The Whisper Man

At the police department, Pete and Amanda comb through records, looking for information about what happened to Francis Carter after he and his mother received new identities. Francis was renamed David Parker, and they must look through the thousands of people who have that name. Amanda thinks about Pete’s state of mind, worried that he missed something that led to Tony Smith’s death and created this new situation. Pete then gets Tom’s text message. When Pete tries to ignore it, Amanda insists that he needs to take a break and that it’s her case. Watching him respond, Amanda is happy to see him looking like he “was finally looking forward to something” (242).

Pete arrives to babysit Jake and asks to be shown around, even though he’s already familiar with the house. Upstairs, Pete notices The Power of Three by Diane Wynne Jones, which Tom has been reading to Jake. Tom feels nervous about the date, which his father being there exacerbates. He thinks about the butterflies in his stomach, which makes him think of the corpse moth, leading to a worry that he didn’t lock the door downstairs.

Meanwhile, Jake is downstairs and worries about Tom going out for the night. He thinks that his fear is irrational, but the imaginary girl shows up and tells him that he’s right to be afraid, that something bad might happen if Tom leaves, and that the woman he’s going to see might replace his mother. Jake doesn’t believe that Tom wants to replace his mother, but he remembers what Tom wrote to Rebecca in the letter he read. He tries to remind himself that they talked about this and that it was important “to let Daddy be Daddy,” mirroring Tom’s frequent assertions to himself about Jake (248).

Tom comes back downstairs and sees Jake’s distress. He asks what’s wrong, and Jake asks if he thinks that Jake doesn’t want him around. Tom scoops him up, knowing that there’s a bit of truth in what Jake asked because of Tom’s insecurity about being a good father. He realizes that he and Jake probably have the same doubts and fears about each other, and although he doesn’t agree to stay home, he assures Jake that it will be fine. Tom leaves Jake to Pete, both sure that nothing will go wrong.

Officer Dyson and Amanda head to a location that they suspect was home of Francis Carter, which is 50 miles away in an area that houses students. Amanda is glad that Pete is out, doing something for himself, but secretly wishes that he were with her.

They arrive at a four-story house that’s split into apartments; the one registered to David Parker is down a basement staircase. Amanda knocks and receives no answer. She tries the door, and it opens. Inside, the apartment looks abandoned, and it’s clear that no one has been there in some time. The main rooms are in disrepair, and the bathroom is filled with standing water and rotted towels, but when Amanda goes into the bedroom, she sees that it’s decorated with the same crude drawings as they found in the room where Frank Carter kept his victims.

At Tom’s house, Pete almost tells Jake that he read The Power of Three to Tom when he was a boy—it may even be the same copy. However, he then realizes that if he’s going to have a relationship with Jake, it must be outside the context of who he used to be when he was a terrible father.

After Jake is asleep, Pete contemplates the coincidence that brought him here as well as what he can gain now by giving up drinking. He starts thinking about Frank Carter’s victims: If they were meant to stand in for Francis, on whom he couldn’t act out his violent urges without getting caught, Tom wonders what that would have done to the boy’s psyche. He thinks about Carter’s comment on Francis being someone who “takes care” and realizes that by abducting Neil Spencer, Francis might have been trying to right the wrongs his father committed. Suddenly, a scream from upstairs startles Pete from this line of thought.

At a local bar, Jake and Karen get beers and find a spot in an outdoor area. They discuss their kids and that Pete is watching Jake. Karen has a copy of one of Tom’s books, which she asks him to sign. He does so, and they joke about selling it, but Karen sees that Tom is distracted, worrying about Jake. She knows the feeling, and she agrees to call it a night after they finish their drinks. They both agree they want to see each other again. Tom’s phone rings, interrupting the moment.

A nightmare about the memory of finding his mother’s body triggers Jake’s scream. This scene is from Jake’s perspective and deliberately mirrors Tom’s recurring nightmare of the last time he saw his father. Jake wakes and goes to the top of the stairs to see Pete coming up; when he asks about the nightmare, Jake doesn’t want to tell him. Pete is fine with that and explains his theory that bad dreams are a way of the brain expressing difficult things. Jake is somewhat comforted but still wants Pete to call Tom.

As he’s dialing, Pete hears the front door open. He hangs up, assuming it’s Tom, and goes back downstairs. Jake listens from the top of the stairs. He hears a fight and then a body hitting the floor before someone whispers his name.

Karen and Tom head home on Tom’s suspicion that something might be wrong. He tried calling Pete back but got no response. They arrive at the house to see the front door open. Inside, Pete is lying on the floor, surrounded by blood. Tom runs upstairs and finds bloody footprints going up the stairs. In Jake’s room, the bed is made up and Jake’s Packet of Special Things is on the floor, which confirms to Tom that Jake has been taken against his will.