The Butler Didn't Do It

Questions and Few Answers

“I’m sorry, before? I don’t mean to be dumb, but what do you mean when you say the police showed up before?” Brett asked, trying to be as casual as possible.

Michelle looked confused for a nanosecond and then realization dawned on her. She whispered loudly to Daniel, “He’s new,” and then turned her attention back toward Brett. “This isn’t the first time someone there’s been police here.”

Someone else got murdered! Brett realized. Then he thought, more darkly, and Gregory didn’t mention a thing.

“Oh god no! I didn’t mean to imply…” She blushed and found her footing. “This is really a great place to work. We have decent pay, once we survive the first couple years. And Rodgers is a great boss.”

Daniel nodded. “It’s not like people get murdered here every day.”

“Or ever!” The girl quickly amended, shooting Daniel a look.

Brett wished they’d stop getting distracted. “Tell us more about the girl.”

Michelle gave Brett a suspicious look. “I thought Gregory would have told you something. He and she knew each other pretty well.”

Daniel leaned in closer and whispered in a sly voice, “I heard they were---“

“Shhh—don’t be crass. Those could have just been rumors.” Despite her words, she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the edge of the nose.

Gross, young love Brett tried to hide his revulsion at their cutesiness.

Max had the opposite thought.

“Aww, you too seem cute together. Did you meet here?”

The couple smiled at Max.

Of course, they’ll listen to him, he’s got the likability of a puppy. Brett thought bitterly before he could stop himself. He felt guilty. Max was the closest thing he had to a friend here and he still couldn’t contain his judgmental impulse.

“We did!” Michelle confirmed.

“It’s nice to have someone to be close to you know?” Daniel put an arm around Michelle’s waist and tugged her closer.

Max smiled, “Yeah.”

Brett frowned, No

Max continued, “I know you don’t want to gossip but Gregory is our friend and maybe if we knew more…”

The lovers exchanged a glance. They seemed to be communicating telepathically. Daniel spoke first. “There’s honestly not much to tell.”

His love nodded. But she did add more details. “There was a girl who worked here for a couple of years. First as a scullery, then a lady’s maid.” Michelle had another sudden thought. “Although wasn’t she like a lady’s maid for only like 2 days?” She asked this question to Daniel.

The besotted man put rubbed his chin, trying to jog his memory. “Oh yeah! There was all that drama when Old Martina decided she didn’t like her for one reason or another.”

“Did you ever find out that reason?” Brett asked, annoyed.

“Who knows, that bat is as crazy as they come,” Daniel said dismissively.

“She’s here every year. She’s always lurking in a corner when you least expect it.” Michelle shuddered.

“Like a ghost,” Daniel said before he ran his fingers up Michelle’s spine. “Ooohhhh!”

Michelle shrieked and gave Daniel a series of small punches. “Stop it!”

Ugh, couples. Brett pressed on. “So she became a regular maid again?”

The couple ignored him and continued to play fight.

Max repeated the question. The couple didn’t ignore him as easily as they did Brett.

“I mean yeah, it wasn’t like she deserved to be promoted anyway, right babe?” Daniel asked his girlfriend.

Michelle pumped out her chest, looking not a little vindictive. “I’ll have you know it took me three years to get to be a “normal” maid. It certainly beats scullery work. But she was literally promoted after her first season. I can’t say I was upset when she just ran off.”

Brett’s ears perked up. “Ran off?”

Yeah. That’s why the police were here. She apparently didn’t go home so they made it a big deal did like a full investigation. She probably just ran off because no one would talk to her after her promotion besides like three people.”

“I think that purple haired chick getting promoted was even faster and more unusual.” Daniel pointed out.

The maid stuck her nose in the air and gave her hair a quick toss. Affirmative action,” She announced with confidence.

“Don’t be racist!” Chastised Daniel.

“I wasn’t!” Michelle insisted.

“You were!”

“I wasn’t!”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

They began to kiss. Brett signaled Max. “I think we should leave them alone,” He said out of the corner of his mouth.

