The Westing Game

Turtle leaves a note in the elevator confessing to all four bombings and promising to treat everyone to dinner at Mr. Hoo’s when she “win[s] the inheritance” (134). It is the day of Doug’s big track meet, and Madame Hoo is excited to see him win the race; she is particularly proud of his medals but silently vows not ever to steal them like she has stolen other items to pay for her return to China. 

Grace is furious with Turtle about the bombings, and a fight erupts between her and Jake, who wonders what happened to the “fun-loving woman” he married. They sling personal digs at each other until Grace begins to cry. Jake takes his wife into his arms. Turtle runs into them on the elevator, wondering what is wrong. Angela, home from the hospital, is also curious about the tenderness between them, but Jake asks for some time alone with Grace. Angela meets with Sydelle, and they plan to name Otis Amber that night at the Westing house because his name appears in the lyrics of “America.”

Denton drops Chris off at Judge Ford’s place, as he must get back to the hospital and everyone else is going to the track meet. Chris’s condition has noticeably improved since beginning the medicine. As he birdwatches at the window, Judge Ford is impressed by his knowledge but continues thinking about the Westing game. She believes Crow must be Westing’s former wife—she’s the right age and body type. She remembers the newspaper clippings that describe Westing’s facial injuries from the accident: Perhaps Westing is still alive with “a different face and a different name” (138).

Turtle gets her cavity filled by a kind dentist Sandy knows. Doug wins the race and poses for pictures with his father. Madame Hoo is extremely proud and hopes he will wear his medal at the mansion later.

Meanwhile, back at Sunset Towers, Sandy heads over to Judge Ford’s apartment, where he tells Ford and Chris that Barney Northrup has fired him. The Sandy-Ford team resolve not to give an answer at the mansion: Their only job will be to protect Crow, as they believe Westing wants revenge against her. Sandy remarks that he has suspicions about Otis Amber’s true identity. 

The Crow-Amber team heads to the house, but Crow feels that “something evil is waiting there” for her (141). She senses that she is in trouble.

The heirs all gather with the lawyer, Plum, at the Westing house. Turtle receives many compliments on her new, short haircut, but she hates it. Judge Ford arrives dressed in beautiful African garments. Jake shows up slightly late with a drunk Grace.

They all receive $10,000 checks, and they begin giving their answers to the game: Team Jake-Madame Hoo guess “boom,” one of the words Madame Hoo has learned. Turtle-Flora guess “$11,587.50,” which is the amount of money they have after investing in the stock market. Denton-Chris guess “Mr. Westing was a good man” (145), as Chris feels Westing paired everyone with a partner who could help them; Sandy-Ford have no answer, as planned, but Grace-Hoo guess “Ed Plum” (Hoo is annoyed with Grace’s drunkenness and responds to the game spitefully). Amber-Crow guess “mother” when Crow, looking at the “position” she listed for herself, is surprised to see this word. Doug-Theo give no answer; they had planned to accuse Otis, but Theo remembers him volunteering at the soup kitchen and can’t bring himself to do so. Angela-Sydelle, however, have an extensive answer, and Sydelle stands and sings “America” before announcing their answer is “Otis Amber” (147).

The next set of Westing’s instructions (the unlucky 13th set) requests that Crow rise and get refreshments for all. As she proceeds, Sandy asks Crow to fill his flask, promising he will “go on the wagon starting tomorrow” (148). Then the instructions tell the heirs to proceed to the library.

Westing’s next note emphatically informs the heirs they are incorrect: “Wrong! All answers are wrong!” (148). They now have an extremely limited amount of time before the authorities arrive, the note explains, and if they do not identify the culprit, the murderer may strike again. Plum flees the room, locking the door behind him. Theo rises, once again suggesting that they all share clues, and Sydelle adds that they should look for words not found in “America” based on the will’s remark about the importance of what the contestants “don’t have.” Sandy collects all the clues and arranges them in order. While wondering why he would do so after they agreed to protect Crow, Judge Ford realizes that Sandy is actually Sam Westing.

Sydelle announces the missing words, which can be combined to form the name “Berthe Erica Crow.” Judge Ford rises to urge the heirs against making any judgments about Crow, but as she pauses, Sandy’s hand flies to his throat. There is a momentary struggle before “[h]is right eye close[s], then open[s] again, and Sandy move[s] no more” (153). Turtle erupts in sobs.

Plum herds the heirs from the library back to the game room, where Plum must read one more document. He announces that five minutes remain in the game. Five minutes pass, and the heirs reach no further conclusions. Berthe Erica Crow stands and declares, “I am the answer and I am the winner” (156).

After Crow’s arrest, the heirs wallow in the immediate aftermath of Sandy’s death and Crow’s departure. The feelings are mixed. Sydelle feels justice was done since “Crow confessed,” while Otis says under his breath: “Poor Crow […] poor Crow” (156). Turtle takes it the hardest, holding back tears in front of the others. She wonders why everyone else is suddenly acting as if they’ve lost a friend when she was the only one who had a close friendship with him. Denton Deere chides Turtle for kicking Sandy (who had a bruised shin) if they were such good friends; Turtle becomes enraged and says the only person she kicked that day was “Barney Northrup.”

Theo says he was playing a clandestine game of chess against an unknown opponent, who he believes was Sandy. Theo believes he’s won when he takes the opponent’s queen. However, Judge Ford has seen this trick before: It is Westing’s trademark move.

Turtle begins noticing that not all the recent events line up and asks to see Westing’s will. Judge Ford tells the others that Crow was married to Westing and that it was “rumored that” their daughter had “killed herself rather than marry the man her mother had chosen for her” (157). She speculates that Westing put the game in place to seek vengeance on Crow and then realizes they have fallen into Westing’s trap by allowing the authorities to take Crow away—a variation on the “queen’s sacrifice.” Otis remarks that it is Crow’s birthday, and Turtle recalls that Sandy just bought a candle for his wife’s birthday. She announces that she would like to call a witness.