Chapter 70 (Chapter 69): Robin Interviews Fiona Freeman – Uncovering the Rich Man’s Hidden Flat
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens with Robin still furious at Strike for lying to her about the risk of press intrusion (the Bijou Watkins situation). She has also made an illegal pepper spray from chillies, garlic, and vinegar to protect herself after the stalker incidents. Early the next morning, Robin and Barclay stake out the maisonette of Fiona Freeman, a porn actor who uses the alias Fiona Fay. Fiona lives with her boyfriend Craig Wheaton, a large, bald porn director. After Wheaton leaves for the gym, Robin approaches Fiona. Fiona initially slams the door but eventually lets Robin in after Robin bluffs about having her on camera delivering the anonymous masonic note. Fiona, terrified of Craig, reveals that she wrote the note to tip off the agency. She explains that Danny (Dick de Lion) was a young adult performer who became involved with a rich, sometimes‑on‑TV man. Craig Wheaton introduced Danny to this man, who has a secret flat with a two‑way mirror for filming unknowing amateurs. Danny tried to squeeze extra money from the rich man and made a joking comment about blackmail, which was taken seriously. Fiona believes Danny is the body in the silver vault. Robin offers to keep Fiona’s identity confidential and warns her about staying with the controlling Craig, drawing on her own experience with Matthew. Fiona dismisses the advice, and Robin leaves.
Key Events
- Robin prepares homemade pepper spray for self‑defense, knowing it is illegal.
- Robin and Barclay stake out Fiona Freeman’s maisonette; they wait for Craig Wheaton to leave.
- Robin bluffs about having Fiona on camera delivering the anonymous note.
- Fiona admits she wrote the note to tip off Strike.
- Fiona reveals that Danny (Dick de Lion) was lured into a scheme with a rich man who films unknowing amateurs through a two‑way mirror.
- Danny tried to overcharge the rich man and made a joke that sounded like blackmail.
- Craig Wheaton is the intermediary between Danny and the rich man.
- Robin learns the rich man is a Freemason and sometimes appears on television.
- Robin advises Fiona to leave Craig, but Fiona rejects the advice.
- Robin leaves, glancing back to see Fiona watching blankly.
Character Development
Robin Ellacott
Robin’s anger at Strike reflects her frustration with his secrecy and her own suppressed feelings about his new role as a father. She takes proactive, illegal steps to protect herself (pepper spray), showing her determination never to be victimised again. During the interview, Robin balances firmness with empathy: she bluffs effectively but also offers Fiona a way out of an abusive relationship, revealing how her own past with Matthew informs her actions. Robin’s professionalism is undercut by a personal moment when she shares her own story, a risk that could compromise the investigation.
Fiona Freeman / Fiona Fay
Fiona is initially hostile and terrified. Her fear of Craig Wheaton drives her behaviour: she hides her cigarettes, checks his texts, and only talks once she believes Robin can protect her identity. Fiona’s descriptions of the rich man’s flat and the filmed encounters expose her complicity (she knows about the set‑ups) but also her vulnerability. She is a survivor trying to stay safe in a coercive relationship.
Barclay
Barclay provides comic relief (his prawn allergy) and efficient support as a lookout. His offhand mention that Strike covered for him when he was ill reveals that Strike was not with Bijou that night, complicating Robin’s assumptions.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Surveillance and Control
The chapter is built around watching: Robin and Barclay surveil Fiona; Craig reads Fiona’s emails and texts; the rich man watches and films unknowing participants from behind a two‑way mirror. Control through surveillance is a recurring motif, with the rich man’s flat as the ultimate symbol of hidden, coercive observation.
Consent and Exploitation
Fiona insists that all filmed encounters were legal – no minors, no drugs – but the fact that some participants did not know they were being watched undermines genuine consent. The cash payments given to “amateurs” after the fact serve as a tool of complicity and silence.
Self‑Defence and Vigilantism
Robin’s illegal pepper spray symbolises her refusal to remain a passive victim. It foreshadows a potential confrontation and raises ethical questions about taking justice into one’s own hands.
Secrecy and Trust
Strike’s lie and Robin’s hidden anger corrode trust within the agency. Robin also keeps secrets from Murphy, hinting at strain in her personal life. The chapter explores how secrets multiply and damage relationships.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 70 is a major breakthrough in the investigation. Robin extracts the first detailed account of how Danny de Lion became entangled with a wealthy, powerful man who uses Craig Wheaton as a front man for a secret flat. The revelation that the rich man is a Freemason and sometimes on television narrows the field of suspects and connects the note to the larger conspiracy. The chapter also deepens Robin’s personal arc: her anger at Strike, her defensive preparations, and her empathetic yet professional approach to a vulnerable witness. This scene sets the stage for the agency to identify the rich man and confront the moral implications of the surveillance economy.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Robin make her own pepper spray, and what does this decision reveal about her state of mind?
Robin makes the spray after the masonic dagger incident and the Harrods stalker. She is determined never to be attacked again without means of defence. The fact that she knows it is illegal but carries it anyway shows her willingness to break rules for self‑preservation and her deep mistrust of the police and legal system to protect her. This action also mirrors her hidden anger at Strike: she is taking control where she feels others have failed.
2. How does Fiona describe the rich man’s operations with the two‑way mirror flat? What is the significance of the “amateurs” being paid after the act?
Fiona explains that the rich man has a flat with a two‑way mirror where he films sexual encounters. Professional performers lure unwitting “amateurs” to the flat, who believe they are with the professional alone. After the act, the pros persuade the amateurs to take cash for a taxi – more than needed – so they are recorded accepting money. This payment creates a paper trail that can be used to silence or blackmail the amateurs, turning a legal encounter into a tool of control. It shows the rich man’s systematic exploitation and his obsession with possession through documentation.
3. What personal experience does Robin share with Fiona, and why does she risk the interview to do so?
Robin tells Fiona that she was in a relationship with a man who listened to her voicemails and didn’t pass them on, and that it ended badly. She shares this to warn Fiona about Craig’s controlling behaviour (reading emails and texts). Robin is risking the interview because this personal disclosure could damage her professional image and alienate Fiona. However, she feels compelled to offer Fiona a way out, reflecting her own growth and her desire to prevent others from suffering as she did. The risk pays off because Fiona does not reject the sympathy, even though she dismisses Robin’s advice.