Nightshade

“The image brought back memories of victims he had seen as a body-recovery diver—horrors he’d thought he’d put behind him. […] But Stilwell couldn’t forget them.”

Stilwell is haunted by difficult cases in his past, especially his work as a body-recovery diver on the mainland. Stilwell’s inability to forget these victims makes him a more empathetic investigator, but it also causes him to struggle to move past his traumatic experiences. Although he has been exiled to Catalina, he cannot shake his past on the mainland.

“I was born and raised on this island, Sergeant. I’ve been mayor for sixteen years. You’ll probably come and go like all the deputies assigned here before you. But I’ll be here. I love this place and I want to protect it. I don’t like surprises, especially when they may negatively affect the reputation of this beautiful island.”

There are clear divisions between Catalina Island locals and the visitors from the mainland, whom the locals call “outtowners.” These divisions reflect The Dangers of Ingroup Biases. In this passage, Mayor Doug Allen suggests that Stilwell is less dedicated to the people of Catalina because he is not a local. Stilwell’s desire to be accepted by the locals is key to his character development.

“This place—you landed in a real dump out here, Stillborn, you know that? I mean, look at it. It’s full of fuckups, old farts, and fiascoes.”

Stilwell’s investigation into the body found in the harbor is stymied by his rival, Detective Ahearn, who mockingly calls Stilwell “Stillborn” in this passage. Ahearn’s disdain for Catalina Island infuriates Stilwell and empowers him to pursue the investigation despite Ahearn’s warnings. Stilwell’s respect for the people of Catalina distinguishes him from Ahearn and the others.

“He had to prepare case summaries that would be submitted to Monika Juarez on the mainland for decisions on whether charges would be filed.”

Although Stilwell is the highest-ranking officer of the Catalina police force, he is ultimately not in control of prosecutions of crimes committed on the island. The fact that Stilwell must work to convince another authority to prosecute charges suggests that the Catalina system is not equal to their mainland counterparts. Stilwell’s resentment about this system and about the larger issue of Structural Inequality in the Criminal Justice System is an important part of his character.

“The air was crisp and clear, and the view across the bay was marred only by the hazy layer of smog that hung over the mainland like a warning. Stilwell often drove up here to contemplate his surroundings and think about what he had left behind in the dirty air over there.”

The haze surrounding the Long Beach metropolis acts as a powerful symbol of the perceived distance between Catalina Island and the mainland. Stilwell imagines that the haze is a manifestation of the corruption and rot on the mainland, as opposed to the purity of Catalina. While the marine layer around Catalina obscures its secrets, Stilwell imagines that the Long Beach haze makes the mainland’s social problems visible.

“He was undaunted. He would continue his efforts, if only to show up Ahearn and make Corum realize he had transferred the wrong man.”

Although Stilwell repeatedly tells himself and others that his sole concern is finding Leigh-Anne Moss’s killer, this passage suggests that Stilwell is also motivated by his feud with his former partner Ahearn. Stilwell’s description of his transfer as “wrong” also contradicts his stated belief that he belongs on Catalina Island.

“Leigh-Anne Moss’s motivations might not have been completely innocent, but she didn’t deserve to end up in a black sail bag at the bottom of the harbor. Stilwell was sure that once Ahearn learned her story, he would pass judgement and leave her down there as he moved onto the next one, hoping for a victim he could like.”

This passage reflects the novel’s thematic interest in structural inequality in the criminal justice system. Stilwell worries that, because many of the men interviewed describe Moss as a “gold digger,” Ahearn won’t take the case seriously. Stilwell’s concerns reflect his awareness of a tendency within the criminal justice system to dehumanize female victims who are seen as morally questionable.

“For the rest of the drive, he thought about Colbrink dismissing the murder of a woman who had been wrapped in a bag and weighted down with an anchor as tawdry.”

While accompanying Stilwell on his search of the Emerald Sea, owner Mason Colbrink describes the death of Moss as a tawdry headline threatening the Black Marlin Club. Stilwell sees Colbrink’s crude dismissal of the murder as evidence of the media’s tendency to dehumanize victims. Stilwell’s resentment of these attitudes motivates his pursuit of the case.

“No driver’s license was needed on the island to operate a boat or golf cart. No marine license was needed if you were crew for someone with proper licensing. And there was no need for bank accounts and other electronic tails if you were a day player paid in cash for your work on the water.”

This passage suggests that the island’s regulations make Catalina uniquely appealing for those looking to go off the grid. The novel presents Catalina Island as a haven for criminal activity despite its reputation as a tourist paradise. The relative lawlessness of Catalina Island is also reflected in the novel’s repeated references to the police station being staffed by rejects from the mainland.

“You did good work on this, Stil, but it’s a homicide and it’s not your case. There are special circumstances because you’re over there and the case is over there and you know the lay of the land. I want you part of the investigation.”

In the first part of the novel, Stilwell feels like an outsider on Catalina and considers his transfer a punishment. In this passage, Captain Corum suggests that Stilwell is uniquely suited to work on the case because of his familiarity with Catalina and the community. Corum’s affirmation empowers Stilwell to pursue the case like a Catalina local, overcoming the dangers of ingroup biases.

“Ahearn either took a dive or just looked the other way. I did some digging on that too, and it turns out Ahearn and Dobbin were in the same academy class. They went way back.”

In the second half of the novel, Stilwell is joined in his investigation by his former partner Ahearn. Their dispute over the investigation of a former deputy led to Stilwell’s removal from the homicide unit and transfer to Catalina Island. In this passage, Stilwell argues that Ahearn accepted a dubious claim of self-defense because of a personal relationship with the suspect. This accusation colors their relationship.

