The Hallmarked Man Advent Adventure, Part Two: Chapters 8-14.

The Hallmarked Man Advent Adventure continues.  This is a nice substitute for cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies, is it not?  I'm going to continue with quoting the first and last lines of each chapter.  Chapter 8:

The ex-wife of the cricketer Strike called "Arsehole" and Pat, "Mr. A" was driving in the direction of her flat in Chelsea. 

Strike takes advantage of the dull surveillance job to chat with Rupert Fleetwood's Aunt Anjelica, whose name is ironic give she seems to have graduated from the  Rufus Fernsby School of Loving Relations. Given that she clearly didn't want the child, and may have even suspected Rupert was not her late brother's offspring, and that Rupert apparently didn't come with a huge trust fund, you wonder why she didn't foist custody off on his Legard relations, especially since his Lord Uncle Ned seemed to want a relationship with the boy. But. if they had, Tara Clairmont would have wound up as his de facto stepmother, which would probably have messed him up worse than Auntie Dearest did. But, there is one significant clue: she has a reason to hate Dino Longcaster. We'll learn more about that, later. 

"That's all I have to say!  Good-bye!"

The line went dead.

Good riddance, madam. On to Chapter 9:

At eight o'clock that evening, Robin's doorbell sounded.

"Hi," said Murphy's voice over the intercom. "I've got chips."

That's not all he's got; the pressure on Robin to freeze her eggs begins in this conversation, and we see some other cracks in their relationship building. He resents Strike and considers him to have the potential to ruin police careers; Robin wisely points out that if that is true of Strike, it's true of her, too. He also makes the cryptic remark about Kim Cochran having "quite the reputation" at work; Robin naively assumes that means she's a great detective. I have to wonder here if Ryan isn't matching a bit of Strike's manipulative thinking: if the Kimphomaniac sets her sights on Strike, that might distract his sexual attentions from Robin. 

Robin manages to put the brakes on the egg talk and convince Murphy to find out if the identification of the body from the vault is a sure thing. But, if Robin's new sweary therapist is a Freudian, I shudder to think what she would make of Robin's statement that RFM sounds like he's trying to lure her into a van. Did I mention that there are a lot of connections between this book and Troubled Blood, which was only three years ago, book time? Robin is simultaneously trying to remind herself that she loves RFM (doesn't she?) and drawing a connection to his actions and those of Dennis F. Creed! Wake up and smell the creosote-colored tea, girl!  

On a more serious note, Wardle has warned us that Murphy is a mean drunk. Between this Creed illusion and the ominously abusive lyrics of "Stitches," the song Robin's upstairs neighbor was blasting, and although I really hope this is not the case, we could be seeing a foreshadowing of Murphy turning violent, or even sociopathic when Robin inevitably dumps him. I've even heard online speculations he might abduct her and Strike would have to rescue her.  Although that would be an easy way of getting back into Linda's good graces, I really hope the plot doesn't go there. It crosses the line into the soap opera tropes of which, IMHO, The Hallmarked Man already had too many. And, Robin has successfully fought off two known killers herself, and vowed to do that to the Flobberworm, if needed, when she left him. So, I'd rather she her rid herself of Ryan without Strike's help, even if he does turn aggressive. 

The realisation that she wanted the information, even if it meant Murphy having to buy drinks for a woman who clearly fancied him, was slightly disconcerting, but given how many other things she had to worry about at the moment, there was no need to start analyzing that, as well. 

If you did analyze it, maybe you'd conclude you unconsciously want RFM to cheat on you like MFC did, so you'd have an easy out of this relationship. 

Strike called a team meeting on Wednesday morning, because the ex-wife of the cricketer Pat preferred to call "Mr. A." had boarded a plane to the Canary Islands. 

