Organization — the same organization connected to Ronald Prine's murder — suggests Jeremy may be more involved than anyone wants to admit. Myron's refusal to go along with the cover-up ensures the truth will come out, setting up a confrontation between him and Jeremy. It also deepens the emotional triangle between Myron, Emily, and Greg, forcing Myron to assert his own relationship with Jeremy apart from his biological parents. The chapter advances the serial killer plot by introducing a potential new suspect pattern while undermining Greg's earlier narrative.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Myron refuse to destroy the burner phone or keep it secret?
Myron sees the plan as flawed: the phone contains calls to the Prine Organization, and Ronald Prine was murdered while Greg was in custody. He argues the killer already framed one person (Jackie Newton) for a murder, so a second frame-up targeting Jeremy would break the established pattern. He believes the truth needs to come out, not be buried.
What does Emily's decision to call both Myron and Greg reveal about her state of mind?
Emily instinctively called Myron first when she found the phone, indicating she trusts his judgment. But after hanging up, she felt "weird" and called Greg, showing she is torn between her ex and her husband. She wants Myron's help but also wants to protect her family unit with Greg. Her discomfort with Greg's touch suggests unhappiness in that unit.
How does Myron's memory of the Jim Croce song "Operator" relate to the present situation?
The song is about a man who lost his love to his "best old ex-friend." Myron sees parallels to his own history: Emily left him for Greg, his rival. The memory resurfaces when Greg takes Emily's hand and the two of them align against Myron. It underscores the personal bitterness that still colors Myron's interactions with Greg and Emily.