Summary

In Chapter 7, “Denial,” Barber admits he was becoming suspicious of Jacob, but believed only that the boy knew more than he was telling, not that he was guilty of the murder. When Barber and Laurie had confronted Jacob with the knife, the boy passed the weapon off as no big deal. He tells his parents that he got it because he thought it looked cool. Although Barber asks Jacob if he knew anything about the murder, Jacob responds by telling his father he can’t believe that he’d think he had committed a murder. He even tells his father he can submit it for testing.

That afternoon, Patz is being questioned at the Newton Police Station. He tells the officers that while he was walking in the park that morning, he didn’t go near the spot where Ben was killed...