Chapter 10 gives us the opportunity to see most of the team together, which is always fun, and getting to celebrate Strike's birthday is a bonus. As much as Strike did not want the celebration, it probably is better that Pat coordinate an official office party and group gift. This spares the subcontractors the dilemma of whether to get gifts for their bosses (and vice versa) and what is a suitable present if they do. It also keeps Strike from being in the same situation Robin was in in Troubled Blood, where she appreciated birthday gifts from Barclay and Pat, but really didn't want one from Saul F. Morris. I shudder to think what Kim F. Cochran might have gotten for Strike: satin boxers? fluffy handcuffs? a framed nude of herself? On the other hand, Robin doesn't get to take him to a pub, like she did in The Silkworm and in Troubled Blood, so there's no opportunity for a talk....

I was glad seeing the gift-giving score draw a little closer, with Robin inadvertently giving Strike a present that reminds him of Charlotte, just as his stargazer lilies (again, from Troubled Blood!) reminded her of Sarah F. Shadlock. What is also really interesting here is that Robin shows no hesitation about giving Strike a special hug, kiss and present from herself, when she could have just contributed to the group gift. Even more interestingly, she does so in front of Pat. It makes you wonder what Pat is observing over the course of this book; could this be part of the reason she guesses Robin is not fully happy with RFM and why she may not have been shocked at Strike's declaration of love? 

I must say, I relate to Pat and her Princess Diana tin. I, too, am a compulsive hoarder/re-user of food containers. All of the Diana cake-sized tins I could find online date back to the Royal Wedding of 1983, meaning this tin could be a year older than Robin. It is very like Pat to have saved it. It is also great to see she knows how to make something other than fruitcake, not that that is a surprise. I prefer chocolate sponge, myself. 

It's clear that KFC isn't any more respectful of any of the other women than she is of Robin; talking over Midge is not cool, lady. Unfortunately, in addition to having the hots for Strike, she is also one of those workplace women who does everything she can to undermine other women. This is another way she resembles Umbridge---  remember how different her attitude was when she inspected Flickwick and Snape, as opposed to McGonagall and Trelawney?  If you haven't already, I suggest you listen to the latest Strike episode of The Three Broomsticks. Ev made a great point about both Umbridge and KFC using femininity as a weapon to advance themselves and as a mask to their cruelty, but very different aspects. Umbridge used girlishness: fluffy pink sweaters and kitten plates (more appropriate to a children's book) while KFC used sexuality: the revealing clothes, "accidental" nudes and open flirtation (more appropriate for an adult series).

Happily, by the end of the meeting, RFM has texted the news that he has the goods on the vault body, but it has to be delivered in person. Robin pulls Strike into the office for a private conversation

Robin took secret satisfaction at the sight of a flicker of annoyance on Kim's face. 

She's not the only one.  On to Chapter 11. 

Once the subcontractors had finished their cake and departed for their various jobs, Strike and Robin moved into the inner office, where the window was misted with fine rain. 

It's about time. Here we are 11 chapters into the book and this is the first time Strike and Robin have been alone together, whereas Robin and RFM have had two private gatherings. Unfortunately, Murphy quickly becomes an invisible presence in the room, as Robin shares her news and invites Strike over to the flat for a three-way conversation. Strike may be thinking of his fishing priest, as he ponders this as a means to knock RFM down a few notches. 

Possibly, he'd be able to find a way to make Murphy look like a prick. On this undoubtedly puerile but satisfying thought, he turned back to the computer to type out an update for Mr. A. 

This thought is meant to satisfy the readers as well as Strike, but, as I've said before (here and here)--  trying to specifically out-compete Murphy is a mistake. Robin has never been attracted to puerile antics; it's Strike's bravery and character that won her heart. Strike will act like an arsehole himself a bit too often in this book and it will only push Robin away. 

Only when Robin had left the Denmark Street office did a certain trepidation about the forthcoming evening creep over her. 

