I Hunt Killers

William Cornelius “Billy” Dent is Jazz’s father and a notorious serial killer who has taken the lives of over 100 people. He goes by many nicknames, including the Artist, Green Jack, and Gentle Killer. Each nickname corresponds to a different “phase” in Billy’s killing spree. Jazz and Billy have a fraught father-son relationship. Jazz will do anything to ensure that he does not grow up to become anything like his father.

For such a prolific serial killer, Billy Dent blended in quite easily with the townspeople of Lobo’s Nod: “He made his home in sleepy little Lobo’s Nod and, for the most part, kept his nose clean while in town, adhering to the adage ‘Don’t crap where you eat’” (12). Jazz notes that Billy is wildly smart, that his IQ tests were off the chart. Chapter 30 marks the first time that Billy makes a first-hand appearance in the narrative; though prior to that, Billy’s words are heard in the form of italicized dialogue in Jazz’s head. Billy’s words are the inner monologue that Jazz cannot seem to turn off.

The Impressionist is the serial killer bringing havoc to Lobo’s Nod, and he is the criminal Jazz searches for throughout I Hunt Killers. The identity of the Impressionist is not revealed until the very end of the book and, even then, the reader is never given his real name. All that is known is that the Impressionist was posing as Jeff Fulton, and that his modus operandi is to impersonate Billy Dent.

The Impressionist is a devoted follower of Billy Dent. The Impressionist regards him as a god. Addressing Jazz, the Impressionist says: “You are the child of divinity. I came here to honor your father in my own way, you know” (336). The Impressionist, like Billy Dent, has striking icy blue eyes. Aside from that physical feature, the Impressionist mostly blends in. He carries a well-worn set of “instructions” in his pocket at all times, although it is unclear who gave him them.

G. William Tanner is the sheriff of Lobo’s Nod, and the person responsible for apprehending Billy Dent about four years ago. Jazz and the sheriff have an unlikely friendship. Jazz describes G. William as follows: “The sheriff was a good guy. […] underneath […] was some serious law-enforcement genius […] he’d earned the respect of not just the county, but the entire state. […] Tanner had pull” (7).

G. William’s extensive knowledge of Billy Dent gives him unique insight into Jazz’s life. It makes their connection deeper and more personal:

After Billy and Jazz (and Jazz’s missing mother), G. William knew the most about what growing up with Billy Dent had been like. He knew more than Gramma. More than Connie, Jazz’s girlfriend. More than Melissa Hoover, the social worker who’d been messing with Jazz’s life ever since Billy’s arrest. Even more than Howie, the only kid Jazz truly thought of as a friend (16).

Although G. William initially tries to stifle Jazz’s attempts at investigating the murders, he eventually comes to consider the teen as almost a professional equal when it comes to profiling the Impressionist.

Howie is Jazz’s best friend in the entire world: “Whenever Jazz needed to do something risky or vaguely illegal, he made sure to bring Howie along. This did not endear him to Howie’s parents, but if Jazz wanted to stay as human as possible, it was necessary” (24). Howie is one of the few people Jazz can truly trust: “Howie had been the constant in Jazz’s life, the kid he’d come to rely on to keep him grounded and sane when the world threatened to tip him over into Billy-style craziness” (29).

Howie, a type-A hemophiliac, has a blood disorder that prevents him from normal clotting. The friendship between Jazz and Howie began when Jazz came to Howie’s defense against bullies. Since, Howie has functioned as Jazz’s go-to in all situations. Jazz describes Howie as very tall and thin: “Howie had the build of an NBA player: gangly, loose limbs, rope-thin frame, hands that seemed preternaturally grasping. But Howie’s hemophilia saw to it that he would never play basketball on a team, not even Little League” (28). Howie jokes a lot, and he often provides comic relief in tense scenes. When Jazz’s commitment to the pursuit of the Impressionist wanes, Howie steps in to encourage his friend’s continued efforts.

Connie Hall is Jazz’s girlfriend and, outside of Howie, one of the only people that Jazz truly trusts. Connie is tough and known for her fiery personality: “He moved to run a hand through her cornrows, then pulled back, remembering the one time he’d tried that—Connie had lectured him on the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not touch they black girlfriend’s hair” (72). Connie is black, which means that Jazz regards her as “safe” by Jazz. For Jazz, the logic goes that, because Jazz’s father only sexually assaulted white victims, there is no chance that Jazz will ever harm Connie. Jazz fears his own sexuality, like so many other parts of his personality that were influenced by his father. For Billy, sex and violence went hand-in-hand. Connie and Jazz do not have sex with each other, and both are virgins. Like Howie, Connie helps humanize Jazz and does not shy from his explosive personality traits. When Jazz doubts himself and his own goodness, Connie reinforces that Jazz is not destined to be like Billy.