A Visit from the Goon Squad

New to their wealthy neighborhood, Bennie and his wife Stephanie begin to feel accepted socially when they join the Crandale Country Club. Stephanie begins a tennis partnership with Kathy and enjoys feeling a part of the new circle of friends. However, Bennie feels increasingly excluded. At a party, Stephanie observes the way people, suspicious of Al Qaeda operatives, signal to each other to watch what they say around Bennie. That night, she suggests that they move away, but Bennie says, “Let them move . . . This is my fucking house” (118). Stephanie continues to meet Kathy for tennis, but is careful to “edit these games out of Bennie’s view” (120).

When Stephanie makes a slip-up in concealing her tennis date from Bennie, she cancels her game with Kathy and reschedules a meeting with her boss, Bosco, to further cover up the original plan. Stephanie’s brother Jules, a former journalist who has been living with them since his release from prison two months ago, observes Noreen, the woman next door, as she creeps along the edge of the fence separating their properties, and suspects her of watching them. Jules comes along with Stephanie to meet Bosco. On the way, Jules observes that both Stephanie and Bennie “seem jumpy” (122).