Chapter 24 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

On Tuesday morning, December 5, 2023, Sheriff Joanna Brady arrives at the Bisbee office to a quiet day. Trenching work is finished, and the jail commander reports that plumbing and electrical rough-ins are awaiting the building inspector. Terry Gregovich asks about transferring additional prisoners, which Joanna says she will consider. Detective Raymond is taking the day off to carry out “Operation Garbage Can”—a late-night effort to gather DNA evidence for the DPS crime lab.

Detective Deb Howell enters with news from a phone call. She contacted Detective Kurt Dawson of the Polk County Sheriff’s Department in Crookston, Minnesota, after learning that Stephen Roper had claimed to return home each summer to work on the family farm. Dawson’s mother, who once worked in a restaurant owned by Roper’s mother, confirmed that Roper’s grandfather, Orson Hawkins, sold all farming properties and moved with his daughter and grandson into a house in Fertile, Minnesota, while Roper was in high school. After Roper’s mother died in the mid-1970s, he sold everything, quit teaching, and left town—and never returned. The “family farm” story was false.

Joanna and Deb deduce that if Roper lies about one thing, he may be lying about many things. The possibility that Roper is a serial child predator becomes real. With three months of summer free each year, he could have harmed victims across the country for decades. Joanna asks about matching unsolved local cases, but Deb reports none found. Joanna declares that “the buck stops here” and determines to put Roper away. She then prays at her desk, asking God to guide the investigation not only for Elena and Xavier Delgado but also for any other families whose loved ones Roper may have harmed. After the prayer, Joanna goes to find Casey Ledford to discuss the new information.

Key Events

Joanna arrives at the office to a calm morning; trenching is finished, and building inspection is pending.
Terry Gregovich requests a transfer of five more prisoners; Joanna says she will look into it.
Detective Raymond takes the day off to prepare for “Operation Garbage Can,” which involves gathering potential DNA evidence for a late-night trip to the DPS crime lab.
Deb Howell shares intelligence from Detective Kurt Dawson in Minnesota:
- Stephen Roper’s story about working summers on the family farm is a fabrication.
- Roper’s grandfather sold all farmland and moved to town before Roper reached high school.
- After Roper’s mother died in the mid-1970s, Roper sold the remaining property, left his teaching job, and never returned to Fertile.
Joanna and Deb conclude that Roper may be a serial child predator, using his summer breaks to commit crimes across the country.
Deb states she found no matching unsolved cases in the local area.
Joanna declares her resolve to stop Roper and then prays silently at her desk.
Joanna leaves to speak with Casey Ledford about how the new information might open additional investigative avenues.

Character Development

Joanna Brady: Joanna moves from routine administrative matters to a focused, determined leader. Her prayer reveals a deeply personal, spiritual side; she seldom prays in her office, but the weight of the case pushes her to ask for divine help for all potential victims, not just the Delgado family. This moment underscores her empathy and her conviction that justice must be thorough.

Deb Howell: Deb proactively investigates outside the initial directive not to make inquiries about Stephen Roper in the Pacific Northwest. Her call to Minnesota shows initiative and resourcefulness. She pieces together a lie at the heart of Roper’s cover story, demonstrating skillful investigation and collaboration with other jurisdictions.

Stephen Roper (mentioned): Even though Roper does not appear in the chapter, the evidence against him deepens. He is further characterized as a likely serial predator who fabricated his entire background to conceal years of potential abuse and murder.

Detective Kurt Dawson (mentioned): Dawson provides crucial family history through his mother, showing the value of local knowledge in cold-case investigations.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Deception and Truth: The central revelation is that Roper’s “family farm” story is a lie. The chapter drives home that small falsehoods can unravel a larger hidden life.
Justice and Faith: Joanna’s prayer bridges her professional duty and personal faith. It symbolizes her reliance on something beyond the evidence—hope and spiritual guidance—to pursue justice for unknown victims.
The Wide Net of Crime: The realization that a predator could operate across the entire country over several decades emphasizes the theme of far-reaching harm and the challenge of linking cases.
Initiative in Investigation: Deb’s independent phone call to Minnesota shows that following hunches and reaching beyond jurisdictional boundaries can break a case open.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 24 is a turning point in the investigation. The confirmation that Stephen Roper lied about his summer farm work transforms him from a person of interest into a prime suspect for serial predation. This chapter raises the stakes: the case is no longer just about Xavier Delgado’s murder but potentially about dozens of unsolved crimes nationwide. Joanna’s prayer and her immediate move to confer with Casey Ledford signal a shift from reactive policing to proactive, prayerful determination. The chapter also sets up the importance of DNA evidence from “Operation Garbage Can,” making the reader understand how critical that evidence will be to CODIS matches.

Study Questions and Answers

What specific lie does Detective Deb Howell uncover about Stephen Roper?
Howell learns from a Minnesota detective that Roper’s claim of returning to the “family farm” each summer is false. In reality, Roper’s grandfather sold all farmland before Roper was in high school, and after his mother died, Roper sold the remaining property, quit teaching, and permanently left the area.
Why does Joanna Brady’s prayer in this chapter carry particular weight?
Joanna’s prayer is rare for her; she seldom prays at her desk. It shows that she is emotionally invested in the case and that she is seeking a higher purpose for the investigation—justice not only for the Delgado family but also for any unknown families whose loved ones Roper may have hurt. It underscores her leadership compassion and the spiritual dimension of her commitment.
How does the revelation about Roper change the scope of the investigation?
The lie about the farm suggests that Roper may be a serial child predator who used his summer breaks to commit crimes across the country for decades. This elevates the investigation from a single homicide to a potential multi-jurisdictional search for linked cold cases. It also makes obtaining Roper’s DNA profile through “Operation Garbage Can” critical, as it could be uploaded to CODIS and solve many other cases.