Chapter XXXV Summary and Analysis – Murder Your Employer
Spoiler Notice
This chapter contains plot developments that assume knowledge of earlier events in Murder Your Employer, including Gemma's plan to eliminate her father. Read with caution if you have not yet finished up to this point.
Summary
Adele informs Gemma that Bob Warrant, an NHS inspector, will visit St. Ann's the next day. She then makes an extraordinary request: that Gemma "have intercourse" with Bob to ensure a favorable budget review. Gemma initially laughs, thinking it a joke, but Adele insists the evening would be a proper date—supper, dancing, and a hotel room. The manager of the Red Lion, according to Adele, is open-minded about mixed couples. Gemma calls Adele out of her mind.
Adele reveals that Bob initially made a pass at her, but she declined, citing her relationship with Peter Ellisden. Bob then asked Adele to set him up with someone "fun," and Adele volunteered Gemma, describing her as a friendly girl. When Gemma flatly refuses, Adele shifts to emotional blackmail: which would be worse for Gemma's mother—hearing that Gemma killed Bob with kindness or that Gemma killed her father with pentobarbitone? Adele implies that without Bob's approval, the budget may suffer, forcing Gemma's mother back to her abusive husband. Gemma stands her ground.
Key Events
- Adele tells Gemma about Bob Warrant's upcoming visit for an NHS review.
- Adele proposes that Gemma seduce Bob to secure St. Ann's budget.
- Gemma reacts with disbelief and anger, calling Adele a madam.
- Adele explains she rejected Bob's own advances because of her relationship with Peter.
- Adele admits she already volunteered Gemma to Bob.
- Gemma refuses the request outright.
- Adele uses the threat of Gemma's mother's safety to pressure Gemma.
- Adele explicitly links the pentobarbitone plan to the current dilemma.
Character Development
Gemma displays a firm moral boundary. She refuses to trade her body, even when the stakes involve her mother's future. This moment solidifies her as someone willing to fight for a cause but unwilling to sacrifice her integrity along the way. Her anger at Adele's suggestion shows growth in assertiveness.
Adele reveals a pragmatic and manipulative side. She is willing to pimp out a colleague to protect St. Ann's (and possibly her own position). The fact that she volunteered Gemma without her consent underscores her cutthroat approach. Adele's composure during the blackmail attempt makes her both calculating and morally ambiguous.
Bob Warrant (mentioned) remains offstage but represents external authority that can crush or save Adele's institution. He is depicted as lonely, predatory, and entitled.
Peter Ellisden (mentioned) serves as Adele's excuse for rejecting Bob, though the reality of that relationship is uncertain.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Sexual coercion and power dynamics: Adele pressures Gemma to use her body as a bargaining chip. The episode exposes how institutions often exploit personal relationships for survival.
- Moral compromise versus integrity: The chapter forces a choice between doing what is "necessary" (Adele's view) and maintaining personal dignity (Gemma's view). It sets up a conflict between the greater good and individual ethics.
- Blackmail and leverage: Adele invokes Gemma's plan to kill her father, turning a shared secret into a weapon. This motif recurs: secrets are currency among these characters.
- Survival of the institution vs. the person: Adele prioritises St. Ann's future over Gemma's well-being, reflecting a wider theme of how people rationalise harm when the goal appears righteous.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter XXXV raises the ethical stakes of the entire novel. Gemma's refusal to sleep with Bob demonstrates that she has limits she will not cross, even to achieve her primary objective. Adele's willingness to exploit Gemma reveals the depth of her desperation and suggests that the scheme to kill Gemma's father may require further sacrifices. The chapter also deepens the bond—or lack thereof—between the two women, hinting at future betrayal or collaboration under duress. Most importantly, it forces Gemma to confront a question that will define the rest of the story: how far is she really willing to go?
Study Questions and Answers
1. What specific request does Adele make of Gemma, and how does she frame it?
Adele asks Gemma to have sex with NHS inspector Bob Warrant in exchange for a favorable budget review. She frames it as a harmless evening—supper, dancing, a hotel stay—and trivialises the act by calling it "a pleasant evening."
2. How does Adele attempt to manipulate Gemma into agreeing?
Adele first uses emotional blackmail: she implies that if Gemma does not cooperate, the budget may fail, which could force Gemma's mother back to her abusive husband. Then she directly threatens Gemma, suggesting that Gemma's mother would be more devastated by learning of the pentobarbitone plan than by Gemma sleeping with Bob.
3. What does Gemma's refusal reveal about her character at this stage?
Gemma's refusal shows she has firm personal boundaries and will not sacrifice her bodily autonomy, even for a plan she believes in. It marks a growing assertiveness and a rejection of Adele's cynical worldview. It also indicates that Gemma is still capable of moral reasoning, unlike Adele, who seems willing to cross any line.