Truman Capote gives detailed descriptions of Alvin Dewey, the detective for the Clutter case as a way of representing himself into his story, where Dewey symbolizes Capote. During the time of the murder, Capote and Dewey became close friends as they dedicated years of their lives to the town of Holcomb in order to investigate the crime. The years committed to the Clutter murder story defined both men’s lives. Alvin Dewey became famous for being the detective of the Clutter family murder mystery and Truman Capote was recognized as one of the best authors of the century as he wrote the first non-fiction novel. Capote would never mention himself in In Cold Blood, as it would ruin the narrative of the story. Being the egotistical man he is, Capote must refer to himself in his own works, even if he represented subtly. One late night, Marie and Alvin Dewey are talking about their lives and the impact the murder is making on them. Between the late night phone calls and the fear felt everyday at home, Marie asks Alvin, “Alvin, do you think we’ll ever get back to normal living?” (105). Throughout part two, there are no signs of “normal living” in the lives of the Deweys. Alvin is constantly stopped and criticized for his detective work. Both Alvin and Marie are disturbed by the case and murdered family they think about all the time. While reflecting on the Clutter case, Alvin recalls a haunting dream Marie was telling him about. In the dream, Bonnie Clutter appeared to Marie in their kitchen whimpering, slowly shaking her head wringing her hands saying, “ ‘To be murdered. To be murdered. No. No. There’s nothing worse. Nothing worse than that. Nothing’ ” (154). Similar to the Deweys, Capote becomes mentally disturbed after researching the Clutter case. He never wrote another book after In Cold Blood, and the closeness he felt with Perry, one of the murderers, made him choose between his fame, or his love for a friend. The decision to choose his fame and success of his book over Perry resulted in Perry’s inevitable execution without the extended help from Capote. By making the detailed accounts of Alvin Dewey, not only does Capote inform the reader of the impact the murders make on the lives of people and the detective, Capote discreetly represents himself through the life of Alvin Dewey.