Chapter 68 Summary
⚠️ 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
Fiona Clemence believed she had heard the last of Elizabeth Best and her questions about Bethany Waites. It was no secret that Fiona and Bethany did not get along, but Fiona dismisses any implication that this matters. She notes that she did not cry on the tribute show for Bethany, which drew two letters of complaint to the Evening Argus. Fiona reflects that everyone cries for attention these days, recalling that she pretended to cry at the BAFTAs to good effect, and that her own mother moved on quickly after her father's death.
Fiona is still trying to work out how Elizabeth obtained her phone number, suspecting Joyce tracked it down through government contacts. The message arrived the previous night, with Elizabeth asking whether Fiona might be able to help. Fiona does not trust Elizabeth and Joyce, and she doubts they truly know who killed Bethany, yet she finds herself inclined to help for reasons she cannot quite articulate.
The scene shifts to a commercial shoot. Fiona is filming an advertisement for yogurt — or possibly breakfast cereal; she cannot remember which. She knows only that she must lick her lips and say “It's delicious.” She scrolls through Instagram, where she has 3.5 million followers. Her adviser Luke is strict but can secure her £25,000 per post for a free holiday to the Maldives, so she tolerates him. She reflects that she has become a brand. Beside her, a man dressed as a banana is eating a banana. It is just past eleven — Fiona's make-your-mind-up time.
Elizabeth's request is not large, but Fiona has objections. She initially told Elizabeth to speak to her agent, but Elizabeth dismissed that. A woman dressed as a yogurt pot walks past, confirming the product. Fiona does not eat yogurt, having given it up after something Gwyneth Paltrow said on TikTok.
Fiona wonders whether she is walking into a trap. She recalls that when Elizabeth and Joyce first questioned her, she had quite enjoyed it — being accused of murder by a woman who had pretended to faint and another with a revolver in her handbag. She decides that helping will make a splash, and everything is about new content.
A crew member named Rory suggests putting a dab of yogurt on Fiona's nose for humor. Fiona refuses with a full-beam smile, and Rory immediately backs down. The man dressed as a banana asks for a selfie, and Fiona gently tells him he is being unprofessional.
Fiona returns to her phone and types out the information Elizabeth requested. She asks herself one final time why she is doing this — for fun, for something new, to see how it plays out, or perhaps for Bethany. She shakes her head, insisting she is not the sentimental type, and concludes she must be doing it for followers. She presses send. The deed is done.
Key Events
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Fiona receives a message from Elizabeth Best asking for help with the Bethany Waites investigation
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Fiona reflects on her past with Bethany and the criticism she faced for not crying on the tribute show
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During a yogurt commercial shoot, Fiona weighs whether to assist Elizabeth and Joyce
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Fiona refuses director Rory's suggestion to put yogurt on her nose
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Fiona types out and sends the information Elizabeth requested
Character Development
Fiona Clemence emerges as a more complex figure here. On the surface, she is a celebrity obsessed with her brand, her Instagram following, and the content she must produce. Yet her internal monologue reveals a woman aware of the performance required of her — she pretends to cry at awards shows, her public image is managed by advisers, and she understands her tears (or lack of them) are scrutinized by the press. Her refusal to put yogurt on her nose, delivered with a full-beam smile, shows a performer who knows how to assert control while maintaining the appearance of cooperation.
Her decision to help Elizabeth is deliberately ambiguous. Fiona insists she is not sentimental and is doing it for followers, but the chapter leaves room for doubt. The thought “maybe for Bethany?” crosses her mind before she dismisses it. Whether this is genuine self-deception or a performance directed at herself is left open. Her enjoyment of the earlier interrogation — being accused of murder by two elderly women, one of whom fainted and one of whom carried a revolver — suggests she is drawn to novelty more than she admits.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Performance vs. authenticity is the chapter's central theme. Fiona's life is a performance: she pretends to cry at the BAFTAs, follows her Instagram adviser's rules, and wonders whether anyone ever cries for real. Her refusal to put yogurt on her nose is a rare assertion of boundaries within the performance. The chapter questions whether Fiona's final claim — that she is helping for followers — is another performance, this time directed at herself.
Commercial absurdity is rendered through the shoot's details: a man dressed as a banana eating a banana, a woman dressed as a yogurt pot, and a director who instantly capitulates when Fiona refuses his suggestion. The absurdity of the commercial world contrasts with the seriousness of the murder investigation.
Social media and influencer culture is explored through Fiona's Instagram following, her adviser Luke, and the economics of her brand. The chapter suggests that even a murder investigation can be reduced to “new content” — Fiona wonders what the Mail Online headline will be this time.
Ambiguity of motive runs throughout. Fiona cannot explain why she is helping, and the chapter refuses to resolve the question. Her stated reasons — fun, novelty, followers — are all plausible, but so is the possibility that she is acting for Bethany.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a turning point in the investigation. Fiona Clemence, a witness who was previously questioned and who had a difficult relationship with Bethany, now actively assists Elizabeth and Joyce by providing the information they requested. The chapter deepens the novel's exploration of performance and authenticity, using Fiona's celebrity world as a mirror for how people present themselves — and deceive themselves — in everyday life. Fiona's decision to help, despite her stated distrust of Elizabeth and Joyce, adds complexity to the investigation and sets up whatever consequences follow from her choice.
Study Questions
1. Why does Fiona decide to help Elizabeth and Joyce, and what does her stated reasoning reveal about her character?
Fiona offers several explanations: fun, novelty, the desire to see how it plays out, and followers. She explicitly denies being sentimental and dismisses the thought that she might be acting for Bethany. Her inability to articulate a clear reason, combined with her insistence on a self-interested explanation, suggests either genuine self-deception or a reluctance to acknowledge emotional investment in Bethany's case. The chapter deliberately leaves the question open.
2. How does the yogurt commercial shoot function as a setting for this chapter?
The shoot provides a contrast between the absurdity of commercial production — a man in a banana costume, a woman in a yogurt pot, a director who instantly retreats from his suggestion — and the gravity of the murder investigation. It also grounds Fiona's character in her professional world, showing how her celebrity status shapes her decisions and self-image. The setting reinforces the theme of performance, as Fiona navigates the demands of the shoot while making a private decision about the investigation.
3. What does Fiona's refusal to put yogurt on her nose reveal about her?
Fiona's refusal, delivered with a full-beam smile, shows that she knows how to assert control within the commercial hierarchy while maintaining a pleasant exterior. She is not merely a passive brand being managed by others; she has her own boundaries and the confidence to enforce them. The moment also contrasts with her earlier reflection that everyone tells her what to do — here, she pushes back, if only in a small way.
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