Chapter 29: Chapter 28 Summary – The Last Devil To Die
⚠️ 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
Elizabeth, Stephen, and Bogdan are stuck in traffic on the A23 near Coulsdon, heading to London. Stephen sits in the front with Bogdan, repeatedly asking questions about Baghdad and where they are going—signs of his advancing dementia. Elizabeth reflects on a meeting with Joyce that she had to cut short, and hopes Joyce’s mission to see Samantha Barnes will distract her. Elizabeth thinks about Kuldesh’s possible phone call to Samantha, but forces herself to focus on the more important matter ahead: meeting Viktor, an old friend who can help. Bogdan drives aggressively, using bus lanes and the hard shoulder to arrive by 1.23. As they pass Battersea, Elizabeth remembers her and Stephen’s vibrant London life—exhibitions, plays, and lectures—and fears that without Stephen, the city will become a slow trudge. They arrive at 1.22.
Key Events
- The trio drives toward London; Stephen’s dementia causes him to repeat questions about Baghdad and the destination.
- Elizabeth recalls cutting short a meeting with Joyce and suspects Joyce’s assignment to see Samantha Barnes might keep her busy.
- Elizabeth worries about Kuldesh having called Samantha—perhaps to sell heroin or ask advice.
- Bogdan drives assertively (bus lane, hard shoulder, wrong way down a street) to reach their meeting by 1.23.
- Elizabeth reflects nostalgically on her past life in London with Stephen—theatres, the Reform Club, a Brian Cox lecture.
- The chapter ends as they arrive in Battersea at 1.22, one minute before the scheduled time.
Character Development
- Elizabeth: Faces a painful contrast between vibrant memories of London with Stephen and the current grey, clogged city. Her guilt over pressing Stephen about Kuldesh shows her struggle to balance her investigation with caring for her husband.
- Stephen: His dementia is more evident: he repeats questions about Baghdad and the destination, forgets that travel agents no longer exist, and needs Elizabeth to remind him where they are going. Yet he still finds joy in the drive and in pointing out landmarks like The Oval.
- Bogdan: Remains practical and loyal, willing to break traffic rules to keep his promise of arriving on time. He displays dry humour about Ron’s car and Google maps.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Memory and loss: Stephen’s repetitive questions and Elizabeth’s vivid flashbacks to their happier London years highlight the erosion of memory and the pain of losing a loved one “an atom at a time.”
- Time: The countdown to 1.23 and Bogdan’s race against Google Maps mirror the inescapable passage of time that is taking Stephen away. Elizabeth imagines time “swirling about us, laughing at us.”
- Journey and destination: The physical drive to London becomes a metaphor for Elizabeth’s emotional journey—trying to reach a goal (Viktor’s help) while carrying the burden of Stephen’s decline.
- London as a symbol: Once a place of joy and intellectual stimulation, London now feels clogged and slow, foreshadowing a future without Stephen.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the reader’s understanding of Elizabeth’s internal conflict: she must solve the mystery of Kuldesh’s death while coping with Stephen’s worsening dementia. It sets up the meeting with Viktor as a turning point, and uses the car journey to explore themes of memory, time, and devotion. The nostalgia for a lost London life makes Elizabeth’s impending loss feel urgent and real, placing the emotional stakes of the story alongside the criminal investigation.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Elizabeth feel guilty about asking Stephen about Kuldesh?
She worries she is exploiting Stephen’s failing memory for her own investigation, especially when she mentions Samantha Barnes and Petworth without getting a flicker of recognition. This guilt shows her care for Stephen even as she pursues the case.
2. What does the drive to London reveal about Stephen’s condition?
Stephen repeatedly asks the same questions about Baghdad and their destination, and he does not know that travel agents no longer exist. His confusion contrasts with his earlier sharpness and shows that his dementia is progressing.
3. How does Elizabeth’s view of London change during this chapter?
She remembers it as a place of wonderful exhibitions, plays, and lectures with Stephen, but now sees it as “slow, grey and clogged”—a symbol of what life might become without him. This shift emphasizes her fear of the future.