The Thursday Murder Club

Elizabeth unveils the binder with Ian’s financials to the police. She pretends she doesn’t know what is in them by saying it’s “probably all nonsense” but she will let him be the judge (91). Jason soon arrives, and Chris asks him to step outside for a photo op; Jason was a famous boxer before retiring and later facing difficulties. Jason gives his phone number to Donna and asks that she send him a copy of the photo she took of him and Chris; Chris is curious as to why, but Donna says it’s because Jason wanted an excuse to give her his number. Later, Donna brings up the fact that Jason knew Tony better than he initially made it seem. Jason denies it and says that he never had any dealings with Tony. Chris then shows Jason the photo featuring Jason, Tony, and Bobby at Black Bridge, but Jason easily avoids any association by saying that people ask him for photos all the time.

Elizabeth visits Penny again in Chapter 33, when John interrupts her thoughts. He says that he was watching a television show on the day of Tony’s murder, when he saw Ian’s car leaving from the top of the hill at 3 pm. Elizabeth calls Donna to ask for Tony’s time of death; Donna confirms that Tony died at 3:32, because “his fit-bit broke when he fell” (91).

Chapters 37 and 38 center around Donna and Elizabeth; the former reflects on her past relationship during a one-night stand. She then decides to continue investigating Tony’s murder by calling Elizabeth. Elizabeth is happy Donna called. Donna says that while Tony owned 25 percent of Coopers Chase, he was not included in Ian’s new company that he created for The Woodlands development. Donna says that the files told them two very important details about the case: She says that “firstly, Ian double-crossed Tony” on the day he died, and second, Tony’s shares reverted back to Ian at the time of his partner’s death. The two women agree that Ian making millions off of Tony’s death was enough for there to be a motive.

Now that Elizabeth and the others are aware of the time of Tony’s death and the time that Ian was seen leaving Karen’s property, the group decides to drive the distance themselves to see if the timelines could work out. Before finding out if Ian could have been the one to murder Tony, the perspective changes in Chapter 39 to depict a briefing Chris holds with his team. He is going over the facts that they do know, such as the time that Tony was killed, but they do not know the time Ian left. Chris and his team have been trying to find Bobby Tanner, the other man in the photo, but their leads ran dry in Amsterdam. The only other lead regarding the case is Tony’s phone records: He received “three phone calls the morning of the murder, all from the same number,” but he didn’t answer any of them and the number is untraceable (101). Leaving the precinct, Chapter 40 opens on Bernard, who is on the bench on the hill near the garden. He feels out of reach from everyone else, and that he “is not going to be saved, and he doesn’t deserve to be,” only deciding it best to stay on the hill and “wait for what’s to come” (102).