Chapter 56 Summary: Strike Tails Plug to London Bridge
⚠️ 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
Strike relieves the sick Barclay outside Plug’s mother’s house in Vestry Road. As evening falls, Plug leaves alone on foot, forcing Strike to follow him through Peckham to Queen’s Road Peckham station. On the platform, Plug meets a stocky, aggressive man with an almost shaven head. Strike positions himself nearby to eavesdrop, muting his phone to avoid detection. Their conversation is desultory but revealing: they discuss an offer of a “grand” (presumably a thousand pounds) and argue that the woman in question is worth more because “she’s got a lot more in ’er.” Plug mentions having had trouble in Ipswich but says the people involved haven’t returned. The second man suggests using “Gaz’s bitch” for a job, but Plug dismisses the idea with contempt. The pair board a train toward London Bridge, with Strike following and continuing to listen.
Key Events
- Strike takes over surveillance from Barclay, who has fallen ill.
- Plug leaves his mother’s house alone, walking to Queen’s Road Peckham station.
- Strike follows, improvising a foot tail without gloves in the cold.
- At the station, Plug meets a stocky, shaven-headed man with an aggressive demeanour.
- Strike eavesdrops on a low-voiced conversation about a transaction involving a woman.
- The men discuss a “grand” offer but believe the woman is worth more.
- Plug acknowledges trouble in Ipswich but claims the troublemakers have not returned.
- The other man proposes using a woman referred to as “Gaz’s bitch”; Plug rejects the idea.
- Both men board a train to London Bridge, with Strike in close proximity.
Character Development
Cormoran Strike – This chapter highlights Strike’s patience and adaptability. He switches from car to foot surveillance without hesitation, endures physical discomfort (cold, no gloves), and employs clever eavesdropping tactics. His ability to parse terse, jumbled conversations shows his investigative instincts.
Plug – The target remains enigmatic. His journey to meet a second man on neutral ground, his references to trouble in Ipswich, and his dismissive attitude toward “Gaz’s bitch” paint him as a cold, businesslike figure involved in something illicit. He exerts control in the conversation, rejecting suggestions he considers beneath him.
Unnamed stocky man – This associate of Plug’s exudes barely restrained aggression. He appears to be a potential customer or cohort. His suggestion to use “Gaz’s bitch” indicates a casual view of women as disposable resources, and Plug’s sneering dismissal shows a pecking order among the group.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Surveillance and invisibility – Strike becomes a ghost, moving through the city unnoticed. The chapter emphasises the physical and mental toll of watching without being seen: the cold, the need to mute devices, the careful positioning on platforms and trains.
Dehumanising language – The men refer to a woman simply as “she” and later as “Gaz’s bitch,” reducing her to an asset to be valued and traded. This language echoes the “elemental heartlessness” of the epigraph from John Oxenham, which opens the chapter.
Money and worth – The negotiation over the “grand” and the assertion that the woman “has got a lot more in her” suggests a transactional view of human beings. The conversation revolves around what she is worth, not who she is.
Urban transit as a liminal space – The public transport setting – station platform, crowded train – becomes a theatre of covert observation. Characters move between the private world of criminal deals and the public world of commuters, highlighting the hidden networks beneath everyday London.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter advances the investigation by giving Strike his first direct, unmediated evidence of Plug’s criminal associations. Until now, his suspicions about the trips to Ipswich and the creature in the shed were circumstantial. The overheard conversation concretises that Plug is involved in some form of exploitation, likely of a woman, and that money is changing hands. The disdain for “Gaz’s bitch” and the secrecy around the Ipswich trouble point to a wider network of misogyny and violence. Strike now has a specific lead to follow: the identity of the woman they discussed and the connection to the man with the shaven head.
Study Questions and Answers
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What does the conversation between Plug and the stocky man reveal about their business?
They are negotiating the price for a woman, with Plug having been offered a “grand” but believing she is worth more. This suggests human trafficking, forced labour, or sexual exploitation. The dismissive reference to “Gaz’s bitch” indicates a supply of women available for use. -
How does Strike’s physical discomfort in this chapter highlight his commitment to the case?
Strike is outside without gloves in cold weather, forced to abandon the comfort of his car for a lengthy foot chase and a crowded train. He endures this without complaint, showing his willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for the chance to gather intelligence. -
What might the phrase “she’s got a lot more in ’er” imply about the woman in question?
It suggests that the woman has additional value – perhaps skills, information, or physical attributes – that the initial offer does not account for. The phrasing treats her as a commodity with quantifiable assets, reinforcing the dehumanising theme.