Letty answered. “Why don’t you go on upstairs to the library, Inspector? I’ll bring you what you want in a moment.” She turned back to the staff room. “Dorothea!” she said, poking her head around the door. “No, I don’t want to disturb you again—you’re all to take a half hour off. It occurs to me that while I’m down here and standing in for Lady Merriman, I may as well initial the daybook.” Dorothea, hiccupping gently, dabbed her lips with a lace handkerchief and raised a little finger in acknowledgement. “Of course, Mistress! She would have counted on doing it last night.” She took down a ledger from a corner shelf by the fireplace and handed it to Letty. Letty looked about her, taking in the scene, and tucked the book under her arm. “Carry on, all of you. I’ll take this upstairs with me. And take a moment to make a note of the … changed circumstances …” she added confidentially. ———— “There you are! The daybook.” Letty placed it on the desk in front of Montacute.
