Chapter 20 – Saint's Investigation of Dr. Tooms
Spoiler Warning: This page reveals key events from Chapter 20 of All the Colors of the Dark. If you are reading the novel for the first time, proceed with caution.
Summary
Saint approaches Dr. Tooms' grand house at night, crossing arid fields that mark the border of Thurley State Park. She carries her slingshot and has borrowed The Peterson Davies Book of Police Detection from the library, intending to investigate the doctor's property after recognizing inconsistencies in the tale he told. She recalls Dr. Tooms as the trusted community physician who visited the school to teach girls about puberty—a familiar, kind-eyed man everyone knew.
She knocks on the door and receives no answer. Circling the house, she checks windows and finds the rear porch, where her flashlight reveals an oak kitchen with a cigar stub balanced in an ashtray. Critically, she sees no dog bowl, no bed, no leash—nothing confirming the doctor's earlier claim. The doors and windows remain locked despite her efforts to force entry.
As Saint begins retreating across the fields, a gut-wrenching scream pierces the night. She cries out for Patch and runs toward the sound, sobbing in fear yet pressing forward. Rounding a corner of the house, she collides with Dr. Tooms himself. When her flashlight beam catches the fresh blood covering his hands, she turns and flees.
Key Events
- Saint travels alone at night to Dr. Tooms' house, armed with a slingshot and a library book on police detection techniques.
- She recalls the doctor's trusted role in Monta Clare—treating families, educating schoolgirls—contrasting it with her present suspicion.
- Multiple attempts to enter the house fail; all doors and windows are secured.
- Through the rear porch window, she notes the absence of dog-related items, undermining the doctor's previous story.
- A desperate scream, which she believes could be Patch, halts her departure.
- She encounters Dr. Tooms face-to-face and sees blood on his hands before fleeing.
Character Development
Saint—This chapter crystallizes Saint's transformation from concerned friend to active investigator. She applies practical detection methods from her borrowed library book, consciously planning her approach. Her fear is palpable—shaking hands, panicked reflection in the window glass—yet she persists. The scream does not drive her away; it pulls her back toward danger because she believes Patch might be inside. She sobs openly but keeps moving, demonstrating that courage in this story is not fearlessness but action despite overwhelming terror.
Dr. Tooms—He appears in Saint's memory first, his "kind eyes" and community standing lending weight to the horror of the present scene. His physical reveal—pale face, raised hands, and crucially the blood—shatters the image of the trusted small-town doctor. The chapter does not have him speak or explain; his silent, bloodstained presence is evidence enough to confirm Saint's worst suspicions.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The Predator Hiding in Plain Sight—Saint's memories emphasize how completely Dr. Tooms was incorporated into community life. He treated strep throat and menstruation talks, occupying roles that demanded trust. The chapter forces a collision between that trusted figure and the blood-soaked reality Saint uncovers.
Investigation and Evidence—Saint's borrowed detection manual represents a methodical counterweight to emotional desperation. Her systematic sweep of the property—checking for dog paraphernalia, noting the cigar, testing locks—mirrors the police work she hopes someone will perform. The missing dog supplies stand as silent but damning evidence.
Light and Darkness—The chapter leans heavily on visual contrasts: the purple lava lamp at home versus the deep black of the doctor's windows, the flashlight beam sweeping countertops and finally illuminating blood. Light reveals truth here, but each revelation is more terrifying than the darkness it displaces.
Bravery and Fear—Saint cries, shakes, and sobs throughout, yet does not retreat until she has gathered enough evidence to confirm the threat. The narrative refuses to glamorize her courage, presenting it instead as the physically costly choice to keep moving toward a horrible sound.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 20 is a turning point that shifts the novel from gathering suspicion to visceral confirmation. Until now, the case against Dr. Tooms has been built on inconsistencies and Saint's intuition. The blood on his hands and the scream transform suspicion into something urgent and terrifying. This chapter also elevates Saint from a side figure in Patch's story to a protagonist in her own right—she is now the one taking direct, dangerous action. The cliffhanger ending, with Saint fleeing into the darkness, leaves no doubt that the threat is real and immediate.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Saint's use of the police detection book shape her approach to investigating Dr. Tooms' house?
Saint applies the book's principles by planning to "play it clever" and talk her way inside rather than simply demanding answers. She conducts a systematic external search—checking multiple doors, peering through windows, cataloguing what she sees—and specifically looks for evidence that contradicts the doctor's story, such as the absence of a dog. The book gives her a framework for turning intuition into actionable investigation.
2. Why is the detail about the missing dog supplies significant?
The doctor previously offered a story involving his dog. Saint's observation of the kitchen—no bowl, no bed, no leash—directly contradicts that narrative. In a chapter built around looking and seeing, this absence shifts the doctor from a potentially unreliable source to an outright deceiver. The missing evidence matters as much as the blood that eventually appears.
3. What does Saint's reaction to the scream reveal about her character at this stage of the novel?
Instead of running away, Saint runs toward the scream while crying and calling Patch's name. Her body is overcome with terror—sobbing, shaking—but her decision-making remains fixed on her friend. This moment defines her courage not as composure but as the refusal to abandon someone she loves, even when every instinct screams for self-preservation.