locative inversion
In these canisters is the evidence.Zodiac · 2007 — Chapter 25 of 30 · 5'04" · B2
Graysmith Chases Rick Marshall, Explained: tread lightly
A lead points to a man named Rick Marshall, and the handwriting expert explains why the case can't close: the letter 'K' is written with two strokes early on and three later. Everything that follows is about getting a sample — and about how careful everyone has to be. “We have to tread lightly here.”
What happens
Graysmith follows a thread that names Rick Marshall as a possible Zodiac, learning that Marshall had code training and worked around a silent-film theater. A handwriting expert shows how the killer's letter 'K' shifts from two strokes to three, and warns that any conclusion must be handled carefully. Getting a sample of Marshall's writing proves harder than expected.
Listen for
off the recordtread lightlyon your ownMy thoughts exactly
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Now
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Phrase of the scene
tread lightly
to act or speak with great care
笔迹鉴定师比对完样本，提醒格雷史密斯在给马歇尔定性之前必须谨慎，因为这话一旦说出口就等于指控一个人。
This topic is still raw for the family, so tread lightly.
Also in this scene
- off the record
not to be officially recorded or quoted
- on your own
alone, without help from anyone
- My thoughts exactly
that is exactly what I was thinking
Everything marked in this scene
38 notes across 89 lines
You have quite enough to get started.Oh, please.We choose at some point in our lives how to physically construct each letter.wh-word plus infinitive
We choose at some point in our lives how to physically construct each letter.Once we lock that into our brains, our handwriting may change over the years, but the moves themselves remain unaltered.Once we lock that into our brains, our handwriting may change over the years, but the moves themselves remain unaltered.may for possibility
Once we lock that into our brains, our handwriting may change over the years, but the moves themselves remain unaltered.How many suspects were cleared through handwriting?Also the print in the cab. No match was ever found.Is there any way that someone could beat a handwriting test?concessive clause
Whoever the Zodiac is, he's not someone I cleared.About a month ago, a man showed up on my doorstep very distraught.liaison
About a month ago, a man showed up on my doorstep very distraught.What are you after?What do you got?not to be officially recorded or quoted
This is off the record.Couple years back, I was trying to get Marshall's prints.He looks at it. He's about to give it back and he stops and he says,be about to do
He looks at it. He's about to give it back and he stops and he says,flap
He looks at it. He's about to give it back and he stops and he says,"My goodness, I got fingerprints all over this."And he wipes them off.weak form
And he wipes them off.-So, then, it's not him. -Maybe yes, maybe no.Zodiac left gloves behind at the scene.If he had the foresight to bring gloves with him, how the hell's he gonna accidentally leave a print behind?If he had the foresight to bring gloves with him, how the hell's he gonna accidentally leave a print behind?that is exactly what I was thinking
My thoughts exactly.Three ways. One, get a warrant, which you can't.non-restrictive relative clause
Three ways. One, get a warrant, which you can't.Get creative.elision
Get creative.Beyond that, you're on your own.to act or speak with great care
It's as close as I've ever seen. We have to tread lightly here.I can get more. I'll just find Vaughn and I'll track down Linda.In a way, though, it's the part that doesn't match that scares me the most.cleft sentence
In a way, though, it's the part that doesn't match that scares me the most.Graysmith Chases Rick Marshall, explained
What's really going on
The chapter is a study in near-misses. A tip names Marshall, the facts line up, and the handwriting is “as close as I've ever seen” — but close is not the same as certain. The expert's rule sets the tone: “We have to tread lightly here.” That caution is what keeps the case honest and also what keeps it open. The procedural half is equally telling: to test a man you need a sample, and every legal route to one is closed, so the work slides into favors, phone calls, and improvisation. The scene's unease comes from watching careful people get as far as evidence allows and no further.
Theme
JusticeInvestigators gather handwriting and fingerprint evidence, trying to turn a strong hunch into a case that can actually be proven.
IdentityA name, a handwriting habit, and a suspect's trained past all point at who the killer might be, without ever confirming it.
