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Chapter 50
“Somehow, that’s disappointing.”
Those were the first words Ian said after I told him about the fight I had just witnessed between Lucy and Patrick.
For the past three days, Ian had been busy with “count’s business” and kept going out, so we hadn’t had a chance to talk. It seemed he finally had some free time today.
“They say there’s nothing more entertaining than watching a fight. It’s a shame I missed such a spectacle.”
“What kind of terrible hobby is that?!”
“There’s truth hidden in the sayings people pass around. Besides, isn’t that why you secretly watched the whole thing from beginning to end, Miss?”
“I wanted to leave, but I missed my chance and ended up having to watch. I’m not joking—I really thought something terrible was about to happen.”
As I said that, something suddenly occurred to me, and I looked around the room.
“By the way, Ian. Lucy and Patrick were screaming at each other like that outside. Didn’t you hear any of it?”
“Not at all.”
Ian shrugged.
“I’ve noticed this before, but even though the East Wing building is old, the walls and doors are surprisingly sturdy. Once the door is closed, it’s very well soundproofed.
Besides, those two were fighting on the first floor, right? We’re on the second floor. Since we’re on different floors, the sound didn’t carry.”
“It’s not just the East Wing. The West Wing is the same.”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s just… When Jane had her accident on the stairs, the police asked if anyone had heard anything. Apparently everyone in the West Wing said they hadn’t because the soundproofing was too good. That’s what one of the maids from the West Wing told me.
So I started wondering… even if a murder happened somewhere inside this mansion, maybe nobody would hear anything because the soundproofing is so good.”
Ian smiled as if he couldn’t help himself.
“Miss, you keep worrying about things like that because you’ve been playing detective.”
“What’s bothering me is actually something else.”
After a moment of thought, I continued.
“It’s Patrick Morgan, the acting head butler. What do you think of him, Ian?”
“Well. I’ve never really spoken to him.”
Ian tilted his head slightly.
“I have seen him stumbling around drunk from time to time. We occasionally run into each other near the wine cellar. He seems mindful of the mansion’s scrutiny, so he doesn’t take the expensive liquor.”
“Come to think of it, acting head butlers seem to share a love of alcohol.”
“Miss, I enjoy drinking, but I don’t get drunk enough to make mistakes.”
“Anyway. Patrick has a lot of resentment toward the Flanigan family.”
At that, Ian nodded.
“Given his circumstances, it’s understandable that he would.”
“But when he was fighting with Lucy earlier, he said something strange.”
Ian frowned slightly.
“Something strange?”
“Yeah. He said all the women of the Flanigan family would be dead soon.”
“What nonsense. Even if he was angry, that’s a rather nasty curse.”
Ian dismissed it as though it were nothing, but Patrick’s words still bothered me.
“But Ian. What if it wasn’t just a curse?”
“If it wasn’t, then what was it? Have you finally decided to believe the ghost’s curse like the other maids?”
“No. I’m not talking about ghosts.”
I cut him off immediately.
“I’m wondering whether Patrick might have had something to do with Aileen’s death and the deaths of the other sisters.”
Ian’s frown deepened.
“You mean Patrick killed Aileen’s sisters and disguised it as suicide or an accident?”
“I’m not saying Patrick harmed all three of them. But it’s true that he resents the entire Flanigan family, isn’t it? So maybe, when people in the family started dying one after another, he took advantage of it to make the atmosphere around the mansion even more ominous.”
I explained my reasoning as enthusiastically as I could, but Ian still looked unconvinced.
“Miss, if that were true, I doubt he’d go around openly saying that all the women of the Flanigan family are going to die. If anything happened, he’d be the first person people would suspect.”
“Not every criminal is smart enough to plan the perfect crime like the villains in detective novels. Real criminals get caught because they make mistakes.
And besides, when he was fighting with Lucy earlier, his face was completely red and his tongue was slurring. It looked like he’d been drinking heavily in broad daylight. Maybe he was so drunk that he accidentally let something slip.”
As I was saying that, another thought occurred to me.
