There have been a lot of comments over the last few chapters. Carl needs to watch for his brother. Carl needs to watch for his mother or his father. Carl needs to hire security (preferably ex-Mossad/Secret Service/Spetznatz types, only meaner). Carl is naïve and stupid.
Carl is neither naïve nor stupid. However, Carl has consistently shown that he doesn’t think like a zillionaire. He still thinks he can live like a normal suburban dad. Chapter 80 shows that is no longer the case. More on this in the near future.
One interesting, and probably accurate, complaint was about cops responding to a suspicious vehicle complaint. The response, by a cop, was that it would be unusual to respond with the lights flashing, and unusual to leave them flashing while talking to people. That sounds realistic, but I think I am going to claim artistic license on this one. It would screw up the cliffhanger, wouldn’t it?
While researching this chapter I learned just how difficult it is to get a carry permit in Maryland. Maryland is one of a handful of ‘may issue’ states, where the state may issue you a permit if they decide you have a reason to carry. This is opposed to the ‘shall issue’ states, where they automatically issue the permit unless they can find a reason not to (you’re a felon, you’re crazy, etc.) This isn’t just about the law in 1983. This is current Maryland law as well. Maryland carry permits expire after 2 years and then must be renewed. If they feel you are no longer in danger, they will yank your permit. Also, Maryland does not recognize other states’ permits.