A Brief History of Seven Killings: Part 4, Chapter 19 Summary & Analysis

Ken furiously questions Dorcas about the book. Dorcas tells him to calm down and reminds him that she doesn’t owe him any explanation. She then claims she “saw it in a bookstore and was curious.” Eventually, however, Dorcas reveals that she stole the identity of a Jamaican immigrant to America who died in Queens on June 15, 1979. She explains that it was quite simple to get a copy of Dorcas’s birth certificate, that her family are all still in Jamaica, and that they were too poor to come for her funeral. Dorcas then mentions that before becoming Dorcas Palmer, she was known as Kim Clarke.

Ken asks if Dorcas is an American citizen, and she replies that she isn’t. She has a Jamaican passport, but not under her real name. Ken tells her that her story is “the most exciting thing I’ve heard since I can’t even remember,” and asks what she was running away from. He guesses that the person she’s fleeing must be in Jamaica, and Dorcas replies that she’s been in America since 1979 and he hasn’t tracked her down yet. She explains that she chose to live in New York because a big city provides anonymity, there is a lot of work, and when she is not working she goes to the library or MoMA. At the moment, Dorcas is working on building a good credit score.

Dorcas tells Ken that he should go home soon. He goes to the bathroom, and Dorcas finds a note in his pocket that asks anyone who finds it to call a certain number immediately. Dorcas calls, and Mr. Colthirst answers. Dorcas explains that Ken insisted on leaving the house, and gives her address. Dorcas walks over to the bathroom door and tells Ken that she called his son, and that he is coming to collect him. However, Ken now can’t remember who Dorcas is. He locks himself in the bathroom and tells her to “get the fuck away.”