There was a pause. I was dying to see what was happening. Was he taking a look around the room, examining those bedclothes? I started to sneak out of the room but then noticed Constable Hood standing guard in the doorway. Well, either standing guard or he didn’t want to have to look at that body. I suspected the latter. I stepped back before he saw me.

Then the inspector spoke again. “As housekeeper you must have a pretty good idea about what goes on here,” he said. “Was there hanky-panky going on between the master of the house and the young woman who killed him? Was he the sort who went up to London on business from time to time? Did he bring her here with hanky-panky in mind?”

“I doubt that, Inspector. He seemed genuinely surprised to see her. And I have to say frankly that I have not seen evidence of hanky-panky on his part since he came here.”

“Nevertheless, he is lying naked in another woman’s bed,” I heard him say. I crept a little closer, trying to see through the crack in the door. Then I heard him gasp. “That’s odd. His hair is wet. Had he just been out in the rain, do you think?”

“Oh no, sir. Mr. Summers always took his bath at night. I presume he’d just had his bath, which might also explain his nakedness. Should we perhaps cover him? It doesn’t seem right to have him lying there, exposed to the elements, as it were.”

“I’m afraid we should not move him or touch anything until I’ve made a thorough examination of the room. I can understand that it’s a disturbing sight for a delicate and refined woman like yourself, Mrs. Mannering. May I suggest that you let the members of the household know that I shall want to interview each of them, starting with the young lady in question and her friend. I suppose that Mrs. Summers will be in no condition to talk to me, if you’ve administered a sleeping powder. I may have to wait until the morning for her. In any case, Scotland Yard will have to be called in. Given that we’re dealing with highborn people and it’s clearly a hanging offense, I feel that it’s beyond my authority. Constable Hood?”

“Right here, sir.”

“Round up the members of the household, both above- and belowstairs. I shall want to question them all. The members of staff can be interviewed in the kitchen. In fact you can take initial statements from each of them—”