Chapter 19: Great Torrington – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Later the same evening, the Chopper strikes again in Great Torrington, his first murder outside Cornwall. The victim, a 26‑year‑old employee of the Whiskers Pet Centre, is attacked after leaving the Black Horse pub around 10 p.m. She is felled by a single blow to the back of the head, and her body is left unconcealed. Detective Timothy Peel interviews the two male friends who remained at the pub, then eliminates them as suspects—they merely failed to walk her home. He also speaks with her female drinking companions, her parents, and her sister. The information leads him to the home of an abusive former boyfriend, a mechanic who wears size 11 shoes (a size and a half larger than the footprints at the scene). The footprints were made by Hi‑Tec Aysgarth III walking boots; two sets—incoming and outgoing—run along Bastard’s Lane, suggesting the killer approached across farmland and left the same way.
Peel sleeps only an hour, then drives to Newquay to reinterview a schoolteacher, Neil Perkins, who owns a Magnusson Composite hatchet. Perkins claims he was home grading papers and watching The Remains of the Day. Peel searches the cottage without a warrant (but threatens to obtain one) and seizes the hatchet in an evidence bag. Back at headquarters, Peel learns that the Metropolitan Police will take control of the case at noon. He updates Perkins’s file and turns over the hatchet, the sales receipt, and the blood‑soaked clothing of Professor Charlotte Blake. The professor’s car is impounded but her mobile phone and a yellow legal pad from her cottage are missing. Peel tells DI Tony Fletcher he misplaced the pad, dismissing it as containing only notes about a painting—possibly a Picasso. Fletcher assigns Peel to a burglary case in Plymouth.
Key Events
- The Chopper murders a 26‑year‑old woman in Great Torrington, his first attack beyond Cornwall’s border.
- Peel traces Hi‑Tec Aysgarth III footprints along Bastard’s Lane, determining the killer walked in and out over farmland.
- Peel eliminates the victim’s male drinking companions and her abusive ex‑boyfriend as suspects.
- Peel reinterviews schoolteacher Neil Perkins, seizes his Magnusson Composite hatchet, and notes Perkins wears size 10 shoes (not the size 9.5 from the prints).
- The Metropolitan Police team arrives at noon to assume the investigation; Peel transfers all evidence except Charlotte Blake’s yellow legal pad.
- Peel tells DI Fletcher the missing pad contained only notes about a Picasso and is irrelevant.
- Peel is reassigned to a burglary case in Plymouth.
Character Development
Timothy Peel demonstrates tenacity, working through the night and driving to Newquay on minimal sleep. He methodically follows footprint evidence and interviews suspects, yet he also withholds the yellow legal pad from the Met, hinting at a hidden agenda or protective instinct regarding the art‑related lead. His casual dismissal of the pad to Fletcher suggests he may know its real significance.
DI Tony Fletcher shows impatience with the art world (he “never cared for” Picasso) and accepts Peel’s explanation about the pad without question, revealing a lack of curiosity that contrasts with Peel’s thoroughness.
Neil Perkins, the schoolteacher, is a plausible suspect due to his hatchet ownership and solitary lifestyle, but his alibi and shoe size leave him a weak candidate. His calm demeanor during Peel’s warrant‑threat suggests he may be a red herring.
The Chopper expands his hunting ground to Devon, indicating growing confidence or a shift in pattern. The precision of the blow and the route suggest careful planning.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Jurisdiction and Institutional Rivalry. The transfer of the case to the Metropolitan Police highlights tension between local and national law enforcement. Peel’s small misdirection about the legal pad may reflect a desire to keep key information within his own team or to protect an ongoing angle.
Footprints and Tracking. The detailed boot prints serve as a motif of investigation: they provide the only concrete physical evidence, yet they also point to the killer’s deliberate evasion (walking across farmland). Shoes become a key identifier (size 9.5, Hi‑Tec brand) that Peel uses to clear or incriminate suspects.
The Missing Legal Pad. The pad’s contents—notes about a painting, possibly a Picasso—tie the Chopper case to the art‑theft subplot involving Professor Charlotte Blake. Peel’s decision to withhold it suggests that the painting is more central than the official investigation believes, setting up a future revelation.
Routine vs. Serial Crime. The chapter contrasts the gruesome, high‑profile Chopper case with Peel’s mundane return to burglary, underscoring how routine police work can be disrupted by a serial killer and how quickly a detective can be pulled back to pedestrian crimes.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a turning point: the Chopper expands his territory outside Cornwall, raising public panic and forcing a transfer of authority to the Met. Peel’s investigative work is showcased—his focus on footprints, his interview technique, and his ability to quickly eliminate suspects—yet it ends with him being removed from the case and reassigned to low‑priority crimes. The deliberate concealment of Charlotte Blake’s legal pad introduces a thread of possible insider knowledge or personal involvement, suggesting that Peel may have his own reasons for keeping the painting notes out of official hands. The chapter deepens the mystery around the Chopper while simultaneously advancing the art‑theft storyline.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Peel decide to withhold the yellow legal pad from the Metropolitan Police team?
Peel tells DI Fletcher that he misplaced the pad and that its contents—notes about a painting, possibly a Picasso—are irrelevant to the Chopper investigation. The narrative implies Peel is being deceptive; he likely recognizes the pad’s potential significance to the wider conspiracy involving Charlotte Blake’s murder and wants to keep control of that lead, either to pursue it himself or to protect sensitive information.
2. How does the footprint evidence help Peel narrow down suspects?
The prints at Bastard’s Lane are from Hi‑Tec Aysgarth III walking boots, size 9.5. Peel uses this to eliminate suspects: the ex‑boyfriend wears size 11, and Perkins claims a size 10. The incoming and outgoing sets suggest the killer walked across farmland, indicating local knowledge or a deliberate approach to avoid detection.
3. What does the transfer of the investigation to the Metropolitan Police signify for the case and for Peel’s character?
The transfer reflects the high profile of the Chopper killings and the pressure on local forces. For Peel, being taken off the case is a professional disappointment, yet he immediately masks a possible key piece of evidence. This act of concealment hints that Peel may have a personal stake in the Charlotte Blake connection, or that he distrusts the Met’s ability to handle the art‑related dimension.