What you'll learn
- The tip spells V-A-U-G-H-N: a friend storing evidence in film canisters.
- Zodiac's K changes from two strokes to three, against how handwriting is locked in.
- Handwriting cleared everyone; the cab print cleared 2,500 more.
- Sherwood never cleared a Rick Marshall, the same name Wallace Penny brought.
Listen for
- showed up on — liaison
- give it back — flap
- wipes them off — weak form
- Get creative — elision
Beyond that, you're on your own.The expert's blunt limit: he'll analyze a sample if Graysmith can get one, but everything else — warrants, persuasion, legwork — is Graysmith's problem.
In a way, though, it's the part that doesn't match that scares me the most.The expert's warning: a near-match is more troubling than a clear miss, because it hints at the truth without proving it.
This is off the record.A condition before a confidence: the speaker will share sensitive information, but it cannot be quoted or used officially.
You have quite enough to get started.A teasing deflection: instead of handing over the answer, the speaker says the information already in hand is enough to begin.
Questions about this scene
Who is Rick Marshall?
A man named as a possible Zodiac: he had Navy code training, worked as a projectionist at a silent-film theater, and had connections to people in the case. Investigators think his handwriting is the closest match they've seen.
Why can't the police just test Marshall's handwriting?
They have no warrant and Marshall won't volunteer a sample, so the third option is to get creative. That means Graysmith has to hunt down old posters and letters and ask people who knew him.
Why is the handwriting match unsettling?
Because most of the writing matches the exemplar, which is suggestive, while the parts that don't match leave just enough doubt to block a conclusion. That gap is what the expert finds most frightening.
What does 'tread lightly' mean?
It means to act and speak with care because the situation is delicate. Here it's a warning not to rush to accuse a man of being the Zodiac without solid proof.
Zodiac · 30 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 26blow overThe Letter That Framed Toschi
Chapter 1creep someone outDarlene Ferrin's Last Drive
Chapter 2I wouldn't kid youThe Zodiac Confession Call
Chapter 3shed light onZodiac's Cipher Reaches the Chronicle
Chapter 4get any ideasZodiac Attacks the Couple at the Lake
Chapter 5a hell of a get-upZodiac's Lake Berryessa Attack
Chapter 6flag a cabThe Presidio Cab Murder
Chapter 7did inZodiac Claims the Taxi Murder
Chapter 8skip townPolice Bicker Over the Zodiac Case
Chapter 9at a moment's noticeZodiac Calls the TV Talk Show
Chapter 10crack the codeBelli Tries to Catch the Zodiac
Chapter 11What's your angle?Graysmith Cracks the Zodiac Cipher
Chapter 12the more the merrierKathleen Johns Escapes the Zodiac
Chapter 13come out of the woodworkGraysmith Finds the Zodiac's Source
Chapter 14in my gutGraysmith Talks Zodiac on a Date
Chapter 15beat the bushesRiverside Investigators Compare Notes
Chapter 16lost in the shuffleThe Informant Describes Leigh Allen
Chapter 17the whole pointPolice Question Arthur Leigh Allen
Chapter 18greener pasturesPolice Question Leigh Allen's Mother
Chapter 19home turfPolice Build a Case Against Allen
Chapter 20tore out of herePolice Search Allen's Trailer
Chapter 21holding the bagBill Transfers Out of the Chronicle
Chapter 22fade into a footnoteGraysmith Pitches a Zodiac Book
Chapter 23yesterday's newsGraysmith Talks His Way In
Chapter 24more than just a coincidenceGraysmith Follows the Birthday Clue
Watching · Chapter 25tread lightlyGraysmith Chases Rick Marshall
Chapter 26blow overThe Letter That Framed Toschi
Chapter 27put yourself out thereGraysmith Chases the Case at Home
Chapter 28get it in your headGraysmith Meets the Theater Owner
Chapter 29the date that didn't endLinda Recalls the Painting Party
Chapter 30cancel each other outRobert Confronts Dave About AllenChapter 25 of 30 · about 25 min to go