The Whistler

The first half of Chapter 1 establishes the theme of woman-to-woman relationships. Lacy enjoys the company of other women, engaging in distinctively feminine relationships based on communication and shared pursuits, as with Verna Hatch, with whom she shops and gossips. Later in the story, she engages in supportive relationships with other women—Greg Myers’s girlfriend, Carlita, and JoHelen Hooper. Society sometimes characterizes women, especially single women like Lacy, as being jealous of one another and competing for attention from men. The author firmly establishes that Lacy does not conform to this stereotype. The statement that any romantically inappropriate behavior from Hugo would be immediately reported to his wife clearly indicates that Lacy values her relationships with other women far more than the attention and approval of men.

The author emphasizes shopping as an essentially feminine activity, both here and later when he shows the relationship between Judge McDover and her girlfriend Phyllis. This is a stereotype but arguably one based on observation of women’s behavior. It forms a contrast to the “not like other girls” trope of the woman who is aggressive, likes guns, and can defeat a man in hand-to-hand combat—the kind of temperament and skill set considered admirable in male action heroes. In such stories, the “not like other girls” heroine is typically attractive and interesting to the extent that she doesn’t engage in the kind of stereotypically “feminine” behavior that men find pointless and uninteresting.

Corruption forms another major theme in the story. Lacy, the BJC, and the FBI are presented as having “pure” motives. They’re interested in solving crimes and stamping out corruption, but that corruption is everywhere, and they must deal with it even in their allies. Greg Myers, the retired lawyer filing the complaint, has a history of corruption—engaging in shady real estate deals (which resulted in his arrest, turning FBI informant, and spending 18 months in prison). His motive in making the complaint is openly venal. He expects to get a lot of money. Myers met his informant, Cooley—the go-between connecting Myers to the whistleblower—in prison, and Cooley’s motivation is also money.

The primary source of corruption is Vonn Dubose, the leader of the coast Mafia. The BJC, however, doesn’t deal with organized crime. Their focus is the judge. In that sense, they’re out of their depth. The question they must answer is the extent of the judge’s ties to the crime syndicate. At this point, the links are suggestive but not conclusive.