Although it is clear in “Killings” that Matt and his friend Willis have devised an elaborate plan to kill Strout, Dubus includes subtle clues that clearly indicate Matt’s reluctance to go through with it. The strongest of these clues can be found at the point in the story where Matt is waiting for Strout to get out of work on the night they plan to kill him: if Strout comes out alone, the plan will...
Although it is clear in “Killings” that Matt and his friend Willis have devised an elaborate plan to kill Strout, Dubus includes subtle clues that clearly indicate Matt’s reluctance to go through with it. The strongest of these clues can be found at the point in the story where Matt is waiting for Strout to get out of work on the night they plan to kill him: if Strout comes out alone, the plan will go forward; however, if Strout leaves the bar with friends, the plan will be aborted. Apparently, Matt hopes for the latter, and has been thinking along these lines for the past week (para. 79). However, when Strout leaves the bar alone, the plan goes into action; now that the wheels have been set in motion, there is no turning back.
At Strout’s house, Matt silently takes in the trappings of Strout’s life, noting the “presence” of Strout’s unnamed girlfriend, who has been alluded to several times in the story. Although Dubus tells us nothing about the girl other than the fact that she is Strout’s girlfriend, Matt seems to fixate on this. When he arrives home after the killing to tell Ruth that it is done, he brings up the girlfriend again as he relives the details of the night. It is clear that Matt will continue to wonder about this mysterious woman who will never know what has happened to her boyfriend. It is also clear that Matt will never forget the details of the two hours spent on the killing: the lies told to Strout, the dropping of the suitcase, the sudden darting movement, the explosion of the two gunshots (para. 166).
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