Chapter 19: Chapter Eighteen – Summary & 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

Billie and Mary Alice spend a warm Venetian afternoon surveilling the Teatro La Fenice service entrance, hoping to intercept Wolfgang Praetorius. They watch from a nearby café but only see workmen using the door. Mary Alice muses on Venice’s dwindling population and the haunted history of Poveglia Island, suggesting Galina’s gloomy nature suits this decaying city. They return home empty‑handed. Nat then hatches a plan: Billie calls La Fenice’s personnel office pretending to be from a doctor’s surgery and effortlessly obtains Wolfgang’s phone number. Nat calls Wolfgang, impersonating the honorary chair of the Metropolitan Opera board and offering a secret audition. Wolfgang eagerly agrees to meet the next morning at Bar Foscarini. Because Billie closely resembles the real chair, Christine Fellowes, she is chosen to play the role. That evening, Billie prepares her disguise while Taverner returns from a bacari crawl and behaves with unusual courtesy, which Billie deeply distrusts.

Key Events

Billie and Mary Alice conduct surveillance of the Teatro La Fenice service door but fail to spot Wolfgang.
Mary Alice shares grim facts about Venice’s population decline and the island of Poveglia.
The women return to the house; Nat proposes using a ruse to acquire Wolfgang’s contact information.
Billie calls La Fenice, posing as a doctor’s office, and obtains Wolfgang’s mobile number.
Nat leaves a voicemail for Wolfgang, pretending to represent the Metropolitan Opera and offering a clandestine audition.
Wolfgang returns the call and agrees to meet “Christine Fellowes” the next day at Bar Foscarini.
Nat reveals that Christine Fellowes is a real person; Billie explains the psychological principle behind the scam.
Billie is assigned to impersonate Fellowes because of her physical resemblance.
That night, Billie assembles her disguise and props; Taverner returns from a solo outing, acts accommodating, but Billie suspects his motives.

Character Development

Billie demonstrates quick‑thinking improvisation during the phone call and willingly steps into the impersonation role. Her suspicion of Taverner’s politeness shows her hyper‑vigilance and wariness of deception from anyone, even a lover.
Mary Alice expresses a philosophical, almost morbid side through her commentary on Venice’s decay and Poveglia. Her statement that “everybody sees what they want” resonates with the chapter’s themes.
Nat proves the mastermind of the operation, crafting a believable cover story and leveraging real information (the actual board member) to increase credibility.
Akiko remains an observer, surprised by the ease of the scam, highlighting cultural differences in trust and privacy.
Taverner behaves with exaggerated courtesy—reading in bed, humming, asking no questions—which immediately raises Billie’s alarm, adding tension to their relationship.

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Deception as a Tool: The phone scam works because the women exploit authority and optimism. Billie’s confident tone and Nat’s plausible scenario override normal caution.
Venice as a Dying Symbol: Mary Alice’s monologue on Venice’s shrinking population and the plague island Poveglia mirrors the assassins’ own approaching obsolescence and mortality.
Ambition Blinds Judgment: Wolfgang’s eagerness for a Met audition makes him ignore obvious red flags. Nat and Billie note that people believe what they desperately want to be true.
Trust and Suspicion: Billie’s distrust of Taverner stands in contrast to the operational trust within the team. The chapter ends on a note of unease.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter moves the plot decisively forward: the women finally secure a meeting with Wolfgang and set the stage for his kidnapping. It also deepens the thematic resonance of Venice as a fading city, linking to the protagonists’ own aging and the dying profession of contract killing. The successful phone scam showcases the team’s resourcefulness and adaptability, while the final scene with Taverner introduces an undercurrent of suspicion that may affect future plans.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does the phone scam succeed so easily?
The women appear authoritative and state a plausible reason (test results requiring urgent attention). The receptionist does not verify the caller’s identity, partly because Billie’s confident Venetian dialect and the use of a named “dottoressa” convey legitimacy.
What purpose does Mary Alice’s speech about Venice and Poveglia serve?
It underscores the theme of decline and death, drawing a parallel between the city’s fate and the assassins’ own aging. It also hints at Galina’s affinity for a place associated with misery and isolation.
Why does Billie distrust Taverner’s courteous behavior?
Taverner normally would ask questions or be curious about their activities. His sudden respectful distance feels like a deliberate façade, leading Billie to suspect he may be investigating her or keeping a secret of his own. This creates narrative tension about his true intentions.