Nightshade

“The department had cleared him in internal investigations because to do otherwise would make the lawsuits indefensible, so Lampley was allowed to keep his badge but was transferred to the Catalina Island unit […] The rumor was that as soon as the lawsuits were adjudicated or settled, he would be fired.”

Throughout the novel, Detective Stilwell struggles with the inefficient police force on Catalina Island, which is seen as an offshoot of the mainland police. This passage suggests that Catalina acts as a holding station or exile for offers considered unsuitable for employment elsewhere. Stilwell is distinguished from the others by his growing sense that Catalina is his true home.

“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.