Chapter Thirty-One Summary: The Truth About Victoria Belmond
⚠️ 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
Myron Bolitar leaves the hospital with Golfer Gary, his mind racing after learning that Thomas lied to him. He checks his phone and calls Molly, who has already arranged for his discharge and a bed at home. She jokes about a sponge bath, and Myron tells her he loves her. Next, he calls Marty, who reports that ballistics tests confirm the gun used to kill Brian Powell is the same weapon that shot Myron and Victoria Belmond—and that it is the same model used in Nicole Brett’s murder years ago. Marty also tells Myron that Tad Grayson has an alibi: witnesses place him at his mother's hospice bedside, though he could have snuck out.
Jennifer Schultz from the Abeona Shelter calls Myron. She admits she almost stopped investigating after Victoria’s death, but continued and found something important. She asks Myron to come to her office.
At the shelter, Jennifer shows Myron a professional headshot of a young woman. Myron instantly recognizes her as the real Anna—the woman he knew in Spain, but younger. Jennifer explains that the girl’s real name is Anna Marston. She was sixteen when the photo was taken in 2001. Her backstory: born in State College, Pennsylvania, to a single mother who died when Anna was nine; then lived with an abusive aunt in Spruce Creek; ran away three weeks before meeting Jennifer’s father at the King of Prussia mall. Jennifer describes how her parents would groom vulnerable girls like Anna—offering a free portfolio, buying clothes, gaining trust—and then send them overseas, likely into sex trafficking or forced labor. Anna’s life after that was probably a series of scams with a Dutch man, as Myron suspected.
Myron pieces everything together: Victoria Belmond was not the real Victoria; she was Anna Marston impersonating her. The chapter ends with Myron’s internal realization: "She was Victoria Belmond. And she was not."
Key Events
- Myron learns the gun that killed Brian Powell is the same one used on him and Victoria.
- Marty reveals the gun is the same model used in Nicole Brett’s murder.
- Jennifer Schultz shows Myron a photo of Anna Marston, the real woman behind the “Victoria Belmond” identity.
- Jennifer details Anna’s tragic past: orphaned, abused, groomed, trafficked.
- Myron realizes that Victoria Belmond was actually Anna Marston pretending to be Victoria.
Character Development
Myron Bolitar – Myron experiences a powerful emotional shift when he sees Anna’s photo. He is transported back to the Discoteca Palmera and feels the weight of her fear. This chapter deepens his commitment to finding the truth, even as the case becomes more personal. His playful banter with Molly shows his need for normalcy, but the case clearly haunts him.
Jennifer Schultz – She is torn between loyalty to her deceased parents and a desire for justice. She pushed past her reluctance and continued digging after Victoria’s murder, ultimately exposing her parents’ crimes. Her matter-of-fact description of the grooming process reveals pain but also determination.
The real Anna (Anna Marston) – Although never present in the scene, Anna’s photograph and backstory create a fully realized victim. She was sixteen, alone, and vulnerable, and the chapter makes clear that her entire adult life was a survival strategy built on a stolen identity.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Identity and Disguise – The central twist is that Victoria Belmond was not who she claimed to be. The modeling headshot serves as a symbol of how Anna was commodified and forced to adopt different roles. Myron’s final thought (“She was Victoria Belmond. And she was not.”) captures the duality of a woman trapped in a false life.
Grooming and Exploitation – Jennifer’s detailed explanation of her parents’ methods reveals a systemic pattern of abuse. The mall, the free portfolio, the “scholarship”—these are all tools to prey on runaways. The chapter condemns an industry that profits from vulnerability.
The Persistence of the Past – Anna’s past trauma is literally captured in a photograph. Myron sees fear in her eyes, a fear that never left her. The case forces him to confront how old wounds shape present actions.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the turning point of the novel. It solves the mystery of Victoria Belmond’s true identity and reframes everything that came before. Myron now understands why Victoria was so reclusive, why she lied about Spain, and why she hired him: she was hiding a stolen identity born of survival. The chapter also deepens the connection between the current murders (Brian Powell, the shooting) and the older crime of Nicole Brett’s disappearance. Jennifer’s information links the Belmond case to the Schultz family history of trafficking, widening the scope of the conspiracy. Without this revelation, the rest of the story would lack emotional and narrative foundation.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Myron react when he sees the photograph of Anna Marston?
Myron is stunned and emotionally transported back to his first meeting with Anna in Spain. He describes the feeling as being “walloped with a two-by-four.” The photo is more vivid than his memory, and he notices a look of fear in her eyes.
2. What does Jennifer Schultz’s explanation of her parents’ methods reveal about the theme of grooming?
Jennifer describes a careful process: identify a vulnerable girl alone at a mall, offer a free modeling portfolio, buy her an outfit, gain her trust, and then send her overseas. This shows that grooming is not random but a calculated system of exploitation, often disguised as kindness.
3. Why does Myron conclude that the murdered woman was “Victoria Belmond. And she was not”?
Myron realizes that the woman who died was the real Victoria Belmond in terms of her adult identity and marriage to Charlie, but her origin was Anna Marston, a trafficking victim. So she was both the person everyone knew as Victoria and an imposter living under a false name.