Leaving Time
“Leaving Time” by Jodi Picoult is a gripping novel that intertwines mystery, grief, and the bond between humans and elephants. The story follows Jenna Metcalf, a 13-year-old girl searching for her mother, Alice, a renowned elephant researcher who disappeared a decade earlier under mysterious circumstances. With the help of a skeptical psychic and a disgraced detective, Jenna uncovers buried secrets about her mother’s work and the tragic events at an elephant sanctuary. The novel explores themes of memory, loss, and maternal love, while weaving in fascinating insights into elephant behavior and emotions. Picoult blends emotional depth with suspense, culminating in a surprising twist that redefines the narrative.
Chapter 7: Virgil
byPicoult, Jodi
The chapter introduces Virgil, a private investigator haunted by an unsolved case involving Alice Metcalf, who disappeared a decade ago. Virgil reflects on how every cop has a case that lingers—a failure that becomes a personal ghost. For his former colleague Donny Boylan, it was the murder of a pregnant woman he failed to protect; for Virgil, it’s Alice’s unexplained vanishing. Plagued by guilt and alcoholism, Virgil often hallucinates Alice in his shabby office, where he drowns his regrets in whiskey. The chapter establishes Virgil’s tormented psyche and his unresolved past.
The narrative shifts to a flashback ten years earlier, when Virgil was a rookie cop assisting Donny with a case at the New England Elephant Sanctuary. A caregiver named Nevvie was found dead in the elephant enclosure, complicating Donny’s impending retirement. The sanctuary had been controversial from its inception, with locals fearing the “violent” elephants. Despite initial protests, the facility had operated without incident until Nevvie’s death. Virgil and Donny wait impatiently for the elephants to be secured, revealing the logistical challenges of investigating a crime scene shared with massive, agitated animals.
Thomas Metcalf, the sanctuary’s founder, arrives distraught and blames himself for the tragedy, suggesting the elephants sensed tension and acted out. His erratic behavior and cryptic remarks about elephant behavior raise questions. As Virgil and the team prepare to examine the body, a thunderous elephant roar interrupts them, underscoring the raw power of the animals. Metcalf’s grim warning about elephant stampedes hints at the danger lurking in the enclosure, leaving Virgil uneasy about what they might discover.
The chapter builds suspense around Nevvie’s death, intertwining Virgil’s personal demons with the unfolding mystery. The sanctuary’s eerie atmosphere, Metcalf’s guilt, and the unpredictable elephants create a sense of foreboding. Virgil’s present-day struggles with alcohol and guilt mirror the unresolved case, suggesting a deeper connection between Alice’s disappearance and the sanctuary’s dark history. The chapter sets the stage for a complex investigation that will force Virgil to confront his past failures.
FAQs
1. What is Virgil’s “ghost” and how does it compare to Donny Boylan’s?
Answer:
Virgil’s “ghost” is Alice Metcalf, a woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances ten years earlier, leaving unresolved questions about what truly happened. Unlike Donny Boylan’s ghost—Amanda, a pregnant domestic violence victim who was murdered—Alice’s fate remains unknown. While Donny’s case represents a clear failure to protect someone in immediate danger, Virgil’s haunts him because it represents an unsolved mystery and professional failure. Both cases linger in their minds, but Virgil’s torment is compounded by uncertainty and his current life as an alcoholic PI, suggesting his unresolved guilt is more consuming (e.g., he hallucinates Alice criticizing him).2. How does the chapter establish Virgil’s current state of life and profession?
Answer:
Virgil is portrayed as a washed-up private investigator struggling with alcoholism. His office is cramped and unkempt, reeking of “take-out Chinese and rug-cleaning fluid,” and he often sleeps there after drinking. Though he presents himself as a competent PI to clients, his reality is far from it—he battles hangovers and guilt-induced hallucinations of Alice. The contrast between his professional facade (“Vic Stanhope, PI”) and his actual life (relying on Jack Daniel’s as a “colleague”) underscores his decline, linking it directly to his unresolved past failures.3. Analyze the significance of the elephant sanctuary setting and its role in the case.
Answer:
The sanctuary symbolizes unpredictability and hidden danger, mirroring the unresolved tension in Virgil’s life. Initially controversial due to fears about “bad” elephants, it became a nonissue until Nevvie’s death—a sudden tragedy that parallels Virgil’s own unresolved case. The agitated elephants reflect Virgil’s inner turmoil, while Thomas Metcalf’s guilt (“This is all my fault”) echoes Virgil’s self-blame. The sanctuary’s physical barriers (fences, hot wires) also metaphorically represent Virgil’s attempts to compartmentalize his past, yet the elephants’ breach of safety hints at the inevitability of truth resurfacing.4. What does the interaction between Virgil and Donny reveal about their professional dynamic?
Answer:
Donny, a veteran detective nearing retirement, treats Virgil with dismissive irritation (e.g., “You ever shut up?”), highlighting Virgil’s rookie status in their past partnership. Donny’s focus on practicalities (retirement, paperwork) contrasts with Virgil’s curiosity about the case details (e.g., elephant behavior, the hieroglyph-like marks). Their dynamic reveals Virgil as more emotionally invested in justice, while Donny represents jaded pragmatism. This tension foreshadows why Virgil—unlike Donny—is still haunted by his failure, as he lacks Donny’s ability to detach.5. How does the chapter use foreshadowing to suggest deeper mysteries?
Answer:
The chapter drops subtle clues that hint at larger secrets: Virgil’s fixation on Alice’s disappearance, the strange marks on the sanctuary wall (possibly evidence), and Thomas Metcalf’s cryptic guilt (“This is all my fault”). Nevvie’s death—initially framed as an elephant attack—may connect to Alice’s case, given the sanctuary’s troubled history. The elephants’ agitation and Metcalf’s tension comment suggest human wrongdoing, not animal instinct, is at play. These details prime readers to question whether Nevvie’s death and Alice’s disappearance are linked, setting up future revelations.
Quotes
1. “Every cop has one that got away. For some, it becomes the stuff of legend… For the rest of us, it’s the nightmare we’re still living.”
This opening line sets the haunting tone for Virgil’s character, introducing the theme of unresolved guilt and obsession. It frames the entire chapter around Virgil’s personal “ghost”—the Alice Metcalf case—which continues to torment him.
2. “My ghost is named Alice Metcalf. She didn’t die, like Amanda, as far as I know. She just disappeared, along with the truth about what happened ten years ago.”
This quote reveals the core mystery driving Virgil’s narrative, establishing Alice Metcalf as his unresolved case and personal burden. It hints at both a disappearance and a cover-up, creating intrigue for the reader.
3. “I work alone, unless you count Jack Daniel’s as an employee… Until I wake up with my head throbbing… and Alice staring me down. Like hell you are, she says to me.”
This vivid description illustrates Virgil’s current state—a washed-up, alcoholic PI haunted by his failure. The imagined dialogue with Alice shows how the case continues to psychologically torment him.
4. “Elephants can sense tension. They must have been agitated… Oh God. This is all my fault.”
Thomas Metcalf’s emotional outburst introduces the elephant sanctuary’s central mystery while suggesting deeper layers to Nevvie’s death. His guilt hints at possible hidden conflicts preceding the tragedy.
5. “Have you ever seen an elephant stampede?… Hope that you never do.”
This ominous warning from Metcalf foreshadows potential danger while emphasizing the power and unpredictability of elephants. It creates suspense about what truly happened in the enclosure.