Chapter 813 INTERVIEW (XVIII)　　”IF you didn’t know that a murder would occur, then, why did you say that the burnt corpse was William Harcourt?” Luo Yan asked.

”It’s because of the note I found when I returned in my room. The note instructed me to do that,” Peter said nervously. “Please, you must believe me. I really didn’t know that it would actually be like that.”

A note? “Do you still have the note?”

”Yes!” 

Peter quickly took out a small crumpled white paper from his pocket and gave it to him. Luo Yan opened it and read what’s inside.

[Once you’re called to the master’s bedroom and the detective asked you something, you must say ‘yes, it’s Mr. Harcourt’.] – Mr. H.

Luo Yan frowned. The note was typewritten, so it’s impossible to identify the sender via handwriting. “This, Mr. H, was he the one who hired you?”

”Yes! I didn’t saw his face, if you wanted to ask. We only communicated through correspondence,” Peter said. “I’m not really the type to just believe anyone that said do something in return for me. Especially if I didn’t even meet the guy personally. But this guy sent me half of the money I needed to pay for compensation. He said I will receive the last half once my job here is done. So, what can a poor guy like me do?”

Luo Yan put the note inside the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He had a hunch that this vehicular accident was actually not an ‘accident’ but something deliberate so they could force this theater actor to act as a fake doctor. As one of ‘the four’, he had no doubt that the other most likely knew that too.

After asking a few more question, he told Peter that he’s now free to leave.

It was finally the turn of the servants. The first one he called inside was the maid. The other looked nervous and jumpy. But Luo Yan could tell that it was not out of guilt. It was simply the normal nervousness that a simple person would feel if they were faced with an authoritative figure. 

He first asked the maid her whereabouts after dinner and during 12 and 1 AM. She said that she was working – washing dishes and the likes – and that the head maid could corroborate that. He didn’t doubt it and proceed to the next topic.

”You’ve only been working here for a few months, right?” he asked.

”Y-yes, sir.”

”Is Gilmore already the butler when you were hired as a maid here?” 

The maid showed a confused expression, as if she couldn’t understand what his question had to do with anything. But at the end, she still answered truthfully, “Yes, sir.”

”Was he and the other servants hired the same time as you?” 

The maid shook her head. “No, sir. The footman was the only hired the same time as me. The head maid and the driver were already here when we arrived. And then Mr. Gilmore and the cook arrived with Mr. Harcourt.”

Luo Yan raised one of his brows. The head maid and Saunders were the former servants who were called back here. So, it was understandable that they were already in the manor before the newly hired servants. What’s surprising to him was the fact that Gilmore and his mother – the cook – actually came back with William Harcourt. Did they live with him in the Americas?

He wrote that detail down on his notepad. He’d better ask about that later when he interviewed Gilmore. 

”How can you describe the relationship between the servants and Mr. Harcourt?” he asked.

”Nothing special, sir. Except for Mr. Gilmore, Mr. Harcourt treated everyone as how a servant should be treated.”

”So, he’s close with the butler?”

”Yes, sir. It’s hard to put a name to it, but it’s like how an elder in the family would treat someone from the younger generation,” the maid smiled embarrassingly. “Sorry if I don’t make sense, sir.”

Luo Yan smiled back, making the girl blush. “Oh no, what you said is very helpful. Then how about his relationship with Gilmore’s mother? Are they close?”

The maid was silent for a few seconds, as if thinking of the answer to that question. “I don’t think so, sir. I think it’s just normal? I never really saw Mr. Harcourt treating Mrs. Gilmore in a different manner compared to the others.”

Hah, now that puts a hamper to the conjecture forming in his mind. – Luo Yan thought.

”Then, how can you describe the servants’ relationship with each other?”

”Hmm… well, the head maid, Mrs. Green, is pretty strict so the footman doesn’t like her that much. I’m fine with it though, since in the previous house I worked in, the head maid was much stricter. Mrs. Green doesn’t like Mr. Saunders. I heard one time that she told him how he could be so shameless as to work here again. Mr. Saunders only told her that it’s none of her business.”

That’s interesting. Luo Yan didn’t cut off the other and let her continue speaking.

”Mrs. Gilmore mainly kept to herself. The only person she mostly interacted with is her son. On the other hand, Mr. Gilmore is very friendly. Everyone here likes him. Even the strict Mrs. Green.”

Luo Yan nodded, he already had an image in his mind on how the servants interacted with each other. And now, to ask the most important question.

”Earlier, I didn’t see Mr. Saunders. Do you know where he is?”

”Oh, he left before dinner. Mr. Saunders is actually on leave. He just came back today to drive all the guests here to the manor,” the maid said. “I hope he would try to come back tomorrow. Then, once he saw the landslide, he could call the authorities for help. I- I don’t really want to be here, with the dead body and all,” she added, hugging herself.

Luo Yan doubted that would happen. Because he had a feeling that old Saunders was now lying on the master’s bedroom, all burnt to a crisp.

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