WHAT THE BUTLER SAW ......
IN THE DARK
As Zelda began wringing the rain water out of her sodden clothes she heard distant laughter, shrieking, screams, and the sound of angry gibbering!
"Great," she muttered, "they've started the meeting without me."
"I'd better get a move on it before Adrian finishes off all the hors d'œuvres and the best wine."
Glancing about the darkened hallway to gain her bearings, she noted the suits of armor looming over her in a flash of the constant lightning. In a second flash of lightning, the armor was gone!
"Has Alex been re-decorating?" she mused. "I don't remember MR ever having suits of armor before."
As she groped her way towards where she remembered the stairwell was supposed to be, Zelda felt the prickling sensation between her shoulder blades that meant either she was being watched by silent, hidden eyes, or that something had hitched a ride on her clamber up the drain pipe. Slapping her back for defense or courage, she continued toward (she hoped) the stairwell to the MR offices ...
and promptly fell flat on her face. In a pool of sticky fluid containing a recumbent and silent form. She froze until the next flash of lightning occurred ... revealing a man's body in a pool of red, sticky fluid. Under the man's hand was a paperback book awash in the crimson fluid. Zelda could just make out the title "What the Butler Saw" written by Rock Lobster. "Jeesh, who reads the pulps anymore" she pondered.
Zelda slowly reached out a trembling, yet resolute, hand and turned the body's head towards her ... revealing the horribly contorted visage of .... pshrynk!
"Oh no, not again mon frère" screamed Zelda! "Une fois ne t'a suffi donc pas?"
*cough*
"May I be of assistance?" inquired a soft, discreet, and highly cultured voice directly behind her.
Zelda tried to rise, whirl about, and raise her fists all in the same motion ... only to pitch forward into the chest of the tall, formally dressed man, who coughed discreetly and said "If Madam would please step this way on to the dry floor." As he led Zelda away from the gently floating body, Zelda looked up and squeaked "DaleDe! What's happening here tonight? Who killed pshrynk ... again? Why did Alex send out for all the Mods to attend an emergency meeting tonight?"
"My name is Jeeves, mum" replied the stately figure with a flickering candle in his upraised left hand, directing his gaze at a point 2 inches over Zelda's right shoulder. "We heard your somewhat impromptu arrival, and Colonel Alex has directed me to locate you and convey you to the study."
"Errrmmm," politely clearing his throat first, Jeeves continued "I'm afraid you will be liable for all damages incurred by the drain pipe."
"If you would step this way please." Jeeves placed a white-gloved hand under Zelda's elbow and ushered here firmly toward the staircase.
"But ... but ... what about pshrynk? He's dead! Lying in a pool of his own blood!"
"M'enfin, ne me dis pas que tu le vois pas, plus près il te mordrait !"
"Not to worry mum," murmured Jeeves in a confident tone, "housekeeping will clean up any mess left by the storm. Watch your step now, the stairs are slippery."
[This must be continued!]
[Is history repeating itself?]
[Or is the murderer reducing global warming by recycling the corpse?]