Alex Stern, #2
Hell Bent
by Leigh Bardugo
Contents
Chapter 13
Overview
Alex and Turner investigate Dean Beekman’s staged death at Morse, where a typed Isaiah verse completes the message begun with Marjorie Stephen. Theatrical details suggest a deliberate pattern rather than random violence. Pressed for supernatural leads, Alex considers recruiting Turner into the Gauntlet plan and moves to bring him closer.
Summary
Alex arrives at Morse, where police swarm the site of Dean Beekman’s apparent murder. Turner brings Alex inside as his confidential informant. They find Beekman on his back with his legs still hooked over his tipped chair, his office ransacked, and a typed note on the desk.
Turner reports Beekman’s neck is broken and shows Alex the message: “Bewray not him that wandereth,” completing the Isaiah line begun with Marjorie Stephen’s death. Alex notes the staging—the Bible quotes and toppled chair—feels theatrical, more like a performance than a concealed crime.
They debate whether the killer is unhinged or pretending, and whether the societies could be involved. Turner presses Alex to use otherworldly contacts; Alex admits she has none and feels Darlington would know what to look for.
Thinking of the Gauntlet and the need for allies, Alex probes Turner about whether he has ever killed someone, hinting at the four-murderer requirement. When he refuses to answer, she asks how long he must stay and tells him she wants to show him something, signaling an attempt to pull him into their larger plan.
Who Appears
- Alex SternLethe operative; examines Beekman’s staged death, questions Isaiah clues, and maneuvers to recruit Turner for the Gauntlet.
- Detective Abel TurnerLeads the investigation; shows Alex the Isaiah note, urges supernatural intel, resists her probing about past killings.
- Dean BeekmanBeloved American Studies dean found dead in a staged scene at Morse; neck likely broken; Isaiah note left.
- Professor Marjorie StephenEarlier victim whose death included the first half of the Isaiah line, linking the two murders.