Sometimes, sometimes, he could swear he used his deductive skills far more in the presumed inadequacies of the maids than in actual investigative work. Was the maid dead? No blood. Of course there would be no blood. She wore all white because she was impeccably clean with her … pass-times.

… Scuffs on the doors aside.

“Unacceptable,” he agreed.

He always agreed.

“I shall look for the mouse and fire the maid.”

Again. Allah Allah. How long until Whitby ran out of starving young girls? He’d have to start kidnapping them at this rate.

“And I shall decline her a reference. A fate worse than death,” he added with a slightly piqued smile.

‘A fate worse than death’. He emphasized that last part a lot when it came to replacing the help.

... They usually got a written reference and a train ticket, Allah forbid his sister ever find out.