The Private Eye Read Online Free PDF Page A

was
    watching her foot, which was half out of her patent-leather pump. She carefully uncrossed her legs and slid her
    stocking-clad foot back into the shoe.
    “At the height of the season the large freezer and the refrigerator we use in the kitchen went on the fritz. We lost
    several hundred dollars' worth of food. But worse than that, we had to close the dining room on the biggest weekend
    of the year. A lot of people with reservations for dinner were very upset. The inn was full and everyone was irritated at
    the inconvenience.”
    “Go on,” Josh prompted.
    He seemed to have lost interest in her foot since she'd put it back inside her shoe. Now, Maggie realized, for some
    reason he was watching her hands.
    “We've had continual problems with the furnace, although it was installed less than two years ago.” Maggie finally
    realized that her fingers were fluttering as she talked. She folded her hands in her lap. “Then one day I happened to do
    a routine test on the smoke detector in the basement and discovered that the batteries had been disconnected. That
    really worried me. The Colonel keeps all his equipment and files in the basement, you see. A fire that started down
    there would be disastrous.”
    “Equipment and files?”
    The Colonel shrugged modestly. “I do a bit of experimenting. We'll get into that later, if you like.”
    “I see.” Josh switched his gaze back to Maggie. “Anything else strange going on?”
    She bit her lip. She was afraid Josh wasn't very impressed so far. “As I said, there have been a variety of little,
    annoying breakdowns. The new hot-water tank went out. The guests were very irate over that, lean tell you.”
    “Some of them shouted at Maggie in the rudest possible terms. Very upsetting,” Odessa confided. “The Colonel
    was forced to speak to one man who was ex “Conduct unbecoming,” as we used to say in the military.” The Colonel
    shook his head with a frown. “I sent the fellow packing, of course.”
    Maggie smiled wryly. “Unfortunately you sent him packing before he had paid for his room.”
    “Maintaining standards is considerably more important than money,” Odessa declared.
    “Right,” Shirley agreed. “Gotta have standards.”
    “Very true,” the Colonel murmured. “Can't tolerate just any sort of behaviour, you know.”
    Maggie stifled a small sigh. It was much easier to take the high road on that subject when one wasn't trying to keep
    the books balanced. She realized Josh was watching her intently again. She hurried on with the rest of the tale. “In
    addition to the trouble with the hot water tank, we had trouble with the toilets. Then the rooms with fireplaces, such as
    yours, all developed problems in the chimneys. The rooms filled up with smoke whenever the guests lit their fires. The
    fire trucks were here every night for a week before we had to make a rule that no one could use the fireplaces.”
    Shirley shook her head grimly. “We finally got 'em cleaned out and working, but it was one thing after another and
    first thing you know, word started getting around.”
    Josh glanced at her. “What word?”
    “You know. Like the manor was not a nice place to stay anymore. Too many problems. Old-fashioned wiring.
    Inconvenient. In need of repairs, Folks said the new management was letting the place go down the tubes. Maggie
    started losing bookings.”
    Josh gave Maggie a thoughtful look. “Is that right?”
    She nodded unhappily. “After the trouble with the fireplaces, I decided it would be better to say we were closing
    for the off-season this year. I told everyone repairs were going to be made over the winter and that things would be
    back in tiptop shape by spring. But the truth is, the place is already in good shape. Great-Aunt Agatha saw to that.”
    “Who's Agatha? Besides being your great-aunt, that is,” Josh inquired.
    The Colonel answered that one. “Agatha Gladstone was one of the finest ladies you'd ever want to know.