Miss Brocklehurst, First Time for Two-Times, the Wedding Picture, Catullus and the Cold-Hearted Bastard. The Silkworm Read-along (Part 4 of 4)

 

In Chapter 38, Strike finally catches Miss Brocklehurst in the act.  It is clear to repeat readers that the client who hired Strike to tail her is the client that will eventually be nicknamed "Two-Times," Strike was right about the potential for repeat business. We don't know if "Miss Brocklehurst" is a real name or a nickname, but there is a potential reason to believe Strike nicknamed her. The Brocklehurst Trophy is the prize given at the Inter-Regimental Boxing tournament sponsored by the King's Royal Hussars (the Chiswell unit). of the British Army, As such, it would probably be a name familiar to Strike. He may even have come within one boxer of winning the thing himself. 

An interesting note in Chapter 42:

She and Matthew had spent most of the weekend discussing her job. In some ways (strange to think this, after nine years together) it had been the deepest and most serious conversation that they had ever had....Matthew had seemed stunned when she had finally confessed to him that she had had an ambition to work in some form of criminal investigation since her early teens... In the end he had put his arms around her and agreed. She had tried not to feel grateful that his mother had just died, making him, she could not help thinking, just a little more amenable to persuasion than he might usually have been. Robin had been looking forward to telling Strike about this mature development in her relationship but he was not in the office when she arrived. 

I don't think Robin and Strike specifically talked about her and Matthew's relationship (apart from the drunken confessional in CoE) until the breakdown on the verge in LW. It's interesting that she was considering it at this early stage, but was distracted by the wedding picture from Charlotte and Strike's new theory of the murder. 

Speaking of the wedding picture, I was struck by this description. 

Her expression was unlike any bride’s that Robin had ever seen. She looked broken, bereft, haunted. Her eyes staring straight into Robin’s as though they alone were friends, as though Robin were the only one who might understand.

This connection is interesting because, of course, Robin herself will be in a similar state on her own wedding day, miserable and unable to smile. Both women marry horrible men for the wrong reasons. Charlotte was hoping to lure Strike back and would undoubtedly have dumped Jago at the alter if Strike had turned up, willing to take her back. Robin had to face the very real question as to whether she would have married Matthew if she had known Strike wanted her back. What do you think would have happened if Strike had shown up before the ceremony?

I love Strike showing up Michael Fancourt by quoting Catullus at him. 

We don't appreciate on the first reading how much courage it took for Robin to go up to Kathryn Kent's apartment. She had to climb a staircase, walking past a young man who was harassing her and an entire group of them who were calling her filthy names. Once we learn the story of being raped in a stairwell, we realize how terrifying that must have been. And, while Strike may have been on his way, he wasn't due for 10 more minutes. 

Finally, I think one of the funniest parts in the book is Michael Fancourt's final lines

“But,” said Fancourt, taking a few steps and looking back at Strike a little wildly, “you can’t—you’ve got to stop her!”

“Couldn’t catch her if I wanted to,” said Strike, throwing the butt of his cigarette down into the snow. “Dodgy knee.” 

“She could do anything—” 

“Off to kill herself, probably,” agreed Strike, pulling out his mobile. 

The writer stared at him. “You—you cold-blooded bastard!”

Michael Fancourt, who is only marginally better than Carl Oakden when it comes to misogyny, is supposed to have an icy heart and to specifically hate Liz Tassel, is the one berating Strike for being cold-hearted. 

Onto Career of Evil, next week!