The Running Grave Chapter 106 – Chapter 104 Summary & 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
The day after Will’s release, Strike and Robin drive to meet Sir Colin Edensor. Robin praises Pat’s recent work and suggests giving her a pay rise. Strike informs Robin that Sir Colin was stunned by Will’s release and upset that Will refuses to see him. Robin mentions she swapped her Hampstead Heath surveillance with Midge because she has an evening engagement she does not explain. She then reveals her own case discovery: one of Walter Fernsby’s out‑of‑print books arrived, and its dedication reads “To Rosie”. Walter’s daughter is named Rosalind, and Robin can find no trace of her after 2013. Meanwhile, Tasha Mayo has accepted an undercover assignment at Dr Zhou’s clinic. Strike warns against sleeping with clients, alluding to his own recent entanglement. He then tells Robin that Sir Colin’s Wikipedia page has been vandalized overnight with false abuse allegations, just like the Graves family page. As they drive, Robin notices a red Vauxhall Corsa that may have been following them from London; the driver is a heavyset man in sunglasses and a passenger sits in the back seat. Strike watches the car in the mirror, unsure if it is a coincidence.
Key Events
- Robin tells Strike that Pat deserves a pay rise and Strike agrees.
- Strike recounts Sir Colin’s reaction to Will’s release: stunned and hurt that Will does not want to see him.
- Robin swaps her evening surveillance shift with Midge, hinting at a personal plan she does not disclose.
- Robin reveals Walter Fernsby’s book dedication “To Rosie”, confirming his daughter’s name Rosalind, and reports she can find no death certificate or trace of Rosalind after 2013.
- Tasha Mayo has enthusiastically accepted an undercover role at Zhou’s clinic; Robin and Strike discuss the risks of sleeping with clients.
- Strike discloses that Sir Colin’s Wikipedia page has been maliciously edited with false claims of abuse, mirroring the earlier attacks on the Graves family.
- While driving to Thames Ditton, Robin spots a red Vauxhall Corsa that matches one that was behind them in London; the driver is a fat man in sunglasses and there is a back‑seat passenger.
- Strike and Robin decide to test whether the car is following them by speeding up and overtaking a Polo.
Character Development
Robin proves sharp and thorough: she follows up on Walter Fernsby’s books, connects the dedication to the missing daughter, and remains alert to potential surveillance. She is also privately guarding information about her evening plans, suggesting a growing independence in her decisions outside of work. Strike reveals his prejudice against alternative lifestyles, which Robin attributes to his harsh childhood in squats and communes. He is also sensitive about client‑subcontractor relationships because of his affair with Bijou Watkins, though he does not know Robin now knows about it from Ilsa. The exchange shows both partners’ strengths—Robin’s methodical research and Strike’s strategic suspicion—and the trust (and small secrets) between them.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Prejudice and Over‑Correction: Strike argues that intelligent people often over‑correct their instinctive bias against “odd” groups, granting them undeserved innocence. Robin counters that this is itself a prejudice against alternative lifestyles. The chapter explores how preconceptions can blind both sides. Surveillance and Being Watched: The possible tail by the red Corsa introduces a literal threat, paralleling the agency’s own surveillance work. The motif of unseen observation recalls the cult’s monitoring of its members. Family Secrets and Missing Persons: The book dedication “To Rosie” and Rosalind Fernsby’s disappearance after 2013 deepen the mystery around Walter Fernsby, tying it to the larger UHC investigation.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 106 advances the investigation on two fronts: the Fernsby case takes a significant turn with the discovery of a missing daughter, and the UHC case gains urgency as both Will’s psychological state and the Wikipedia attacks suggest the cult is still active in disinformation. The possible tail forces Strike and Robin to consider that they may now be targets, raising the stakes for both the Edensor and Graves inquiries.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What clue does Robin find in Walter Fernsby’s book, and why is it significant? Robin receives a copy of Fernsby’s out‑of‑print book, which is dedicated “To Rosie.” She already knows Fernsby’s daughter is named Rosalind, and she cannot find any record of Rosalind after 2013—no death certificate and no digital footprint. This suggests Rosalind may have disappeared or been hidden, possibly connected to the UHC. 2. How does Strike’s reaction to the Wikipedia vandalism reflect his approach to the case? Strike immediately connects the malicious edits on Sir Colin’s page to the same method used against the Graves family. He sees it as evidence that the cult is trying to discredit its opponents and argues that legal action alone may not stop the psychological harm to Will. This reflects Strike’s belief in proactive, investigative counter‑measures. 3. Why does Robin think Strike might be prejudiced against alternative lifestyles? Robin reflects that large parts of Strike’s difficult childhood were spent in squats and communes, which has made him instinctively distrustful of non‑mainstream groups. She believes this explains his willingness to assume the worst about the UHC and similar organizations, rather than over‑correcting for prejudice as he accuses others of doing.