“But we were finding out so much!” Max whispered back.

“The only thing we’re going to find out now is how babies are made, move it!” Brett grabbed Max’s arm and hauled him off. Although Max must have wanted to go since with his size he could easily have overpowered Brett.

With all the servants' someone must know something. Brett, however, was not good at ingratiating himself. Whenever he attempted to question others they simply frowned at him and changed the subject, finding a reason to leave. Or they would frown and tell him to mind his own business. He had to find someone who would talk. Hopefully, Max was having better luck.

CLANG!

A loud metallic sound on the stairs rang through the hall. Going to investigate he found Lucy, bending at the waist, arms full of metal bowls, trying to reach for one that had slipped.

“I got it.” Brett grabbed the fallen bowl, and as she held out her finger to grasp it he said. Don’t worry, go where you need to go and I can follow you.”

“Thanks.” Though her word sounded thankful her voice was… distracted. Brett had only seen her a handful of times, mostly with Gregory. Did she know anything about the girl?

He followed her into a room connected to the kitchen, where a very modern industrial dishwasher cleaned dishes to perfection. He helped her stack the bowels. After they were loaded and the machine was turned on and began to roar, Lucy turned to him. She was already very close but she leaned even closer.

“I hear you’re asking about Lynn.” She said this directly into his ear.

He looked up at her eyes, she looked almost hostile.

“Is that her name?” It was so loud he almost had to shout unless he was screaming in her ear. Lucy sighed and signaled for him to follow her. On the other side of the small room was an even smaller pantry. She motioned him inside.

It was like walking into Christmas. There were ornaments, angels, stars, glitter, bits of wreaths, and shiny decorations sticking out from every shelf. Lucy noted his look. “We only bring these out once a year so they are tucked away here since no one needs them.”

Brett returned to the topic at hand. “Was Lynn the maid who ran off?”

Lucy seemed to weigh his quested, calculated his interest and replied. “She disappeared”

“But the others said---“

“I know what they say.” Lucy snapped.

“How did you know Lynn?”

“She was hired here a couple years ago, I was still a scullery maid. We worked together a lot.”

“But you didn’t become a lady’s maid?”

“No, that honor, “ she said the word was said sarcastically, “was all for her.”

“Everyone so anal about promotions here,” Brett noted.

“There are two ways for girls to get ahead here. First, one can be undeniably good and have seniority. But the second way is faster.”

“And that is?”

“Get noticed.”

“For your work?”

“Or other things.”

Brett understood though he didn’t want to. “Was Lynn…noticed?”

“Most of us are. I think you’ll notice that most the girls who work here are, and I don’t mean to toot my own horn here, but we all are pretty attractive. “

Brett didn’t deny this. It was one of those things where if he agreed he was a dog and if didn’t he was an asshole. So he let Lucy continue.

“We liked the fact that we both had L names. Lynn and Lucy. I was the first one she told when one of the clients began to harass her.”

“Who was it?”

“Oh, it was mostly harmless, a little comment here, a little touch on the arm there. She didn’t get truly agitated till they grabbed her butt when she was cleaning one day.”

“Why didn’t she say anything to management?

Lucy had a cold expression on her face. “Davidson doesn’t like the staff to talk. He has made it clear that he won’t hold with abusive behavior but he also doesn’t want gossip. It makes it seem like he doesn’t have as much control as he likes to pretend.”

“But she became a lady’s maid later.”

“Davidson made her one. He didn’t offer an explanation to the rest of us.”

“Hello!”

“Speak of the manservant,” Lucy muttered.

Brett began to exit the closet but Lucy stopped him.

“Hold up.” She took a moment and closed her eyes. Tears began to stream down her face, her eyes became red and puffy.

“Oh god are you—.“

“Play along,” she hissed before exiting the closet.

What do you want?” Lucy sobbed at the Davidson.

“Oh, um, I just wanted to say, no one should be loitering about…” Brett heard the man stutter, unprepared to deal with a crying woman.

