Chapter 20 (Chapter 19): The Visit to Nina Mishra
⚠️ 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
Joyce and Elizabeth are in Canterbury, waiting outside the office of Nina Mishra, a university historian. Joyce, charmed by the medieval setting, daydreams about the university life she never had. She imagines Elizabeth in a romantic scene with a shy boy in a library, but Elizabeth dismisses her fantasies. From the window, Elizabeth witnesses a young woman drop her books, and a man helps her—a scene that mirrors Joyce’s story.
Nina Mishra, a tall woman with a purple streak in her hair, welcomes them. Joyce compliments the streak; Nina compliments Joyce’s earrings. The conversation turns to Kuldesh Sharma, whom Nina knew through her parents. She explains that Kuldesh often called on her for advice, not just on antiques but on matters of morality and provenance—essentially, whether items might be stolen.
Elizabeth asks about the day Kuldesh died. Nina recalls he called her with a “dilemma” but was vague. He sounded scared and excited, unlike his usual self. Elizabeth mentions heroin, explaining that Dominic Holt had left a parcel of heroin at Kuldesh’s shop. Nina is shocked; she insists Kuldesh would never steal it.
Nina also reveals that Kuldesh had a small council lock-up garage in Fairhaven for keeping items off the books, but she does not know its exact location. Elizabeth probes: if Kuldesh had wanted to sell the heroin, who would he call? Nina and her colleague, Professor Jonjo Mellor, who has just joined them, name Samantha Barnes—an antiques dealer who lives in a stately home near Petworth and is well-connected in the trade.
Elizabeth decides to pay Samantha Barnes a visit. The chapter ends with Joyce remarking on the social whirl of Canterbury and Petworth.
Key Events
- The chapter opens in Canterbury, where Joyce imagines a romantic university past for Elizabeth.
- Elizabeth and Joyce meet Nina Mishra, a historian and friend of the late Kuldesh Sharma.
- Nina explains that Kuldesh often sought her advice on the ethics and legality of antiques.
- Kuldesh’s last phone call to Nina, hours before his death, was about a “dilemma” that made him both scared and excited.
- Elizabeth reveals that the Thursday Murder Club believes Kuldesh was forced to accept a heroin parcel from Dominic Holt.
- Professor Jonjo Mellor, Nina’s colleague, enters and offers a black swan analogy about certainty.
- Nina discloses that Kuldesh kept a secret lock-up garage in Fairhaven.
- At Elizabeth’s prompting, Nina and Jonjo suggest Samantha Barnes as a likely contact for selling heroin.
- Elizabeth declares her intent to visit Samantha Barnes.
Character Development
- Elizabeth: Shows a softer side as she tolerates Joyce’s romantic fantasies, though she remains sharp and suspicious. Her questioning of Nina demonstrates her skill in extracting information without revealing her own hand.
- Joyce: Continues to blend innocence with shrewd observation. Her daydream about university life highlights her longing for experiences she missed, while her comment that “not everything is about sex” undercuts Elizabeth’s cynicism.
- Nina Mishra: Warm but guarded. She is genuinely distressed by Kuldesh’s death and quick to defend his integrity, yet she admits to a degree of involvement in the gray areas of the antiques world.
- Professor Jonjo Mellor: Appears genial and guileless, peeling an orange and offering segments. His black swan analogy suggests a philosophical mind, but Elizabeth wonders if his manner is an act. He seems knowledgeable about the local antiques and drugs trade.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The romantic vs. the real: Joyce’s invented library romance contrasts with Elizabeth’s pragmatic, no-nonsense view of the world. The real-life woman dropping books and the man helping her mirrors Joyce’s story, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
- Trust and suspicion: The chapter revolves around who can be trusted. Nina must decide whether to confide in Elizabeth and Joyce; Elizabeth probes for the truth while keeping her own motives hidden.
- The hidden trade of antiques: The “off-the-books” lock-up garage and the mention of Samantha Barnes point to a shadowy economy within the antique market, where items change hands without documentation and money laundering is common.
- The black swan analogy: Jonjo’s remark about a single black swan disproving the claim that all swans are white reflects the investigative challenge: one piece of evidence can overturn all assumptions. It also hints at the unexpected nature of the case.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter advances the murder investigation by linking Kuldesh’s death to organized crime (the heroin parcel) and introducing a new potential suspect, Samantha Barnes. It also deepens the characters of Elizabeth and Joyce, showing their complementary approaches—Joyce’s humanity and Elizabeth’s tactical mind. The revelation of the lock-up garage and the ethical dilemmas in the antiques world add layers to the mystery, while the black swan analogy reinforces the theme that truth is often counterintuitive.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Joyce’s daydream about Elizabeth in the library reveal about her character?
Joyce’s fantasy shows her romantic, youthful optimism and her regret at not attending university. It also highlights her desire to see Elizabeth as a more vulnerable, love-seeking person, which contrasts with Elizabeth’s tough exterior.
2. Why does Elizabeth ask Nina if she has ever taken heroin?
Elizabeth uses the abrupt question to gauge Nina’s reaction and to see if she is hiding any connection to the drugs trade. The purple streak in Nina’s hair becomes a pretext for probing whether she leads an “alternative lifestyle.”
3. What is the significance of Jonjo Mellor’s black swan analogy in the context of the investigation?
Jonjo points out that even though many observations might suggest innocence (Kuldesh being a law-abiding friend), a single contradictory fact (his involvement with heroin) can completely overturn that assumption. This cautions the Thursday Murder Club against jumping to conclusions.