Day 2 - Palmer & Pickering

"Perhaps you can tell us, Mr. Madison, when was the last time Memphis left on such a trip, prior to this current disappearance? Might you know where he traveled to?"

"Well, if we are to look over the home and investigate, it seems this to be a place you know much better than any of us. Is there anything we should be aware of? Nothing particularly or abnormally dangerous or curious to your eye, is there?"

"Right, ok," Yuna leans forward, a glean in her eye, "So, Mr. Madison. What you've told us is two men were killed there, you watch the home, take care of it, there's nothing out of the ordinary and nothing dangerous otherwise. In a sense, you have told us absolutely nothing that Mr. Pickering couldn't have told us. So why did he bring you in here? Why talk to us at all?"

Charles brings the cup of coffee, which had been offered at reception, up to his lips; the perfect way to hide the smile breaking across his face.

The reporter had a keen mind, and a cutting way with words. Charles often fancied himself in such a way, but he couldn’t quite get a handle on his verbosity.

Yuna's eyes narrow, a thin smile hitting her lips. "Right, three. How clumsy of me. Now - that's an interesting point. I had assumed they shot each other, but that's also rather clumsy on my part. I'm guessing from your hesitation these circumstances were not so clear-cut, hmm?"

A look of horror on his face, Barrington shudders at Mr Gardener's gruesome description of the death scene. Collecting himself, he swallows and then asks:

"Do I understand right, Mr Gardener, that three people had stabbed, cut, and hanged each other? Or was that just the fate of two of them, and something else - I assume similarly awful - happened to a third? Or is the third person you refer to the twitching-fingered severed hand?"

"A follow up to that - do you surmise that all three people were burglars? If that is what you assume for two of them, then what of the third?"

"And finally - why didn't you tell us that a third person was involved from the beginning?"

"A groundskeeper may be needed on the question of a fourth. Perhaps, if you were to imagine yourself as a criminal man, you might tell us where such a trio, if indeed it was three, might enter the property.

A hedge that allows access to the grounds, but is hidden to the eye? A gate, unknown to most, left unlocked for ease of passage after hours?

It’s there we may find a four-set of prints entering the property, and a single set returning.

If indeed there was a fourth. Besides that, it sounds like it may be necessary to engage with the police on the grisly details!"

"Ah, well… perhaps the fourth brother will remain in our dramatic retellings of this story at dinners with our associates!" he says, giving a brief laugh to signal the book being closed on the issue.

"I suspect our keen eyed reporter here will have a contact at the police department. Would that be right, Ms. Yuna?"

John sat quietly, knowing to many questions could confuse things. He tried his best to keep the details straight.

"I do," Yuna says with a nod, "and it appears we've exhausted the limits of your assistance for the time being. Mr. Gardener, thank you for your time. I could have follow-up questions, if you'll remain in town. Will you continue to be staying at Memphis's home, or...?"

Yuna quickly takes the key and smiles, "Yes, of course. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Pickering."