The Whisper Man

In the hospital, Pete’s life is flashing before his eyes in reverse. He sees Jake lying in bed, asleep, and a beautiful neighborhood before being forced to reckon with the murdered children he saw. He then remembers the moment at the beach with Sally when the photo of her was taken, realizing his deep love for her. He sees his childhood home and his abusive father; he can see now that his father’s disappointment was about his father, not him. Pete realizes that he’s dying.

While only partly conscious, he sees Tom come in and stand over him. He’s limping, and he considers Pete for a moment before bending to embrace him. Pete feels as though “a cycle had been completed, or something found” (344).

At bedtime, Tom finishes reading The Power of Three to Jake, and he recalls his own childhood, which Jake can hardly believe. Tom puts Jake to bed, still relieved to have him home. He’s aware of how he was ready to die for his son.

He goes to his office and goes to the document he was working on. He had forgotten what was in it, and the letter to Rebecca about seeing Karen surprises him.