44 and a Belgian imitation of a Webley R.I.C. Model. There
weren't as many Paterson Colts as Gresham had spoken of, and the
Whitneyville Walker was absent. It went on like that; about a dozen of
the best pistols which Rand remembered having seen from two years ago
were gone, and he spotted at least twenty items which the late Lane
Fleming wouldn't have hung in his backyard privy, if he'd had one.
Well, that was to be expected. The way these pistols were arranged, the
absence of one from its hooks would have been instantly obvious. So, as
the good stuff had moved out, these disreputable changelings had moved
in.
"You had rather a shocking experience here, in Mr. Fleming's death," Rand
said, over his shoulder, to the butler.
"Oh, yes indeed, sir!" Walters seemed relieved that Rand had broken the
silence. "A great loss to all of us, sir. And so unexpected."
He didn't seem averse to talking about it, and went on at some length.
His story closely paralleled that of Gladys Fleming.
"Mr. Varcek called the doctor immediately," he said. "Then Mr. Dunmore
pointed out that the doctor would be obliged to notify either the coroner
or the police, so he called Mr. Goode, the family solicitor. That was
about twenty minutes after the shot.
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