***
The door opened and a dark-skinned woman looked down at Orange impatiently. “May I help you?”
“Police.” Orange presented his badge hopefully. “I need to speak to the master of the house.”
“I am the Master of the house at present as the Mistress is under the weather and the young Master has gone to bed for the evening.”
Orange bit his tongue. It was highly unusual for a colored woman to run a mansion, however the way she glowered at him made him feel like a school-boy.
He cleared his throat. “I heard a gunshot.”
“I can hardly help you with that, young man.”
“It came from this direction,” Orange pushed at the door. “I’m going to need to take a look around.” Upon seeing a glimpse into the entryway, he all but choked on his own tongue. “What in heaven’s name happened here?”
The
