Summary

Sent from the city to investigate the murder of a teenage girl in a small Alaska town, a police detective accidentally shoots his own partner while trying to apprehend a suspect. Instead of admitting his guilt, the detective is given an unexpected alibi, but this "solution" only multiplies the emotional complexity and guilt over his partner's death. He's also still got a murder to solve, in addition to the blackmail and framing of an innocent bystander being orchestrated by the man they were chasing. There's also a local detective who is conducting her own personal investigation... of his partner's death. Will it all come crashing down on him?

Quotes

Walter (on the phone)
Killing changes you. It's like awareness.
Will
Who am I speaking to?

Walter (on the phone)
Hi, this is Walter. Leave a message, wait for the beep. [beep]
Will, are you there? Where else can you go in that state? You must've been freezing. If you want, take a shower. There're clean towels in the bathroom.

Walter (on the phone)
Hi, this is Walter. Leave a message, wait for the beep. [beep]
Will, pick up. I'm not dumb enough to come back--
Will
Walter Finch.
Walter
Will. Will Dormer. What are you doing? I'm trying to help and you run around like a fucking maniac. Were you gonna kill me? How'd you explain that one?
Will
No one gets too upset when child murderers are brought in feet first.
Walter
There's no evidence that I killed Kay. You only know it because I told you what I saw on that beach. Come on. What's wrong with you?
Will
Guess I'm a little cranky. Lack of sleep, you know.
Walter
Get some rest, will you? Get some pills in the bathroom and my bed is nice and comfy. Another night up like this, you're really gonna lose it. Hallucination, babbling, God knows what. Tomorrow when you're feeling better we'll meet in public. We'll sort things out, okay? There's a ferry, about 5 miles north of Nightmute. I'll be on the 11 o'clock. And Will, before you leave, could you feed the dogs? They're on a diet.

Fred
In what regard were you and her familiar?
Walter
Thank you.
Ellie
You're welcome.
Will
How did you know her, Finch?
Walter
She was an avid reader of my detective novels.
Fred
When did you meet her for the first time?
Walter
About a year ago. She came to one of my signings here in Nightmute. She hung around afterwards. We chatted about my writing... and how she wanted to write... and then we started talking and she asked me if she could visit me and talk about books, things like that.
Fred
And she did?
Walter
Yeah, we became very close. She got comfortable enough to show me some of her own writing.
Will
What does she write?
Walter
Poetry, actually.
Will
Any good?
Walter
No, not really.
Will
You tell her that?
Walter
Why would I?
Will
So, uh, exactly, what was the nature of your relationship with this girl, Finch?
Walter
I was someone she could talk to. Someone outside of her everyday life. That's why she needed me and probably approached me.
Fred
Why'd she need you for that?
Walter
Well, her boyfriend, Randy--
Ellie
Randy Stetz?
Walter
Abusive little prick. He hit her.
Will
We know all this already, Finch.
Walter
No, it was getting worse.
Will
So?
Walter
No, it was a lot worse! Really.
Will
Why all this eagerness to talk about Randy Stetz, Finch?
Walter
Well? You're right, I'm sorry, detective. That's probably all hearsay anyway and I don't wanna say anything that can be taken the wrong way.
Fred
Excuse me, Mr. Finch. Anything you say to us at this stage is in strict confidence. Secondly, we're not a bunch of hotheads who are gonna draw a few crazy conclusions. Okay?
Walter
Okay.
Fred
Please, continue.
Walter
And there was one more thing. Probably doesn't mean very much, but I think she was getting scared. I probably have to blame myself for that.
Fred
Why is that?
Walter
Randy knew who I was. Not who I was, but he knew she had a friend and someone she could confide in. It made him furious. She was always writing about how scared she was. And her letters were getting more and more desperate.
Will
You still have any of these letters, by any chance?
Walter
I probably do. Do you think it might help?
Will
They might. Okay, anything else?
Walter
The thing that worried her the most was the gun. He had this old handgun. I don't know where he got it, probably wasn't even his, but he said he was gonna use it if he found out who she was seeing. He kept it hidden in a heating vent. You know, in the skirting boards.
Fred
It might be the .38. Give me Judge Biggs.
Will
What are you doing?
Fred
I'm getting a search warrant to go to Randy's place. You got that? Get Judge Biggs on the phone right away.
Will
I should get over there.
Fred
No, you're the guy he's talking to, for crissake.
Will
Yes?
Fred
So, we're waiting for the search warrant, okay? Mr. Finch, do you know when Randy showed her the gun?
Walter
February? No, no, probably January.
Will
Why didn't you come forward with this information when she died?
Walter
She didn't want anybody to know.
Will
Beaten to death.
Walter
I was honoring her wishes.
Will
Her body dumped on a pile of garbage.
Walter
I was her friend.
Will
You weren't a friend.
Walter
All right, we were acquaintances, all right? We were close. And I was just--
Will
Close?
Walter
Mm-hmm.
Will
She was attractive. Did you have sex with her?
Walter
She was 17.
Will
17? She was attractive.
Walter
I suppose.
Will
Suppose? She was.
Walter
Right.
Will
So, did you have sex with her?
Walter
No, I was her mentor.
Will
You bought her things.
Walter
Yeah.
Will
Gifts.
Walter
Yes.
Will
What kinda gifts?
Walter
Books mostly; that's what she loved.
Will
Books? What about this? You give her this?
Walter
Yes.
Will
Why?
Walter
Why.
Will
To see how she looked with it on?
Walter
No.
Will
No? Why jewelry?
Walter
It was just a present.
Will
Present. You bought a lot of presents. You bought her dresses.
Walter
Yes, what's wrong with that?
Will
Nothing wrong. Just trying to figure out what kinda mentor you were.
Walter
I gave her things she couldn't have.
Will
Pff, you just wanted to fuck her, didn't you? You sick son of a bitch!