There are reasons to be wary about the Chapter 12 pizza summit at Robin's flat. Murphy's arriving late with a flimsy excuse--can't police officers. of all people, do something about a car blocking them in?-- and the water bottle. In retrospect, it is clear that he's drinking. Strike may not come to that conclusion, but we can see his detective instincts with his adverse feelings towards RFM's water bottle and gym bag. We can also see Strike is going out of his way to be thoughtful by bringing a bottle of wine (Robin's favorite, which Murphy can't drink!), something he consistently forgot to do with other girlfriends. This was especially notable in The Silkworm, with Nina Lascelles, who will be making a reappearance in a few chapters. Despite the appearance of a photo of Robin and RFM at the Ellacott home, Phyllis the Philodendron is flourishing; let's remember that she was the one houseplant RFM failed to kill during Robin's stay at Chapman Farm.

We also see the fairly ridiculous extremes that have to be evoked in 2017 to avoid solving an unidentified body with DNA. Tyler Powell adopted?  Yeah, but they know where he lived; couldn't the cops have found a toothbrush, hairbrush or used drinking glass in his home to try to match with the corpse? Same for Niall Semple---  the wife had none of his effects around? She must be a more meticulous housekeeper than Jim Todd. And DNA tests can match fairly distant relatives, up to second cousins. What are the odds of both parents having genuinely no relatives around for a cheek swab? For that matter, doesn't the military collect DNA from all its soldiers, for the purpose of identifying bodies?  

The book would have been over fairly quickly if the detective team could have gotten a sample from the corpse and run a test against little Lion, or, if Decima was determined to keep the baby secret, one of Rupert's known (supposed?) blood relations: Auntie Angelica or Sacha Legard. Surely the authorities would not cremate an unknown corpse without saving a sample. No, Strike and Robin do not have their own DNA processing facilities; but there are commercial firms who will happily run the test for a fee, and Decima has plenty of money.  Now *that* would have been an interesting twist--- test Auntie Dearest against the corpse, have no match found (because Rupert is Dino Longcaster's son, not Peter Fleetwood's) and still have Decima refuse to accept the results. I guess the undercover cop is the reason the cops would be reluctant to release the sample, but our detectives are not testing any Knowles relations. You'd have thought the cops would have cooperated just to get Strike to drop the case. 

 I had forgotten until this re-read that Strike's initial interest in the case was sparked not by an eagerness to engineer an out-of-town getaway with Robin, but to annoy RFM. And he certainly does that, in addition to winning points with Robin for covering up her Bijou story. 

"I'm meeting Bijou," said Strike, looking Robin straight in the eye. Though she'd have given anything not to, Robin felt herself turn red. "Thanks, though," Strike added, looking down at the clearly fuming Murphy. "This has been extremely helpful."

Like Della Winn, I don't think RFM meant to be. Onto Chapter 13: 

The work rota was so arranged that Strike and Robin didn't meet again until Friday, which was could and cloudless. 

The pizza summit was Wednesday night.  So, they didn't see each other on Thursday?  I get the impression that it is not uncommon for the partners to go several days without meeting face-to-face. This seems a strange mention, especially given that the work rota did not have them scheduled for this meeting either. Strike stepped in for Dev when the latter was called away to tail Plug. 

But this is the all-important meeting where Strike and Robin will decide to take the Silver Vault case. Two important things happen. First, Strike brings up the Bijou thing, and Robin lies again, saying she forgot to tell Ryan he had stopped seeing her. Which, I guess, is only fair; Strike "forgot" to tell Robin he wasn't seeing Bijou when Robin agreed to share a bed with him.  I wonder if, in the interim, he ever pointed out that he only had two dates with Bijou. In any case, he makes his feelings clear here when he describes Bijou as "a misguided exercise in distraction and instant gratification that has cured me of the practice." Unfortunately, Mrs. A.'s reappearance from the jewelry store stops Robin from processing this statement, which she was apparently supposed to translate into "I am no longer interested in short-term flings and ready to commit myself to the right woman, which, by the way, is you. "

The other interesting thing is that she tells Strike she's dreading the visit home with RFM at Christmas. This is very interesting given that Strike had just seen and was annoyed by the mantel picture of Robin and RFM at her parents' home in Masham. Between that and Robin stating twice that Murphy's opinion should not influence their decision on Decima's case, Strike has good reason to believe he has made progress.  The chapter, and Part 1 of the book ends with a repeat of Ted's maxims, which Strike clearly plans to apply in his quest of Robin. 

