The Arn Debs Decoy

This subplot follows Mike's search for a possible lover named by a clue in Jennifer's datebook, and the way that lead turns out to misdirect her.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Empty Datebook

The Empty Datebook A Sudden Stop Mike finds that Jennifer's datebook contains appointments early in the year but almost nothing after March 2. A notation for March 23 reads only AD. A Suspected Meeting The unexplained initials lead Mike to wonder whether Jennifer had an undisclosed relationship. The possibility becomes a tempting answer to the apparent gap in her otherwise orderly life.

A Voice on the Phone

A Voice on the Phone An Unfamiliar Caller A man asks for Jennifer, and Mike pretends to handle her messages. He identifies himself as Arn Debs and expects to meet her at The Mallard Hotel. A Possible Explanation Mike wonders whether Jennifer gave him her number because he was harassing her or because she wanted help. The ambiguity makes the lead look like either an affair or a cry for protection.

The Hotel Confrontation

The Hotel Confrontation A Meeting That Cannot Happen Mike finds Arn Debs drinking alone in the Decoy Room and tells him Jennifer is dead. He says he met her once, at the bar, and that she had agreed to see him on his next visit. A Signed Number Arn produces a card with Mike's number and Jennifer's affectionate marks. The object appears to support intimacy, but it cannot establish what Jennifer wanted from the encounter.

A False Romantic Lead

A False Romantic Lead An Unwelcome Advance Arn assumes Mike may join him for a drink after learning she is a woman. His crude proposition confirms his character without clarifying Jennifer's intentions. Suspicion Persists Mike leaves without accepting his invitation, but the possibility of another man remains in her working theory. She later recognizes that Arn may have been only a decoy.

The Lead Is Crossed Out

The Lead Is Crossed Out A Failed Explanation As Mike's account of Jennifer's life changes, she crosses Arn Debs off her list of possible precipitants. The lead cannot bear the weight she initially placed on it. Clues as Blinds Mike finally treats Arn as one of Jennifer's misleading clues, not as the cause of her death. The reversal exposes how readily investigators make a story from incomplete signs.

Late March, during the apartment search

Late March, before the Mallard meeting

March 23, around 8 p.m.

March 23, later that evening

April 2, before Mike calls Tom