When an insidious wife-killer and wife-beater subsequently commit suicide, Joe “Dart” Dartelli is able to connect the two cases and realize that this was a homicide. In Chain of Evidence, he suspects his mentor, Walter Zeller, to be the murderer. It is up to Dart to prove if Zeller is in fact the killer, as he questions his own view on police and human ethics in an intense story of student versus mentor. While reading this novel, I made connections with Dart, questioned his decisions, and evaluated Zeller’s reasons for committing these murders.
Dart presents certain characteristics that I could identify with. We are both able to make meticulous observations and create connections between things. This is evident for Dart when he was at the …show more content…
It was revealed early in the novel that Zeller’s wife, Lucky, was strangled to death by the first man who “committed suicide”.
“Wallace Sparco felt the heart of Walter Zeller beating strongly in his chest, as if it were he who had been drugged. He felt none of the remorse that he understood any sane man would feel but stopped short of judging himself insane… he took no vain pride in his work—it was something that had to be done… someone had to dispose of the trash” (Pearson …show more content…
I did not understand Dart’s rationale in waiting until a third suicide of a man named Greenwood with a incriminations in sex crimes arose to reveal his suspicions to his superiors. Before Greenwood was killed, Dart would justify Zeller’s actions by reminding himself of how Lucky died. As the story continues, Dart begins to question his own ideals. When he finally goes against his inner judgment and decides to tell his sergeant of his theory, he is shot down as the first two cases were already cleared: “‘Forget it,’ Haite said, shattering Dart’s brief flirtation with success” (Pearson 362). This provides further frustration for him, as the only proof connecting Zeller to the case, a personal grudge toward sex offenders and a firm understanding in evidence collection techniques, is circumstantial and unconvincing. His problems could’ve been easily solved if he approached his colleagues during the first suicide with his
Dart presents certain characteristics that I could identify with. We are both able to make meticulous observations and create connections between things. This is evident for Dart when he was at the …show more content…
It was revealed early in the novel that Zeller’s wife, Lucky, was strangled to death by the first man who “committed suicide”.
“Wallace Sparco felt the heart of Walter Zeller beating strongly in his chest, as if it were he who had been drugged. He felt none of the remorse that he understood any sane man would feel but stopped short of judging himself insane… he took no vain pride in his work—it was something that had to be done… someone had to dispose of the trash” (Pearson …show more content…
I did not understand Dart’s rationale in waiting until a third suicide of a man named Greenwood with a incriminations in sex crimes arose to reveal his suspicions to his superiors. Before Greenwood was killed, Dart would justify Zeller’s actions by reminding himself of how Lucky died. As the story continues, Dart begins to question his own ideals. When he finally goes against his inner judgment and decides to tell his sergeant of his theory, he is shot down as the first two cases were already cleared: “‘Forget it,’ Haite said, shattering Dart’s brief flirtation with success” (Pearson 362). This provides further frustration for him, as the only proof connecting Zeller to the case, a personal grudge toward sex offenders and a firm understanding in evidence collection techniques, is circumstantial and unconvincing. His problems could’ve been easily solved if he approached his colleagues during the first suicide with his