“Good show. Brilliant idea,” Oona said. “I’ll tell Treadwell. He’s making apple dumplings with the help of your girl, Georgie. I must say she’s a good little cook.”

“Queenie?” I asked. “She’s a good cook?”

“Yes. And so willing. She was obviously so upset by what she did last night that she’s been trying desperately to be helpful.”

This did not sound like Queenie at all. I was almost tempted to tiptoe into the kitchen and see if her body had been taken over by one of the family ghosts, when the girl herself appeared, carrying a tray.

“Mr. Treadwell told me to bring these through to the sitting room,” she said. “They’re cheese straws. Just came out of the oven.”

She looked around for somewhere to put them. As usual there was no clear surface. But Oona stepped up and took the tray from her. “I’ll pass them around, my dear. Will you make sure the table is laid in the dining room? We’ll be four for dinner. Mr. O’Mara will not be staying, I regret to say.”

I waited for her to say “Bob’s yer uncle” but to my astonishment she said, “Very good, Lady Whyte.”

Champagne was poured. Cheese straws were handed around as we related the events of the day.

“I knew young Thaddy couldn’t have done it,” Dooley said. “Now the truth will come out. Well done.”

“We’re not home free yet, Uncle Dooley,” Darcy said. “Chief Inspector Callahan will take some convincing. But at least he’ll be held up from going ahead with the trial until all the facts are in, and that could take a while.”

On that somber note Darcy bade us farewell. I followed him to the front door, where he gave me a chaste but tender kiss.

“Take care of yourself, won’t you?” I whispered.

He gave me a questioning look.

“I’m wondering whether Barney’s death was an accident, and I’m beginning to believe that Mickey is at the bottom of this whole thing. He watched me talking to Barney earlier when I asked him about Professor Peabody. And a little while later Barney is dead. You and your father should take extra care.”

Darcy nodded. “But if he is behind all this, then why wait this long to kill Roach? He’s been with him—what—four years? Plenty of opportunity to kill him before then and plenty of chances to make it look like an accident too. Kilhenny is an old castle. There are crooked steps, dark corners, lots of opportunities to give someone a push.”

I had to grin. “If we ever live there and I come into money, then I’ll watch my back.”

“Are you likely to come into money?” he asked. There was the slightest hint of a smile on that worried face.