Chapter 37 (Chapter 29): The Interrogation of Ellice Littlejohn
⚠️ 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
After Jonathan Everett's threatening visit, Ellice receives a call from Detective Bradford asking her to come to the police station for additional questions. Reluctantly, she goes alone, without a lawyer. Inside the interview room, Detectives Bradford and Burke systematically dismantle her story. They reveal that Sam's cell phone contained voicemails from Ellice sounding agitated, and that the gun used to kill Geoffrey Gallagher was found on Sam's body. They produce a legal opinion memorandum from Gallagher warning Houghton against a joint venture with Libertad Excursiones, a Mexican company linked to money laundering, gun trafficking, and drug distribution. Gallagher's wife found the document in his briefcase. The detectives press Ellice about her affair with Michael Sayles, her lies about not having a brother, and her decision to withhold Anna Sayles's documents from the police. They suggest Ellice conspired with Sam to murder Michael and Gallagher to secure her promotion. Ellice vehemently denies the accusations, pointing to Jonathan as the true criminal, but she has no evidence to offer. Feeling trapped and realizing she is now a prime suspect, she ends the interview and leaves.
Key Events
- Ellice receives a phone call from Detective Bradford requesting she come to the station for questioning.
- She arrives at the Atlanta Police Department and is led into a small interview room.
- Detectives Bradford and Burke confront Ellice about her lie that she did not meet Michael on the morning of his murder; she admits she found him dead and fled.
- The detectives reveal that Sam's phone contained voicemails from Ellice asking about Geoffrey Gallagher and expressing frustration.
- They inform Ellice that the gun used to kill Gallagher was recovered from Sam's body.
- The detectives produce Gallagher's legal opinion memorandum that warns Houghton about Libertad's criminal ties and advises against the joint venture.
- They expose Ellice's past affair with Michael, revealed by his wife Anna, and note that both left their former law firm because of it.
- The detectives accuse Ellice of orchestrating the murders with her brother to remove obstacles to her promotion.
- Ellice defends Jonathan's involvement, claiming he is laundering money and set up Sam, but she lacks hard evidence.
- Frustrated and realizing she is under suspicion, Ellice terminates the interview and leaves the station.
Character Development
- Ellice Littlejohn: Her composure cracks under interrogation. She is forced to confront the consequences of her lies—about her brother, her affair, and her actions on the day of Michael's murder. The chapter deepens her vulnerability and isolation, as she realises the police view her as the common thread linking three deaths.
- Detective Shelly Bradford: Remains sharp and methodical, using emotional pressure and logical leaps to test Ellice's credibility. She shows little sympathy for Ellice's predicament.
- Detective Burke: Acts as the patient, detail-oriented partner, presenting concrete evidence (voicemails, gun, legal document) to build the case against Ellice.
- Jonathan Everett: Though not present, his influence looms large. The detectives relay his claim that Ellice is trying to frame him due to a workplace disagreement over her promotion.
- Sam Littlejohn: Posthumously, his criminal record and the incriminating evidence found on him further stain his memory and place him at the centre of the police theory.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Secrets and Lies as Traps: Every lie Ellice told—about her brother, her relationship with Michael, her discovery of the body—now works against her. The interrogation demonstrates how quickly a web of deception can collapse.
- Corporate Criminality: Gallagher's memorandum explicitly links Houghton to a Mexican company engaged in human trafficking, gun trafficking, and drug distribution. The document symbolises the hidden rot within the corporation.
- The Unreliable Narrator: Ellice's internal certainty about Jonathan's guilt clashes with the detectives' alternative narrative. The reader must weigh her perspective against the mounting circumstantial evidence.
- Power and Vulnerability: The small, drab interview room mirrors Ellice's loss of control. Despite her legal training, she is powerless to stop the detectives from dismantling her story.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the investigation. Ellice moves from a grieving sister and anxious employee to the primary suspect in a triple murder. The evidence presented—the voicemails, the gun, the legal document—creates a plausible alternative theory that forces both Ellice and the reader to question her judgment and actions. It also raises the stakes for the remaining chapters: Ellice must now clear her name while still concealing her childhood secrets.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Ellice decide to go to the police station without a lawyer?
She is shocked by the phone call and mistakenly believes she can manage the situation alone. She also wants to appear cooperative to avoid raising suspicion. This decision backfires when the detectives begin pressing her with evidence she cannot explain. -
What is the significance of the legal opinion memorandum from Geoffrey Gallagher?
The memorandum warns Houghton's executives that the joint venture with Libertad Excursiones poses serious legal and criminal risks. It directly ties the corporate deal to money laundering and human trafficking, and implies that Michael Sayles and Gallagher were killed to silence opposition to the deal. -
How do the detectives construct a motive for Ellice?
They argue that Ellice, frustrated by being passed over for promotions despite her affair with Michael, conspired with her brother Sam to murder Michael and Gallagher. The promotion she eventually received, they suggest, was the payoff for eliminating those who opposed the Libertad deal. Ellice's lies about not having a brother, they believe, were intended to sever any link to Sam after the murders.