The Clue · Chapter
XV: Fessenden’s Detective Work explained
Rob Fessenden begins his own investigation, determined to prove Schuyler Carleton innocent.
What happens
Rob Fessenden begins his own investigation, determined to prove Schuyler Carleton innocent. He interviews Mrs. Markham and learns about Miss Morton's inheritance and the burning of a will. Kitty French shares her suspicions about Cicely Dupuy, and the maid Marie reveals that she saw Miss Morton burn a paper, which Fessenden believes may be a later will. The chapter deepens the mystery around Miss Morton's motives and the possibility of a premeditated murder.
Themes in this chapter
Wealth and Inheritance
The burning of a will and Miss Morton's sudden inheritance become central to the motive for murder.
Secrecy and Confession
Marie's confession about the burned paper and Cicely's ramblings highlight hidden truths and guilty knowledge.
Detection and Reasoning
Fessenden systematically gathers clues and interviews witnesses, applying logical deduction to solve the crime.
Characters to notice
- Rob Fessenden
Takes charge of the investigation, interviews witnesses, and develops theories about the murder.
- Mrs. Markham
Provides key background on Miss Morton's inheritance and expresses doubts about Carleton's innocence.
- Elizabeth Morton
Revealed as the heir to the Van Norman house; her burning of a paper raises suspicion.
- Kitty French
Assists Fessenden and shares her concerns about Cicely Dupuy's guilty behavior.
- Cicely Dupuy
Reported to be ill and rambling, suggesting a guilty conscience.
- Marie
The French maid who confesses to seeing Miss Morton burn a paper, implicating her in a possible cover-up.
Key passages
“I think I’m justified in telling you this. Mr. Carleton didn’t love Madeleine, and he did love another girl. Madeleine worshipped him, and I think he came last night to ask her to release him, and she refused, and then—and then—”
Mrs. Markham suggests that Carleton came to break off the engagement, and when Madeleine refused, he may have killed her.
This theory introduces a possible motive for Carleton, challenging Fessenden's belief in his friend's innocence.
“The will she burnt was a later one, that didn’t give her this house. She burnt it so the earlier one would stand.”
Kitty French theorizes that Miss Morton destroyed a newer will that did not benefit her, leaving the older will that bequeathed the house to her as the valid one.
This deduction points to Miss Morton's potential motive for murder and cover-up.