The 6:20 Man

The narrative focuses on the digital world, where Valentine’s expertise comes into play. He has been trying to trace the origin of the anonymous email sent to Devine regarding the discovery of Ewes’s body, and he expresses both fascination and concern over the advanced techniques used to send the email—a plot point that emphasizes the dangers lurking within the anonymity of the internet. The chapter closes with Valentine providing Devine with unauthorized access to the Cowl and Comely database, a pivotal moment that suggests that the sender of the email might be Ewes’s murderer.

On his daily commute, Devine again sees Michelle Montgomery poolside in her bikini, and an older man on the train comments to him about her body and what he imagines is her exhibitionism, irritating Devine. The man also mentions that there was another woman who used to appear in a bikini beside Brad Cowl’s pool before this one. On the way into the building, Devine stops to speak with a security guard, Sam, who reveals new details about the discovery of Ewes’s body: The custodian who first found the body, Jerry Myers, immediately ran downstairs to tell Sam about it, leaving the door ajar—meaning that someone could have tampered with the crime scene in his absence.