The Investigation’s Ethical Boundaries

The Narrator’s pursuit of Alice’s motive repeatedly collides with the danger of exploiting the dead and inventing certainty.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Choosing a Subject

An Obsession Named The Message to Léa The Narrator tells Léa she has heard about Jade and waits anxiously for a reply. Her need to discuss the case reveals that the project has already become personal. A Confidante’s Silence Léa confirms she knows but offers little at first. The Narrator’s urgency grows in the gap between shared history and present reticence.

Questions of Permission

The Writer’s Scruples Possible Approaches The Narrator debates whether to contact Alice, change names, or stay with confirmed facts. She fears both intruding on the accused and reducing the case to an attractive story. A Missing Rulebook No ethical formula tells her how to represent violence against children. Her uncertainty becomes an explicit constraint on the investigation.

A Friend’s Account

Reconstructing Jade Childhood and Friendship Léa recalls Jade’s difficult family life, artistic hopes, and years of intimate friendship. Her memories offer detail but also expose how much she never knew. Trust Under Review Léa admits that Jade may have lied about major events in her youth. The Narrator receives not a stable biography but a portrait full of gaps.

The Courtroom’s Story Contest

Narratives on Trial Evidence and Interpretation The prosecution and defense attach different meanings to the same actions and medical evidence. The jury must choose which account appears most coherent and credible. The Observer’s Limit The Narrator recognizes that courtroom persuasion does not guarantee access to truth. Her literary method is implicated in the same contest over narrative.

The Mixed Hypotheses

No Single Explanation Five Possible Accounts The Narrator tests psychological, social, tragic, power-based, and conspiratorial explanations. Each can illuminate part of the case while leaving other parts unexplained. A Literary Conclusion She concludes that any plausible truth may combine these accounts in unknown proportions. The book refuses certainty without giving up the effort to understand.

Soon after Erik is born

During the nursery adaptation period

The Narrator’s summer visit to Avignon

During the trial’s testimony and closing arguments

After the jury announces its verdict