“Ah! Maybe after Aileen and Anne died and people started talking about Lady Alice Norma’s curse, he took advantage of that and pushed Jane down the stairs, making it look like an accident. And maybe he plans to keep harming members of the Flanigan family the same way.”
“Miss.”
Ian sighed.
“You’ve made quite a few assumptions before, but this time you’re really stretching things.”
“I know there’s no evidence.”
I spoke a little more quietly.
“But it’s suspicious, isn’t it? He’s probably the person who holds the most resentment toward the Flanigan family. And he said something so ominous.”
“First of all, if he truly resented the Flanigan family that much, he wouldn’t only target the women. Of course, there are cowards who can’t stand up to people stronger than themselves and take out their frustration on women and children instead.
And if every servant dissatisfied with their employer committed murder, there wouldn’t be anyone left alive. A servant without complaints simply doesn’t exist.”
I stared at Ian for a moment.
“So you have complaints about me too?”
“Why don’t you place your hand on your heart and think about that yourself, Miss?”
With a mischievous expression, Ian continued.
“Patrick’s words were certainly ominous. But saying ‘everyone will die’ is hardly a confession to murder. It would be different if he had said, ‘I killed them.’ It’s far more reasonable to assume he was simply saying whatever came to mind in the heat of the moment.”
“Now that I hear you explain it, that does sound reasonable. I suppose solving a case instantly like a detective isn’t easy.”
I said that and started toward the door, only to stop abruptly.
“Miss, what is it?”
“Wait, Ian. I think I’m remembering something…”
It was painful to revisit the terrifying memory of the attack. But there was something lingering at the edge of my mind. I forced myself to stay calm and tried to remember what had happened.
“At the time, there was definitely a smell…”
“Hm?”
At that moment, I suddenly realized what I had forgotten.
I spun around to face Ian.
“The smell of alcohol! It was definitely alcohol!”
I waved my arms excitedly.
“Because it happened inside the wine cellar, I must have assumed it was normal and ignored it. But it wasn’t! It wasn’t the usual smell I associate with the wine cellar!”
“Miss, please explain more clearly. What do you mean by the smell of alcohol?”
“When I was attacked! Right before it happened, I smelled something behind me. I was too panicked at the time to think about it, but now I remember—it was alcohol!”
“Alcohol…”
Ian’s expression changed instantly.
Until now he had been listening with casual indifference, but suddenly he became frighteningly serious.
I nodded.
“There’s only one person in this mansion who walks around reeking of alcohol in broad daylight!”
“Do you really…”
Ian spoke in a low voice.
It was much deeper than his usual tone, and somehow it sounded chilling.
“Do you really believe that Patrick was the one who attacked you?”
“Well…”
I hesitated.
“To be honest, I can’t be certain. I didn’t see his face or even what he was wearing. I only remember the smell of alcohol. It’s suspicious, but I can’t definitively say he’s the culprit.”
Ian seemed to think for a moment before speaking again, his face still rigid.
“I’ll investigate him myself. I’ll find out where he was that day, what he was doing, and whether anyone saw him. I’ll question every servant in this mansion if I have to.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him too.”
“No, Miss. You are not going anywhere near him.”
“Huh?”
“I cannot allow you to be put in danger a second time. Do not go anywhere near that man.”
“But Patrick hasn’t even been proven to be the culprit yet.”
“Until it is proven beyond doubt that he isn’t, you are not to go anywhere near him. I mean that. If I think you’re continuing to put yourself in danger, I’ll take you straight back to Whittington Manor.”
“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”
I didn’t particularly like how Ian kept threatening to send me back to Whittington Manor whenever he was worried, but I knew he was only saying it because he cared about me, so I agreed without protest.
As I was about to leave Ian’s room, he spoke again in that same low voice.
“Miss, if Patrick truly is the one who attacked you…”
“Hm?”
“I won’t let him live.”
“Yeah, well, I was planning to beat him half to death myself.”
“I’m serious.”
Ian’s voice remained low and calm.
But that was when I learned for the first time that a quiet voice could be far more frightening than shouting or losing one’s temper.
