Chapter 23 Summary & Analysis – The Girl from Devil's Lake

⚠️ 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

Stephen settles into Bisbee, Arizona, where he deflects romantic interest by accepting the joke of being a “Norwegian bachelor farmer.” He maintains a fictional story about returning to his family farm in Fertile, Minnesota each summer to cover his absences. In truth, he never returns to Fertile; the story provides cover for his murderous road trips. Financed by his mother’s inheritance and investment income from his grandfather, Stephen travels using a Rand McNally Road Atlas, favoring remote “blue highways” to avoid law enforcement. In June 1977, he kills a teenage girl near Fulton, Missouri, taking her shoelace as a trophy and dumping her body and bicycle in a reservoir. No suspect is identified. He then visits Chicago, the Great Lakes, Niagara Falls, and New York City, attending Broadway shows. After a month fishing and reading in a Colorado cabin, he kills a Navajo hitchhiker near Shiprock, New Mexico, using chloroform and taking the boy’s red bandanna as a trophy. He dumps the body in the San Juan River and returns to Bisbee for his second year of teaching.

Key Events

Stephen deflects matchmaking attempts by embracing the “Norwegian bachelor farmer” label.
He invents a story about summertime farm work in Fertile to explain his absences.
It is revealed that Stephen inherited substantial money from his mother and grandfather.
He uses a Rand McNally Road Atlas to plan routes on remote, lightly policed roads.
In June 1977, he murders a teenage girl (Lucianne Highsmith) near Fulton, Missouri, taking her shoelace as a trophy.
He disposes of the body and bicycle in a reservoir and drives to Springfield, Illinois; the murder remains unsolved.
Stephen takes a leisure trip to Chicago, the Great Lakes, Niagara Falls, and New York City.
He rents a cabin in Gunnison, Colorado, where he fishes and reads paperback mysteries and westerns.
In mid-August, he picks up a Navajo hitchhiker near Shiprock, New Mexico, subdues him with chloroform, kills him, and takes his red bandanna (calling him “Bandanna Boy”).
He dumps the body in the San Juan River, spends a night in Flagstaff, and returns to Bisbee for the start of the school year.

Character Development

Stephen’s dual nature is fully exposed. Outwardly a quiet, unassuming teacher, he is shown to be methodical, patient, and coldly calculating. His wealth allows him independence, and his cover story about the farm shows deliberate deception. The chapter highlights his compulsion to take trophies from victims—a shoelace and a bandanna—revealing a ritualistic need to commemorate each kill. His ability to shift from murder to tourist activities (Cubs game, Broadway shows) underscores his emotional detachment. The relaxed fishing month in Colorado contrasts with his violent acts, emphasizing his compartmentalized life.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Duality/Secret Identity: Stephen’s public teacher image versus his private identity as a serial killer.
Blue Highways: Remote roads symbolize the spaces where law enforcement is scarce and violence can occur undetected.
Trophy-Taking: Objects like the shoelace and bandanna represent the killer’s need to possess a piece of each victim, asserting control.
Chloroform: A tool that highlights Stephen’s preparation and willingness to use chemical means when a victim resists.
Fertile Cover Story: The invented farm narrative symbolizes the lies that enable his double life.
Fishing as Nostalgia: Stephen associates fishing with his grandfather, linking his leisure time to a more innocent past.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter transforms Stephen from a shadowy figure into a fully realized predator. It provides the first detailed description of his murder methodology, his financial independence, and his use of geographical isolation. The inclusion of two distinct kills—one opportunistic, one planned—shows his evolving tactics. By juxtaposing his domestic life in Bisbee with his summer rampage, the chapter deepens the novel’s exploration of hidden evil within ordinary communities. It also establishes a pattern that will likely continue or be disrupted in subsequent chapters.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Stephen finance his summer travels despite working as a teacher?
He has inherited money from his mother and receives ongoing investment income from his grandfather’s holdings, which allows him to afford long trips and hotel stays.

2. What does Stephen take as a trophy from the first murder described in this chapter, and what does he call that victim?
He takes one of the victim’s shoelaces and privately refers to her as “Farm Girl.” The victim is later identified as Lucianne Highsmith.

3. Where and how does Stephen kill the second victim in this chapter, and what trophy does he take?
Near Shiprock, New Mexico, he picks up a Navajo hitchhiker wearing a red bandanna. He subdues the boy with chloroform, kills him, and takes the bandanna, calling him “Bandanna Boy.” He dumps the body in the San Juan River.