[Berkeley Brigade 10] - Shadow of Murder Read Online Free PDF

suggest?”
    He repeated his precautions, and that Luten shouldn’t leave any keys, especially to the library, where anyone could get at them. “And that’s just the start,” he continued. “The actors will want looking into. I hope you won’t take it amiss, your ladyship,” he said to Corinne, “but even Miss Lipman wants looking into. Or is she a special friends of yours?”
    “Not at all. I know very little about her. Lady Cowper recommended her. She said she was reliable.”
    “And Miss Lipman’s the one that told the actors about the goods being here. If she’s in on it, she might have done that on purpose to spread suspicion around, should the goods go missing.”
    “You think of everything, Black,” Corinne said. “I did tell her not to mention it to anyone, and the first day she told the lot of them. That does look suspicious, though I think really she’s just a scatterbrain. Can you check up on the background of the actors, and I’ll see what I can discover about Miss Lipman?”
    “I’ll do that, milady. I still know a few lads that might help me.”
    Coffen looked all around and said, “If that’s all, me and Black will be going home.”
    “No!” Corinne said in alarm. “I want Black to stay here till the ball’s over.”
    Coffen’s blue eyes darkened and a rare scowl wrinkled his brow. “What am I to do for a butler in the meanwhile?” he demanded.
    “I know it’s a lot to ask,” she said with a pleading look. “Perhaps if Black looked in here a couple of times a day, and was here at night... You can eat here if—” Before the advent of Black into his life, this would have been a clincher.
    Black said to Coffen, “It’s not necessary to inconvenience her ladyship, Mr. Pattle.”
    “She don’t mind inconveniencing me.”
    “I’ll speak to the staff. They’ll behave themselves. Never you fear. You’ll be took good care of.”
    “And what about your checking up on them actors?” Coffen persisted. “When will you be doing that?”
    “I thought you might give me hand there,” Black said. He knew Coffen’s love of the Green Room. He’d drop Mr. Pattle off there to check up on the actors while he spoke to his erstwhile companions on the ken lay. Or better, Nappy Harper. He was the lad who’d know who was breaking into the big houses nowadays. If you hoped to peddle your hot merchandise for more than a couple of shillings on the pound, Nappy was the lad to go to.
    “Daresay I could lend a hand there. But she just has you till the ball’s over,” Coffen said grudgingly.
    “Of course,” Corinne hastened to assure him.
    Luten listened, then said, “Is there any special reason why the donations can’t be kept at Elgin Hall, where the ball is to be held?”
    “A very good reason,” Corinne told him. “The hall is used three or four times a week for all sorts of parties and meetings. People are running in and out all the time. We’ve only rented it for two days. We have to do our decorations and make other arrangements on the day of the ball, and we have it the day after to clean up. It wouldn’t be safe to move the donations there until the very day of the ball.”
    “Yes, I see that would be a problem. Can we do without a couple of our footmen?”
    “We could. We won’t be doing any entertaining until after the ball. Prance has offered the use of his,” she said. “He feels badly about this mishap.”
    “I’d rather use our own,” Luten said. “Prance’s will spend their time drooling over the gewgaws and forget why they’re here.” Prance did tend to hire servants who shared his artistic interests.
    Black turned to Mr. Pattle. “You could spare Paddy,” he said. “He’s the sharpest of your lot. Webb could take over his duties.”
    Annoyed by the whole affair, Coffen indulged in another fit of sarcasm. “You will leave me my valet and groom, I hope?”
    “Oh certainly, Mr. Pattle,” Black said in a consoling way. “Raven would be no use at all,