As Pop explains his thinking about killing Gee, he very purposefully uses the same kind of language that Will has used throughout the novel to assert that Riggs is the one who killed Shawn. Pop’s confession, however, shows that while this kind of hunch may
feel correct, following through based on assumptions can go terribly wrong. Killing the wrong person means that Pop didn’t actually follow the Rules and avenge Uncle Mark’s death—Gee died for nothing.