Bill
A macrobiotic traveler who follows Lise, assaults her, and becomes an obvious but mistaken suspect.
To use Lise to satisfy the sexual goal he has folded into his ideas about health and diet.
The book
At a glance
- Macrobiotic
- On Lise's flight
- The Pavilion
- Arrested, then cleared of the murder by timing
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeBill meets Lise on the plane. He talks about his macrobiotic diet, carries rice, and believes sex is necessary to reach a better state of health. His explanations are self-absorbed and quickly become intrusive.
He follows Lise in the city and takes her to the Pavilion. There he sexually assaults her until Swedish tourists interrupt the attack. Lise drives away in the car he borrowed, and police arrest him soon afterward.
Bill looks like a likely suspect because he pursued and attacked Lise. His arrest, however, establishes where he was at the time of the murder. He is guilty of assault, not of the killing the investigation must solve.
How the book draws them
- Young, dark, and long-nosedThe novel gives a few sharp features rather than a complete portrait.
- Stooping postureHis body bends forward, adding to the persistent way he presses into Lise's space.
- BespectacledGlasses are part of the description witnesses can use to identify him.
- Checked shirt and beige corduroysHis casual travel clothing is stated precisely enough to distinguish him from Richard's dark suit.
- Camera and folded coatHe carries the ordinary equipment of a tourist while behaving as a threat.
- A bag of riceThe rice makes his macrobiotic routine visible and gives him a repeated subject for conversation.
Bill assaults Lise at the Pavilion. Swedish tourists interrupt him, and his later arrest places him in custody when Richard kills Lise. The alibi clears him only of the murder, not of the attack.
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