The Talented Mr. Ripley: Chapter 29 Summary & Analysis

Tom writes a letter to Herbert in which he describes finding Dickie’s “will,” which was “given” to him some time ago in Rome. He apologizes for not having remembered having the envelope sooner “because it would have proven much earlier that Dickie intended to take his own life.” Privately, Tom thnks to himself that his gambit with the letter is “asking for trouble” and “might start a new investigation,” but he goes forward with the plan because he is just in the “mood.” He feels that “the very chanciness of trying for all of Dickie’s money is irresistible.” He is planning to sail for Greece in just three days, believing that it will “look better” to seem “unconcerned as to whether he got the money or not.”

Tom visits the countess Titi, who tells him that the afternoon papers are saying that Dickie’s suitcases and paintings have been found “right here in the American Express in Venice.” The police have already begun to search the items for fingerprints. Tom reacts erratically to the news—he rambles on to Titi, telling her that the discovery of the suitcases in no way proves that Dickie is alive. He worries that the knot on Dickie’s sunken body will come undone, and he racks his brain for anything in the suitcases that might offer the authorities his fingerprints. To calm himself, he tries to think of Greece, but he knows that with “the threat of the fingerprints hanging over his head” he’ll never be able to enjoy himself. Tom begins to sob, and Titi attempts to comfort him to no avail.