Chapter summaries The Girl from Devil's Lake J. A. Jance

Chapter 38 Summary – The Hunt for Stephen Roper Begins

⚠️ 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

Joanna Brady returns to the Justice Center after a conversation with Luke Running Deer, who provided new evidence linking Stephen Roper to the murder of Amanda Hudson and the death of Lucille Hawkins. She contacts County Attorney Anna Rae to request an arrest warrant via federal task force. Joanna then assembles her entire department for a briefing, revealing that Roper is a serial killer suspect connected to Xavier Delgado’s murder and a cold case from 1962. She deploys deputies to strategic points around Bisbee and Naco to set up surveillance and stop sticks. With Detective Garth Raymond and legal aide Deb Howell, she prepares a search warrant for Roper’s residence, specifically naming a shoelace, switchblade knife, wedding ring, and Cub Scout pin. The chapter ends as Deb and Garth leave to present the warrant to Judge Askins.

Key Events

  • Joanna ends her call with Luke Running Deer, who told her about the missing switchblade and wedding ring from Roper’s past.
  • She phones Anna Rae to coordinate an arrest warrant for Stephen Roper under the MMIV Task Force.
  • In a full-department briefing, Joanna reveals that Roper is a serial killer, citing AFIS match to Amanda Hudson’s 1962 murder.
  • She orders deputies to set up stop sticks and surveillance on four escape routes: Highway 92, Highway 80 east and west, and Border Road.
  • Joanna assigns Detective Jaime Carbajal to monitor Roper’s border crossing from Naco, Sonora.
  • With Garth and Deb, she drafts a search warrant seeking specific evidence: a bleach-stained shoelace, an ivory-handled switchblade, a gold wedding ring, and a Cub Scout Wolf pin.
  • Deb and Garth depart to obtain the warrant from Judge Askins, leaving Joanna alone to handle pending calls.

Character Development

Joanna Brady: Demonstrates strategic leadership by coordinating a multi-agency takedown while balancing operational secrecy. Her internal concern about a possible leak (the reporter Marliss Shackleford’s source) shows her awareness of internal vulnerabilities. She shows empathy by listening to Luke Running Deer’s decades-old story.

Stephen Roper: Is revealed as the prime suspect, though he does not appear in the chapter. His public persona as Señor Santa Claus contrasts sharply with the evidence against him.

Sunny Sloan: A deputy and widow of a fallen officer, Sunny is assigned to Border Road. Her brief appearance highlights the department’s personal stakes.

Garth Raymond and Deb Howell: Work efficiently with Joanna to prepare the search warrant, showing their reliability as key investigative support.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Justice and Coordination: The chapter illustrates how modern law enforcement combines forensic technology (CODIS, AFIS) with old-fashioned community knowledge and family testimony to solve cold cases.

Duality of Public and Private Identity: Roper’s charitable work with Hands Across the Border masks a decades-long killing spree, a motif common in crime fiction that questions how evil hides in plain sight.

The Power of Listening: Luke Running Deer’s testimony, finally taken seriously, provides the missing evidence. This underscores the theme that victims’ families often hold crucial knowledge.

Symbolism of Objects: The switchblade, wedding ring, and Cub Scout pin are not just evidence; they represent lost lives and stolen innocence, linking Roper’s crimes across time.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 38 is the turning point where the investigation becomes an active manhunt. Joanna moves from gathering evidence to deploying her team, raising the stakes for the rest of the novel. The chapter connects the historical case of Amanda Hudson (1962) with the present case of Xavier Delgado, unifying the plot. It also shows Joanna’s growth as a sheriff capable of managing a large-scale operation while trusting her officers. The search warrant’s specific items directly tie to Luke’s story, making his earlier testimony pay off.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What information did Luke Running Deer provide that changed the course of the investigation?
    Luke told Joanna about the missing switchblade knife that belonged to Amanda Hudson and the gold wedding ring of Lucille Hawkins. These details linked Stephen Roper to both crimes and gave probable cause for a search warrant.

  2. Why did Joanna keep the investigation secret from most of her department until this chapter?
    She wanted to prevent Roper from learning he was under suspicion. She also suspected a leak, indicated by a reporter knowing confidential details earlier.

  3. What specific items does the search warrant request to find in Roper’s property?
    The warrant seeks a shoelace with traces of bleach, an ivory-handled switchblade knife, a gold wedding band, and a Cub Scout Wolf pin.

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