“Oh all right, I suppose.” Kat sighed. “But I’d much rather be detecting. Why don’t you protect Sissy and I’ll try to sneak down to hear what the inspector says. I do wish we’d found that secret passage. If only it went behind the Long Gallery, we could listen in on everything.”

We were met in the front hall by Huxstep. “Welcome back, my lady, Mr. O’Mara,” he said. “Perfect timing. Her Grace wants everyone assembled in the Long Gallery at five thirty. And you young scamps should be back in your nursery. Nanny was worried about you. Off you go!”

“Yes, Mr. Huxstep,” Nick answered meekly and off they went.

Huxstep gave me a knowing look as he took my overcoat and hat.

The family was already assembled in the Long Gallery. I took in the two sisters on the sofa, each with a glass of sherry in her hand. On the other sofa, Irene sat close to her mother. The Starlings were off to one side. They looked tense and nervous. So did Jack. He was sitting alone on a high-backed chair. Edwina greeted us. “The police inspector wishes to address us again,” she said. “From the look on his face, I think he’s found out something significant. Maybe our former footman has confessed. I must say I’d be surprised if it were he—always such a steady boy, I would have said. I’ve known him all his life.” She motioned to a drinks tray. “Do have some sherry, and Mrs. Broad’s cheese crisps are delicious.”

Darcy poured me a glass. I had just taken a bite of a warm cheese crisp when Chief Inspector Fairbotham marched in, accompanied by his sergeant and a constable in uniform.

“Ah, good. Everyone here,” he said, rubbing his big hands as he looked around us. “Splendid. Well, I’ve some news to impart to you . . . or perhaps one of you at least already knows what I’m going to say.”

“What are you talking about?” Edwina snapped. “How can we possibly know what you’re going to say? Speak up, man. Out with it.”

The inspector was still rubbing his hands. It looked as though he was enjoying this moment. “Well,” he said dramatically, “the medical officer has performed a preliminary autopsy and has told me something quite unexpected.” He took a deep breath. “The MO is sure that Cedric Altringham was already dead when he was stabbed in the back.”

“So that’s why there was so little blood!” I blurted out. The others turned to look at me in surprise. “I knew that something wasn’t right,” I added.

“And you were spot on, Lady Georgiana,” the inspector said.

“Why on earth would anyone want to stab a dead man?” Edwina demanded.

“Why indeed?” Fairbotham said.

“So what did kill my son?” Edwina asked. “Do you know that?”