Chapter 51: The Mole, the Episode, and Buried Guilt
⚠️ 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
Devine returns to his inn and receives a call from Campbell, who reports on his visit to Clare Robards. Clare blames herself for Jenny’s death, believing she and Curt did not push hard enough to find Alex’s attacker. Campbell admits he misjudged Clare; she was a devoted wife and mother who carried Curt through decades of political battles. Devine then describes Alex’s reaction when he told her about Jenny using government resources to investigate the rape: Alex collapsed and began screaming, punching, and kicking as if reliving the attack. Devine interprets this as an unconscious memory episode and suspects the same person who attacked Alex also killed Jenny and Alberta Palmer. He reasons that Alberta (Bertie) may have identified the attacker before her death. Campbell shares that his admin assistant, Dawn Schuman, has vanished. Schuman was struggling financially and had a custody dispute, leading Campbell to believe she was the mole. She arranged Devine’s travel and itinerary. Devine declines reinforcements, fearing it would scare the killer further underground.
Key Events
- Campbell visits Clare Robards and reports her guilt over Jenny’s death.
- Campbell revises his long-held negative opinion of Clare after hearing how she supported Curt.
- Devine recounts Alex’s collapse and violent episode triggered by his discussion of the rape investigation.
- Devine connects Alex’s attack to Jenny’s murder and Alberta Palmer’s death, suggesting one perpetrator.
- Campbell reveals that Dawn Schuman, his admin assistant, has disappeared and is suspected of being the mole.
- Devine refuses Campbell’s offer of reinforcements, preferring not to spook the killer.
Character Development
- Devine remains sharp and observant, piecing together multiple crimes and recognizing the danger to himself. He also shows restraint by not informing Alex about her episode.
- Campbell shows vulnerability and humility: he admits he was wrong about Clare and blames himself for not flagging Dawn’s potential compromise.
- Alex is revealed to be more traumatized than previously understood; she has no conscious memory of the rape but her body relives it.
- Clare Robards emerges as a more sympathetic figure, weighed down by guilt and misjudged by others.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Guilt and Self-Blame: Clare blames herself for Jenny’s death; Campbell blames himself for not catching the mole earlier.
- Hidden Trauma: Alex’s unconscious episode symbolizes how suppressed memories can resurface physically, without conscious recall.
- Loyalty and Compromise: Campbell reflects on Curt’s ambition that sometimes sacrificed principles; Dawn’s loyalty was compromised by personal hardship.
- The Mole as a Loose Thread: The disappearance of Dawn Schuman ties the internal threat to the larger conspiracy, raising stakes for Devine.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 51 is a turning point where previously separate threads—Alex’s rape, Jenny’s murder, Alberta’s death, and the mole—are explicitly linked by Devine’s deductions. It deepens the emotional weight of Clare’s guilt and Campbell’s fallibility, and it intensifies the suspense by placing Devine in greater personal danger. The chapter also demonstrates how trauma can be stored in the body even when the mind blocks it, a key insight into Alex’s condition.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Campbell change his opinion of Clare Robards?
Campbell learns that Clare devoted most of her life to Curt, raising three children and fighting political battles by his side. He acknowledges that he never walked in her shoes and that Curt was not easy to live with, leading him to conclude that she is a good person who acted rightly. -
What does Alex’s episode reveal about her trauma?
Alex’s collapse, screaming, kicking, and punching show that her body retains the memory of the sexual assault even though her conscious mind does not. Devine concludes she was defending herself against the attacker, not him, indicating a form of dissociative flashback. -
How does Dawn Schuman’s disappearance tie the investigation together?
Dawn, Campbell’s admin assistant, had access to Devine’s travel and itinerary. Her personal struggles (divorce, custody, finances) made her vulnerable to compromise. Her flight suggests she was the mole who fed information to the killer, linking the internal security breach to the external murders.