Chapter summaries The Last Devil To Die Richard Osman

The Last Devil To Die: Chapter 40 (Chapter 39) Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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 Patrice rejoin Chris and Ron in the yard of the business park. Ron is playing the part of a terrified, vulnerable old man, which delights Joyce—she recognizes that Ron is often underestimated. A squad car arrives with tires screeching; Joyce finds the drama unnecessary because it is only a corpse. Two plain-clothed officers run from the car, and Chris guides one into the hangar.

The second officer stays to question Ron, Joyce, and Patrice. Ron promptly bursts into tears, and Joyce comforts him, making the young officer uncomfortable. Joyce tells their cover story: she and Ron were on their way to a winery tour when they got lost, heard a gunshot, and called DCI Hudson because they had his number from a previous encounter. Ron adds details about a voucher from his son. Joyce realizes that she has become Elizabeth (taking charge of the narrative) and Ron is becoming her (adding dramatic flourishes).

A second squad car arrives; the officer waves the new arrivals into the hangar. Joyce insists she is certain it was a gunshot. The officer notes that many things can sound like a gunshot, but Joyce says she has experience. She points to Sussex Logistics as the source. She explains that Ron had DCI Hudson’s number, and Ron describes the call, praising Chris as a brave copper. The officer then addresses Patrice, who says she is Chris’s partner and was on her way to the garden centre when called.

SIO Jill Regan arrives in a Lexus with a blue light. Ron mutters approval of the car. The young officer briefs Jill, noting that Joyce and Ron heard the gunshot and called DCI Hudson. Jill asks how they happened to have Chris’s personal number. As Joyce searches for an answer, Ron bursts into tears again, burying his head on Joyce’s shoulder. Joyce mouths an apology to Jill, who shakes her head and walks into the hangar.

Joyce asks the officer if they will be there much longer; he says no and promises they will be in touch. Joyce thinks they are keener to get home than the officer knows, because they have many photos to look at—suggesting the team has obtained surveillance images from the operation.

Key Events

  • Joyce and Patrice rejoin Chris and Ron in the business-park yard.
  • Ron performs the role of a frightened, defenceless old man.
  • The first police car arrives, followed by other officers.
  • Joyce tells the rehearsed story about the winery tour and the gunshot.
  • Ron adds dramatic details about a voucher from his son.
  • Jill Regan arrives and questions how Joyce and Ron had Chris’s number.
  • Ron bursts into tears a second time to deflect the awkward question.
  • Jill enters the hangar without further interrogation.
  • Joyce realizes the team is eager to examine photos they have collected.

Character Development

  • Joyce: Displays quick thinking and composure under police questioning. She consciously adopts Elizabeth’s authoritative manner while telling the story. Her observation that Ron is often underestimated shows her deep understanding of her friend’s capabilities.
  • Ron: Shows his acting ability, playing the vulnerable old man to perfection. He knows when to cry and when to add a convincing detail. His performance buys the team valuable time and deflects suspicion.
  • Chris Hudson: Though mostly offstage, he is revealed as a trusted ally who can be called directly. He escorts the first officer into the hangar, maintaining the fiction.
  • Patrice: Has a minor role, but her presence as Chris’s partner adds authenticity to the cover story. She remains calm and follows Joyce’s lead.
  • Jill Regan: The new SIO is sharp and suspicious, immediately spotting the anomaly of Joyce and Ron having Chris’s personal number. She is not easily fooled but is momentarily thrown by Ron’s emotional outburst.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Deception and Performance: The entire chapter is an acted scene. Joyce and Ron consciously adopt roles—Joyce as Elizabeth, Ron as a vulnerable old man. The police are the audience, and the business yard becomes a stage.
  • Teamwork and Trust: The group works seamlessly. Chris escorts officers, Patrice supports the story, and Joyce leads the dialogue. Their coordination shows the strength of the Thursday Murder Club.
  • Underestimation of the Elderly: Ron’s tears are effective precisely because the officer and Jill Regan see him as a harmless, overwhelmed senior. Joyce notes that people often take Ron for granted, but he is far from foolish.
  • Surveillance and Photos: The final line about having “an awful lot of photos to look at” hints that the team has already gathered evidence—likely from the operation they conducted earlier—and now needs to analyse it in private.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a crucial turning point in the investigation. The Tuesday Murder Club successfully executes its plan to steer police attention away from their own activities. By staging the discovery of the body and providing a false story, they buy time to examine the photos they have collected (presumably of the suspects or the murder scene). The introduction of SIO Jill Regan adds a new threat: she is perceptive and may become suspicious if given time to probe. Ron’s tears serve as a temporary shield, but the chapter ends with the team aware that they must act quickly before Jill returns to question them further. The chapter also deepens the characterisations of Joyce and Ron, showing their courage and cunning.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Ron pretend to cry at two crucial moments in the chapter?
Ron’s first cry makes the young officer embarrassed and less likely to press hard. His second cry, when Jill Regan asks how they have Chris’s personal number, provides a perfect distraction. The tears make him appear vulnerable and helpless, so Jill gives up on the question and walks away. Ron understands that the police will be reluctant to interrogate a weeping elderly man.

2. What does Joyce mean when she thinks, “as she has become Elizabeth, Ron is having to become her”?
Joyce is referring to the way she and Ron have swapped roles during the deception. Elizabeth is typically the commanding, confident planner in the group. Here, Joyce takes on that role, directing the story and handling the police. Ron, in turn, adopts Elizabeth’s flair for theatrical detail—like the mention of a voucher from his son—which Joyce would normally expect from Elizabeth. They are adapting to cover for Elizabeth’s absence.

3. Why are Joyce and the team “keener than you know” to get home after the police questioning?
They are eager to examine the photos they have obtained—likely from hidden cameras or surveillance they conducted during the earlier operation. The photos are the real payoff of their risky staging; analysing them could reveal the killer or the missing heroin. Getting home quickly lets them work on the evidence without police interference.

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