The Clue · Chapter
A Successful Pursuit explained
Fessenden finds Cicely Dupuy at Grand Central Station and convinces her to reveal that her false testimony and flight were motivated by a fear that Schuyler Carleton was the murderer, not by her own guilt.
What happens
Fessenden finds Cicely Dupuy at Grand Central Station and convinces her to reveal that her false testimony and flight were motivated by a fear that Schuyler Carleton was the murderer, not by her own guilt. He returns to the Van Norman house to report her innocence, leaving the investigation at a standstill. Tom Willard offers to fund a renowned detective, and the group decides to summon Fleming Stone, while Fessenden privately hopes to solve the case before Stone arrives.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Confession
Cicely's hidden motive for lying and fleeing is revealed through Fessenden's persistent questioning, leading to a confession that clears her name.
Jealousy and Motive
Cicely's jealousy of Madeleine and her unrequited love for Carleton are exposed as the driving forces behind her deceptive behavior.
Detection and Reasoning
Fessenden uses logical deduction to infer that Cicely is shielding someone, then confirms Carleton's innocence through her testimony, while the group decides to bring in a celebrated detective for further reasoning.
Characters to notice
- Cicely Dupuy
Found by Fessenden at Grand Central Station; confesses she lied about the time Carleton entered and fled because she feared he was the murderer, not because she was guilty.
- Rob Fessenden
Successfully pursues Cicely to New York, extracts her confession, and returns to Mapleton; privately hopes to solve the mystery before Fleming Stone arrives.
- Schuyler Carleton
Exonerated by Cicely's confession; expresses relief but remains subdued; suggests hiring Fleming Stone and is content to leave the case in Stone's hands.
- Tom Willard
Offers to pay for a celebrated detective; expresses skepticism that a new detective will find more than the current investigators have.
- Kitty French
Present in the library when Fessenden returns; quickly grasps that Cicely's suspicion of Carleton proves Cicely's innocence.
- Fleming Stone
Suggested by Carleton and hired through Willard's funding; expected to arrive in Mapleton in a few days.
Key passages
““How do you know Mr. Carleton is innocent? Have you proved it? Has someone else confessed?” “No, no one has confessed. And, indeed, I may as well own up that no one is quite so sure of Mr. Carleton’s innocence as I am myself. But I am sure of it, and I’m going to prove it.””
Cicely asks Fessenden how he can be certain of Carleton's innocence, and he admits that while no one else has confessed, he personally believes Carleton is innocent and intends to prove it.
Fessenden's confidence in Carleton's innocence is based on his own conviction rather than concrete evidence.
““Why, nothing,” exclaimed Cicely, “except that I thought I saw Mr. Carleton come into the house some little time before he cried out for help. I was looking over the baluster when Mr. Hunt said he saw me, and I, too, thought it was Mr. Carleton who came in then.””
Cicely explains that she lied about the time because she genuinely believed she saw Carleton enter the house shortly before he called for help, and she was afraid that truth would incriminate him.
Cicely's false testimony stemmed from a mistaken observation and her desire to protect Carleton.
““But,” objected Coroner Benson, “to engage a detective of high standing would entail considerable expense, and I’m not sure that I’m authorized to sanction this.””
Coroner Benson worries about the cost of hiring a top detective and whether he has the authority to approve such an expense.
Financial constraints initially hinder the investigation until Tom Willard offers to pay.
