Red Harvest · Chapter
XXI: The Seventeenth Murder explained
The narrator wakes from a dream to find himself holding the ice pick that has killed Dinah Brand.
What happens
The narrator wakes from a dream to find himself holding the ice pick that has killed Dinah Brand. He wipes his prints, cleans the scene, and leaves. He then contacts Dick Foley to investigate the alibis of Whisper, Dan Rolff, and Bill Quint. Later, he meets Reno Starkey to secure an alibi, claiming he was in Tanner. Reno agrees in exchange for future loyalty, and the narrator learns that McGraw is acting chief and will side with Pete the Finn.
Themes in this chapter
Violence and Moral Decay
The narrator's dreamlike detachment and the cold, methodical wiping of the murder scene underscore the moral decay and pervasive violence in Personville.
Deception and Manipulation
The narrator's fabrication of an alibi with Reno Starkey and his manipulation of the investigation highlight the theme of deception.
Corruption and Power
Reno's deal for loyalty and the discussion of McGraw's alliance with Pete the Finn illustrate the corrupt power structures controlling the town.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Wakes from a dream to find himself holding the murder weapon over Dinah Brand's body; wipes the scene and seeks an alibi from Reno Starkey.
- Dinah Brand
Found dead, stabbed with her own ice pick; the narrator wipes the handle and examines the scene.
- Reno Starkey
Provides the narrator with an alibi in exchange for future loyalty; discusses the power shift with McGraw as acting chief.
- Dick Foley
Tasked by the narrator to investigate the alibis of Whisper, Dan Rolff, and Bill Quint.
- Mickey Linehan
Mentioned as being on Pete the Finn's trail; asked to assist Dick Foley in the investigation.
- Hank O'Marra
Introduced by Reno Starkey as a long-legged youngster with reckless eyes.
Key passages
“I want an alibi. Dinah Brand was killed last night after I left her.”
The narrator asks Reno Starkey to provide a false alibi for the time of Dinah Brand's murder.
This shows the narrator's immediate concern with covering his tracks and manipulating the investigation.
“I was lying face down on the dining room floor, my head resting on my left forearm. My right arm was stretched straight out. My right hand held the round blue and white handle of Dinah Brand’s ice pick.”
The narrator wakes from a dream to find himself holding the murder weapon over Dinah Brand's body.
This surreal moment blurs the line between dream and reality, suggesting the narrator's possible guilt or dissociation.