“I just need a moment ok!”

“Uh, sure, you…ok fine. Pull yourself together before dinner.”

How did you do that!

Lucy wiped her eyes. “Davidson has one weakness and it’s irrational tears. He doesn’t deal with emotion well if you catch him one on one.”

“Nice.”

“You better get back to work before he notices you’re gone.”

Lucy composed herself and after a moment left the room.

Brett began to wander the halls. He didn’t want to go back to work just yet. He wanted a few minutes to think. He noticed a maid at the end of the hall. The same pale quiet girl he’d seen before. She was just staring at him.

“Hey, can I help you?”

She didn’t say anything. She just continued to stare.

Brett, turned uneasily to see what she was looking at. There was no one behind him. When he turned back the girl was gone.

I should probably get back before she reports to Davidson that I’m not being lowly enough.

He made his way back to the normal drudgery of his day; almost happy he had a mystery to ponder while he did his afternoon duties.

Brett had the bright that evening after he was done with what seemed like endless washing up, to go look through Brett’s things. He was surprised to find he was not the only one with that idea in mind.

Upon entering his friend’s room he was startled to find Detective Quincy already there, digging through one of Gregory’s drawers.

“Hey!”

“Well good afternoon.” Said the detective unfazed. “Here to find something to prove your friend innocent?”

“Yeah. You?”

“The opposite.”

“Figured.” And before he could stop himself he blurted. “Did you know that there was a girl who disappeared last year?”

“You mean Lynnette Sampson?”

That sounded like it could be the same girl. “Yeah.”

“We got some calls from her father to check out the place after she ran off. But it doesn’t appear that this manor had anything to do with it.”

“How do you know that?”

“She sent letters.”

“Oh?” Said Brett with interest, imagining how someone might have forged several letters to throw detectives like Quincy off the trail.

“And I can tell what you are thinking, and no, they weren’t forged. We tested the handwriting on all of them as well as the envelope where someone licked the glue shut. They were a match to her handwriting as well as her DNA. The dates were from after she left here by several weeks, months even.”

“How did you know I’d ask that?”

“Your friend was talking about her too. It seems like you two share one brain.”

Brett puffed proudly for a moment before Quincy added, “Don’t take that as a compliment, I meant that you literally are splitting a brain between you.”

Brett glared. “So you don’t have anything on him?”

“Besides a room full of people who saw them fighting and Oscar dropping dead after he drank from the cup?” Brett bit the inside of his mouth to fight a rude retort, and the detective continued. “No, not yet. I wouldn’t look so satisfied, believe me, his dislike for the man was known.”

“Says who?”

“I have my sources. And I’m sure you don’t want to share yours?

Brett shook his head

“Then I’m afraid we have to investigate separately.”

As the detective left, Brett heard him laugh, “I don’t think I’ve competed against someone who hasn’t even graduated yet.”

Brett returned to his room. He needed to rest.

But he couldn’t.

Brett tossed and turned, unable to find any solace in sleep.

Someone was trying to walk quietly past his door. Had he been asleep he might not have noticed but he could hear the deliberate step and the squeak of loose floorboards.

Maybe someone was upset that I have been asking questions?

The nob on his door began to turn

Why didn’t I lock it!

Looking around for a weapon he found his shoe. He raised it just as the door opened.

He blinked as the light hit his face.

“Brett?”

“Max?”

“What are you doing with that shoe?”

You scared me, I thought you were an intruder and I was going to beat the s**t out of you.

He couldn’t see but he could here max smile. “With a mighty shoe?”

“Shut up, I wouldn’t have hit you. I don’t beat up my friends.”

“So we’re friends?”

Brett glared

“How about partners?” Max countered.

“That sounds doable.” Brett agreed.

“Good, because I got to lead.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but we got to move fast.”

“Why?”

“Because our lead just left the house like 5 minutes ago and we need to follow him.”

“Explain in three words.”

“Let’s follow Davidson.”