Chapter 34 Summary: Eddie Flood's Arrival in South Carolina

⚠️ 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 opens with Eddie Flood stepping off the plane in South Carolina, immediately feeling the humidity. He texts his employer Rob Kenna to confirm his arrival. Eddie is there for a contract killing worth thirty thousand pounds, but he also has a secret secondary objective that he cannot reveal to Rob.

Inside his suitcase, Eddie has packed a range of disguises—tourist clothes, business traveller attire, and combat fatigues for the hit. He also carries his laptop, which he used during the flight to research bullet entry and exit wounds.

At the small terminal, two customs officers are on duty: a lean white man with a moustache and a larger Black officer named Carlos Moss. Eddie deliberately chooses Carlos’s lane, sensing he might be more useful. He hands over his passport, and when asked his purpose, Eddie claims he is visiting for pleasure and mentions he is a big fan of author Rosie D’Antonio, who lives locally.

Carlos grows suspicious when Eddie asks about the customs pay and inquires about D’Antonio’s private plane. He takes Eddie to a back room, supposedly for a random check, and locks the door from the outside. Eddie is not rattled; he plans to bribe Carlos with up to a thousand dollars for information about D’Antonio’s movements. While waiting, he pulls out his laptop to continue his bullet research, determined not to waste time.

Key Events

• Eddie lands in South Carolina and texts Rob Kenna.
• He unpacks disguises and notes his mission: kill a woman for £30,000, plus a hidden objective.
• At customs he approaches officer Carlos Moss.
• Eddie asks about pay and about Rosie D’Antonio’s plane.
• Carlos takes Eddie to an interrogation room and locks the door.
• Eddie plans a bribe and waits, focusing on his laptop research.

Character Development

Eddie Flood shows his adaptability and confidence under pressure. He is a quick thinker who uses charm and small talk to try to manipulate the situation. His dual motives reveal a more complex character than a simple hitman: he has secrets even from his employer. His calm acceptance of being locked in suggests past experience with interrogations.

Carlos Moss is portrayed as highly professional and unimpressed by Eddie’s attempts at friendliness. He maintains control, uses formal language, and is not susceptible to bribery or flattery. His decision to isolate Eddie shows he is alert to potential threats.

Rob Kenna is only mentioned through Eddie’s text, but the implied fear of his reaction hints that Rob is dangerous and not to be crossed.

Rosie D’Antonio remains offstage but is the centre of Eddie’s inquiries, marking her as a key figure in the plot.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

• Deception and disguise: Eddie’s multiple outfits symbolise his ability to adapt his identity to any situation. He is literally a man who wears many masks.
• Power dynamics at the border: The customs checkpoint becomes a microcosm of authority and resistance. Eddie tries to assert control through conversation; Carlos reasserts it through procedure and the locked door.
• Surveillance and information: Eddie’s laptop and bullet research underscore his methodical, intelligence-driven approach to violence. He treats assassination as a problem to solve with data.
• The hunt for the absent woman: Rosie D’Antonio is a shadowy figure everyone seeks but never appears, driving the plot’s forward momentum.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter introduces Eddie Flood as an active player in the main storyline. It establishes his mission parameters and immediate obstacle: the watchful Carlos Moss. Eddie’s hidden agenda raises the stakes for the reader, creating tension between his official task and his private goals. The scene also gives us our first extended look at a law-enforcement character who could become either an ally or an adversary. In a broader sense, it reinforces the novel’s concern with identity, performance, and the gaps between what people show and what they hide.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does Eddie’s choice of suitcase contents reveal about his approach to the mission?
   Eddie brings clothes for several different roles (tourist, business traveller, combat fatigues), indicating he plans to adapt his appearance to blend into various environments. This shows he is methodical and treats his assignment as a performance requiring careful stagecraft.

2. Why does Eddie deliberately approach Carlos Moss instead of the other customs officer?
   Eddie sizes up both officers and decides Carlos looks “much more his type”—probably meaning more formidable and thus more likely to have useful local knowledge. He is actively seeking a source of information, not just trying to pass through.

3. How does Carlos Moss’s reaction to Eddie’s questions indicate his level of suspicion?
   Carlos immediately notices Eddie’s inquiries about pay and about Rosie D’Antonio’s plane. He stops the friendly tone, uses formal address, and isolates Eddie by locking him in a separate room. This suggests he suspects Eddie is not a genuine tourist and may be gathering intelligence for unlawful purposes.

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