"While we're on it, what's the angle on this butler's livery
I was supposed to bring? I brought my tux, and I borrowed a striped vest
from the Theatrical Property Exchange, and I brought that Dago .380 of
yours. But what makes you think the Flemings are going to be needing a
new butler? You going to poison the one they have?"
"The one they have has been exceeding his duties," Rand said. "He was
supposed to clean the pistol-collection. Not content with that, he's
been cleaning it out. I know it was the butler." He went, at length,
into his reasons for thinking so, and described the _modus operandi_ of
the thefts. "Now, all this is just theory, so far, but when I'm able to
prove it, I'm going to put the arm on this Walters, if it's right in the
middle of dinner and he only has the roast half served. And I want you
ready to step into the vacancy thus created. I'm going to be busy as a
pup in a fireplug factory with this Rivers thing, and I'll need some
checking-upping done inside the Fleming household."
He went on, in meticulous detail, to explain about the Rivers murder.
"I'll have some work for you, before you're ready to start buttling,
too." Disencumbering himself of the two percussion revolvers, he laid
them on the table.
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