Mrs. Jeffries Pinches the Post by Emily Brightwell Page A

do.”
    “I realize you’re in a delicate situation, but murder is murder. You really must cooperate. We need that guest list. I’ll take full responsibility.” Witherspoon was amazed that someone would be worried about etiquette when there’d been murder done.
    “I suppose it’ll be all right.” Duffy sighed and started to get up.
    The inspector waved him back to his seat. “You can get it when we’ve finished. I’ve a few more questions. Do you recall what time Mr. Nye left the house last night?”
    “Oh dear, I’m not sure I know the exact time. But it was quite late.”
    “Just give me your best estimate.”
    “I know it was after eleven.” Duffy stroked his chin. “Because I’d overheard Mrs. Ryker ask Mr. Ryker for the time a few minutes before they actually left. They were one of the last to leave, and I’d gotten them a hansom. As I went back into the house to see if Mr. Lionel needed a hansom as well, Mr. Nye was coming out. He didn’t say where he was going, he simply instructed me to leave the back door unbolted.”
    “I see.” Witherspoon nodded. “And you say this was about eleven o’clock?”
    Duffy thought for a moment. “Maybe fifteen past the hour. I overheard the Rykers sometime before they actually left the house.”
    “You’re sure Mr. Nye gave no indication of where he was going?”
    “None whatsoever, and it wasn’t, of course, my place to ask.”
    “Was Mr. Nye in the habit of going out late at night by himself?” Witherspoon thought that a rather good question.
    “Well.” Duffy frowned thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t say he was in the ‘habit of doing’ such a thing. But he was a man who did as he pleased, if you get my meaning. There were several other occasions I can think of when he went out late at night.”
    “Mrs. Nye didn’t object?” the inspector asked. Being a lifelong bachelor, he was no expert on marriage, but he did think that wives tended to be curious about their husbands disappearing in the middle of the night.
    The butler glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was lurking about the hallway. Then he leaned closer to the inspector. “The first time it happened, she had a right fit. That was just after they married, two years ago.”
    “But he continued doing it?”
    Again, the butler looked over his shoulder. “He kept on doing it, but after that terrible row, he never went out until after Mrs. Nye had retired for the night.”
    “Wasn’t he concerned that she’d wake up and want to know where he was?” This was getting very curious.
    “No. Mrs. Nye never gets up once she retires. As a matter of fact, from the day she came to this house as a bride, the staff had strict instructions not to bother her after she’d gone to bed. Seems the mistress is a very light sleeper, and once she gets awakened, she’s up for hours. Of course, there are some in the household that think the mistress wasn’t to be disturbed because … well … oh dear, I really oughtn’t to say.”
    “Say what? I assure you anything you say will be held in the strictest confidence unless it directly involves Mr. Nye’s murder,” Witherspoon promised.
    “Well, we think Mr. Nye didn’t want us to disturb Mrs. Nye because she’s tied to her bed….”
    The inspector felt a blush creep up his face.
    “None of us have actually seen it,” the butler continued quietly. “But it would certainly explain why the master and the mistress were insistent she never be disturbed. Of course it stands to reason, doesn’t it?”
    “Stands to reason,” Witherspoon repeated. He was too embarrassed to even look at Barnes. He’d heard of people doing unusual things in the privacy of their own bed chambers, but it wasn’t the sort of thing he was comfortable talking about.
    “Of course it does,” Duffy replied. “She could hurt herself otherwise. I’m sure it’s rather undignified, but it’s better than letting her get hurt when she begins her nocturnal