“If a case was ever built against a defendant in the Leigh-Anne Moss murder, the search warrant would be his lawyer’s first stop in an effort to derail it. […] Stilwell knew it and wasn’t going to let his warrant be the Achilles’ heel of this case.”

One of Stilwell’s defining characteristics is his dedication to the law and the pursuit of the truth, which distinguishes him from many of his peers in law enforcement, such as Ahearn, Corum, and Mayor Allen. In this passage, Stilwell agonizes about the details of a search warrant because he knows that any small mistake can jeopardize the case. His diligence may be intended to excuse later missteps such as the shooting of Spivak.

“‘And you’ll put me in for the reward money?’ Sneed asked.

‘If we make an arrest, I think you will be very eligible for at least part of it.’”

This passage suggests that Moss’s former roommate, Leslie Sneed, only came forward with information about Moss because she was interested in the reward money. Moss’s temper and pattern of pursuing wealthy men make her an unlikeable victim in the eyes of some investigators. Stilwell is dedicated to solving her murder regardless of the misogynistic stereotypes that surround her.

“Stilwell had been up there. It was on the west side of the island. He’d gone out there on a Catlina Island Conservancy ecotour as part of his learning process when he was first transferred from the mainland.

Although Stilwell is not local to Catalina Island, he is determined to make it his home and protect its citizens. In this instance, Stilwell’s desire to learn as much as possible about the island makes him a more competent investigator, as he knows parts of the island not known to tourists or transplants. Stilwell’s dedication to learning about the island endears him to locals.

“Juarez nodded eagerly, as any prosecutor with a public-corruption case dropped in her lap would do.”

District Attorney Monika Juarez is delighted when she learns that Mayor Allen has a financial stake in controversial new construction that he’s publicly supporting. Juarez’s eagerness to prosecute the mayor of Catalina Island is a reflection of the tension between officials on the island and the mainland. The internal debate about whether to pursue Mayor Allen’s corruption causes even more tension between the Catalina Island police and their mainland counterparts.

“‘It gives us some leverage with Terranova. Maybe enough to flip him and move up the ladder.’ Corum nodded reluctantly. Stilwell had earlier briefed him on what Gaston had said about Terranova’s alleged relationship with the mayor.

‘We’re staying away from that ladder until we have more evidence and it’s rock solid,’ he said.”

While Juarez is eager to pursue a corruption case against Mayor Allen, Captain Corum is reluctant to investigate or give the district attorney enough evidence for prosecution. Corum’s suggestion that they need to wait until the evidence is solid points to his unwillingness to side with a mainlander against another Catalina Island official. Stilwell is frustrated by this policy and leaks details to journalist Lionel McKey.

“We all know that deputies assigned to this island have shown some form of…deficiency in their work. I’ve worked with Ramirez for the past nine months and […] I just didn’t have confidence in her, and I thought she could end up getting hurt herself.”

This passage suggests that there is a real danger in assigning officers to Catalina Island who are considered unfit for duty elsewhere. Stilwell argues that, because Officer Ramirez is not fully qualified for her job, he was forced to approach a dangerous situation alone. The policy of exiling offers to Catalina reflects the problems between the island and mainland.

“He believed he had handled the interview well, but he also knew that his future was in the hands of people and political forces in the department that he couldn’t control.”

Stilwell is sent to Catalina Island as a result of a conflict with other officers on the mainland. As a result, he is often resentful of the bureaucratic structures within police forces on Catalina Island and on the mainland. This passage suggests that he believes that an indictment in the shooting of Spivak would be the result of personal prejudices against him. This conflict between an honest detective and the corrupt bureaucracy around him is a common trope of the detective-fiction genre.

“Spivak told me you were the leak to Terranova. Right before I killed him. He said you two were homeys [sic] from back in Bakersfield.”

Throughout the novel, author Michael Connelly engages in harmful stereotypes about Latinos in America, especially in the portrayal of Oscar “Baby Head” Terranova and Attorney Juarez. In this passage, Stilwell uses a misspelling of the slang term “homie” to imply that both Terranova and Juarez are involved in gang activity. The fact that Juarez is passing information to Terranova reflects the racist stereotype associating Latinos with gang violence.

“He felt guilty about withholding salient information from fellow investigators—it was never the best way to run an investigation. But to Stilwell, it was the only way with Ahearn in the picture.”

While on leave as part of an Internal Affairs investigation, Stilwell learns that Charles Crane likely lied in his first police interview. He refuses to pass this information to the on-duty investigators because of his rivalry with Ahearn. Ultimately, there are no consequences to this breach of protocol.

“‘They said she was playing him for his money. She was bad news.’

‘So we’re blaming the victim.’

‘That’s not going out to the public. I’m just saying, is all.’”

Most of the people interviewed about Moss accused her of targeting wealthy older men. This passage suggests that misogynistic and class-based prejudices led police to accept an easy solution to Moss’s murder. The novel’s depiction of Moss as an unlikeable victim raises questions about systemic inequality in the criminal justice system.

“He wasn’t happy, but this was how most cases went. People made deals, shredded their loyalties to save their own skin.”

The novel offers a clear criticism of the law-enforcement system in the state of California. In this passage, Stilwell acknowledges that in order for the system to work, compromises must be made, such as Terranova’s immunity deal. Stilwell’s resentment of these compromises distinguishes him from other members of the system.

“This is a Catalina crime, so the case will go to Judge Harrell—at least for initial pleadings and motions. He’s tough, and I hear he’s not overly fond of the crowd at the Black Marlin Club.”

In this passage, Stilwell rejects Mayor Allen’s suggestion that a judge will throw out the recording as entrapment. Stilwell takes advantage of the fact that judges can make subjective decisions about cases to threaten Allen with indictment. Stilwell implies that because Harrell carries a grudge against the club, he will be willing to indict Allen.