We Solve Murders Chapter 28: François Loubet’s Confession
⚠️ 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
The chapter is presented as a written confession from François Loubet, who dictates his thoughts into what he dubs an insurance document. Loubet begins by explaining his profession: he is a broker who launders money for the world’s criminal enterprises. He describes the enormous scale of global cash smuggling and the difficulty of cleaning money through modern anti-money-laundering laws. His niche is physically moving cash around the world using unsuspecting couriers.
Two years prior, a contact using the alias “Joe Blow” proposed using social media influencers as couriers. Loubet explains that influencers with modest followings can travel frequently with bulky luggage arouse little suspicion, and they can be easily bribed because they are not wealthy. He and Joe Blow set up dummy companies, such as Vivid Viral Media, to book influencers on fake assignments. The influencers unknowingly carry bags of cash through customs.
The scheme ran smoothly until two couriers were caught by customs officials. Loubet assumed Joe Blow was Jeff Nolan, a security company owner, but Nolan sent a rude email denying involvement and threatening Loubet. In response, Loubet had one of the couriers murdered as a warning. When Nolan did not back down, Loubet ordered a second murder, then a third in South Carolina, leaving a million dollars with the body as a peace offering. He has heard nothing from Nolan since.
Loubet then turns to Amy Wheeler. He calls her his “unwitting insurance policy” but refuses to explain further until she is dead. He reveals that Rob Kenna failed to kill Amy and is still hunting her. Loubet sends Kenna a final warning: if Amy is not dead within a week, Kenna will be killed. The chapter ends with Loubet’s glib sign-off.
Key Events
- François Loubet introduces himself as a money-laundering specialist.
- He explains the global cash-smuggling industry and his role in cleaning money.
- He describes the influencer courier scheme devised with “Joe Blow” (Maximum Impact Solutions).
- Two couriers are caught by customs, triggering a conflict with Jeff Nolan.
- Loubet murders a courier as a warning, then a second when Nolan persists.
- A third murder occurs in South Carolina; Loubet leaves $1 million with the body as a peace offering.
- Loubet reveals Amy Wheeler is his “unwitting insurance policy” (details withheld).
- He threatens Rob Kenna: kill Amy within a week or face death.
Character Development
- François Loubet: The chapter reveals his true personality—arrogant, methodical, and ruthless. He uses ChatGPT to disguise his real voice, enjoys his cleverness, and sees murder as a reasonable business tactic. He rationalises his actions with talk of “insurance” and “principle.”
- Rob Kenna: Described as a trusted subordinate who failed to eliminate Amy. He now faces a direct death threat from Loubet, revealing his expendability.
- Jeff Nolan (off-screen): Presented as a stubborn adversary who refuses to be intimidated by Loubet’s killings, forcing Loubet to escalate.
- Amy Wheeler: Though absent, she is framed as an unknowing asset in Loubet’s insurance plan. Her survival is critical to Loubet’s safety, yet he orders her murder.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Money laundering as hidden economy: Loubet details the trillions of dollars in illicit cash and the elaborate system needed to clean it.
- Exploitation of social media influencers: The scheme preys on influencers’ need for money and their natural travel patterns, turning them into unwitting mules.
- The banality of evil: Loubet’s casual, friendly manner while describing murders underscores his detachment.
- Insurance and risk: Loubet constantly emphasises “taking out insurance” (both literal documents and Amy as a human policy).
- Ego and principle: The conflict with Nolan escalates not for money but for pride and the principle of not backing down.
- ChatGPT as disguise: The tool represents the sanitisation of criminal speech, a mask for monsters.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the first extended look inside the mind of the story’s primary antagonist. Loubet’s confession connects the seemingly random murders of influencers into a coherent scheme, explains the role of Maximum Impact Solutions, and raises the stakes for Amy Wheeler. The direct death threat to Amy intensifies the narrative urgency. By revealing how the villains operate, the chapter lays crucial groundwork for the final acts of the story.
Study Questions and Answers
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Question: How does François Loubet use social media influencers as part of his money-laundering operation? Answer: He partners with “Joe Blow” to set up dummy companies that book influencers on fake assignments. The influencers unknowingly smuggle cash through customs, taking advantage of their frequent travel and low suspicion.
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Question: Why does Loubet order the murder of three couriers? Answer: He intends each murder as an escalating warning to Jeff Nolan, who threatened to expose him. When Nolan refuses to back down, Loubet kills three people and leaves a million dollars with the last body as a final peace offering.
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Question: What is Amy Wheeler’s role as described in this chapter? Answer: Loubet calls her his “unwitting insurance policy,” implying that her existence or actions protect him from prosecution. He orders her death within a week via Rob Kenna, but withholds full details.