There's no pride in having what you never worked for.

Never let the other chap change your game plan. 

Stick to your own, and play to your strengths.

Part 2 and Chapter 14 begin with Strike engineering another unplanned meet-up with Robin, on the case he thinks will be the springboard he needs to bring them together. 

"Where are you?" were Strike's opening words on the second of December, when Robin answered his call. 

There have been several developments over the week or so's time jump:

• The Land Rover has developed its death rattle (*sniff*).
• RFM isn't happy that his efforts to dissuade the agency from taking the Silver Vault case have failed.
• Robin has lied to him and said they were looking for Rupert Fleetwood rather than trying to ID the body.  As if there is a huge difference. 
• Apparently, guilt over lying about the vault case prompted Robin to agree. Robin, compared to a lot of the lies you are telling others (and yourself) during this book, this was really no biggie. A pint of his favorite ice cream would have sufficed. 
• The thought of cohabitating is increasing Robin's tendency towards anxiety and panic and taking her back to the sea captain's house, another "picture perfect" place where she should have been completely happy, but wasn't and always approached as if it were temporary: "We're only renting."

Strike calls with the welcome news that Kenneth Ramsay is wanting to see them. Thus, this chapter is devoted to meeting one of the more pathetic crime victims in the series. If you haven't already, go to the most recent Strike and Ellacott Files podcast (E6) and listen to Pools' hilarious impersonation of the obsessive silver-dealer; at about minute 33.  Indeed, the man seems not only more distressed by the loss of his silver than his employee's murder (which might be understandable, given that he's been persuaded "Wright" was an accomplice) but also more than his son's death and wife's stroke. Unlike a lot of Galbraith characters, I see no obvious connection between his name Kenneth ("handsome" or "born of fire") Ramsay ("wild garlic island") to the plot--unless the "born of fire" part refers to the obsession with ultra refined metal ("sterling, not plate!") and the hallmarks they bear. I am more inclined to connect his surname to "ransom"--  as in a man held captive by his fixation on material goods. 

We also get our first glimpse at the silver orb charm, which was pretty clearly going to have some major significance. 

Other than St. George being a patron saint of England, does anyone know why Ramsay would have considered "St. George Avenue" a good omen for hirong William Wright?  I can't find any specific connections between St. George and either silver or the Freemasons, other than the fact that silver medals of the saint are common and there are some lodges named for St. George. In fact, the Order of St. George in the Russian Orthodox church explicitly prohibits masons from joining. 

Fittingly, our heroes hear Christmas carols featuring both ships and silver while in the shop. "I Saw Three Ships" (historically, a carol very popular in Cornwall) is playing as they enter, and they hear snatches from the first and second verses. One of the things our detectives need to know is how many ships actually came sailing into Ramsay's shop. Did he receive just the Murdoch neff, or the Legard/Fleetwood/Longcaster one as well? And, of course, Dean Martin's "Silver Bells" (one of the author's twitter hints) plays as they exit the shop. 

Silver bells, silver bells,

It's Christmas time in the city.

Robin had earlier said she wished she could spend Christmas in London, and Strike would clearly rather be in his Denmark Street flat in the heart of the city than out in the suburbs with Lucy's family. I really hope we will see Robin and Strike celebrating the holiday in London together, before the series ends. 

That holiday note is a good place to end the Advent Adventure, Part 2. The chapters are getting longer, so we'll cover only 5.  

Having trouble subscribing or commenting?  try the Substack version! Always free, always will be!