Why Shoot a Butler Read Online Free PDF

thing there's Brother Basil." He lowered his voice confidentially. "Between ourselves, he's a bit of a dud. I've got no time for him at all. Bit awkward as things are. If it weren't for Joan I don't mind telling you you wouldn't catch me staying at Norton Manor."
    "Because of its mystery or because of its host?"
    "Bit of both. Mind you, I don't say there's anything wrong with the house. It's the people in it. Like a lot of cats snooping round in the dark. Look here, don't repeat this, but it's an absolute fact that you can't do a darned thing but what you get the feeling that you are being watched. It's getting a bit on my nerves."
    "Are you being watched?"
    "I don't know. Shouldn't be surprised. Brother Basil's got a valet who's always popping up out of nowhere. Another one of the leftovers from the old regime. Now if he'd been murdered I shouldn't complain. Nasty piece of work, I think, and so does Joan, but Brother Basil likes the fellow."
    "What, by the way, is wrong with Brother Basil?" asked Frank.
    "Wrong with him? Oh, I see what you mean. I don't know: sort of fellow who drinks his bath water. Damned bad-tempered - I don't mind telling you Joan has a pretty thin time of it with him. Full of spurious joie de vivre, don't you know? One of these hearty blokes. Calls you old boy and slaps you on the back."
    Frank jerked his thumb downwards in a certain Roman gesture.
    "Quite," agreed Mr. Corkran. "I knew you'd feel the same about it. There's another thing too…'
    What this might be was not divulged, for at that moment the two girls joined them. Joan Fountain, who had finished her shopping, was ready to go home. As she shook hands with Amberley she said: "Felicity has promised to come over after dinner. I do hope you'll come too."
    "Thanks, I should like to," Amberley said, somewhat to his cousin's surprise.
    When Joan and Corkran had driven off, Felicity said that she hoped her cousin didn't mind having to go to the manor. "I practically had to accept," she explained. "Apparently things are pretty dire since the murder. Basil's got nerves or something, but Joan says he's always better when there are visitors. Do you mind awfully?"
    "Not awfully," Frank replied.
    Felicity glanced shrewdly up at his profile. "I believe you wanted to go."
    "I did," said Mr. Amberley.

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    Chapter Three

    They reached Greythorne again to find an inspector from Carchester waiting in the drawing room. He knew Mr. Amberley of old and took no pains to disguise the fact that he did not like him. He put a number of questions to him and sniffed at the answers, which he wrote down in his notebook. Having informed Amberley that he would be required to attend the inquest at eleven o'clock on the following morning he took his leave, saying pointedly that after the inquest he did not expect to be obliged to bother Mr. Amberley further in the matter. There was some justification for his unfriendliness, for he had once worked on a case with Mr. Amberley, who had entered into it almost by accident and stayed to bring about a particularly neat conviction. The inspector had not enjoyed that case; in fact, he had been heard to say that he never wanted to set eyes on Mr. Amberley again.
    Out of deference to Sir Humphrey's dislike of such topics the murder was not discussed at Greythorne. Frank played tennis with his cousin during the afternoon and in the evening motored her to Norton Manor, which was situated seven miles to the east of Upper Nettlefold and about three from Greythorne.
    The manor was a house dating from the early eighteenth century. It presented a gracious facade of stone and old red brick, and stood in a small park through which the river Nettle wound its way under overhanging willows. Inside, the house had the finely proportioned rooms of its period, but was furnished in a heavy style that spoke ill for the late Mr. Fountain's taste.
    Amberley and his cousin were admitted by a tightlipped man of medium height who was fulfilling the duties of