IX -The woman in the Alcove

In this chapter of “The Woman in the Alcove,” the protagonist, emboldened by a conviction to clear her lover, Mr. Durand, of guilt, seeks out Inspector Dalzell at police headquarters to share a theory she believes will lead to his exoneration. Despite understanding the risk of appearing foolish and potentially harming her own reputation, she insists on the possibility of another individual’s guilt—a person of high standing and reputation, thus challenging conventional suspicions and the evidence arrayed against Mr. Durand.

She recounts her observations from the night of Mrs. Fairbrother’s murder, emphasizing her suspicion towards a man whose interest seemed fixated on Mrs. Fairbrother’s renowned diamond rather than her beauty or the social event itself. This man, she speculates, attended the ball with a sinister purpose related to the diamond, displaying an abnormal reaction upon seeing it.

Contrary to the inspector’s skepticism and the prevailing belief in Mr. Durand’s guilt due to the bloody evidence against him, she presses on with her account, emphasizing her own observations and deductions. She highlights a crucial moment when Mrs. Fairbrother, wearing the genuine diamond, signals a shift in behavior following the receipt of a mysterious note—which she theorizes was a warning about the danger surrounding the diamond, hinting at a plot against Mrs. Fairbrother that connects back to the man she observed.

The protagonist further challenges the inspector by suggesting that the true culprit might be linked to a distinguished visitor’s servant in town, proposing a theory that the murder plot involved an attempt to warn Mrs. Fairbrother, which inadvertently implicated Mr. Durand when he unknowingly transported the diamond away from the scene. Her detailed narrative and bold accusations aim to redirect the investigation toward this other individual, urging the inspector to reconsider the evidence and the assumptions that have led to Mr. Durand’s current predicament.

Despite the inspector’s initial dismissal of her claims as fanciful, she persists, concluding her plea with a mention of an unresolved mystery from the crime scene—the significance of two broken coffee cups found near Mrs. Fairbrother—which she implies could lend credence to her theory. The chapter showcases her determination to advocate for Mr. Durand, challenging the conventional narrative with a complex alternative scenario she has pieced together from her unique perspective and observations from the night of the murder.