Story... Part 3

As Wexley and Mr. Mardling stood facing one another with the facts laid out, Miss Endicott swiftly rounded the corner with her unfortunate companion looking somewhat miffed. In a perplexed voice she wondered, "My Lord Wexley, who was that grinning buffoon I just had the misfortune of tripping over in the garden?"

Before Thomas or Mr. Mardling had the opportunity to inquire, the most ridiculous looking of men came gamboling down the corridor.

"My dear Mardling I have just been to the location where the body was found and simply could not bring myself to investigate the scene any further! The frog population of that pond is markedly high today, and amphibians en mass can inflict ghastly injuries indeed! Since I was a child I have known them to be particularly aggressive and hostile this time of year and I shall not be the target of their rampage today! There will not be two corpses in the water this morn! I say good day sir!" With that, the foppish man lollied back from whence he came, murmuring to himself, snippets of the need for him to thoroughly cleanse his hands and feet of pond scum coming back to their ears.

With a look of dismay Miss Endicott once again turned to the two and queried, "Seriously, who was that?!?"

Without looking from the notepad in his hand, Mardling replied, "Oh that was just Luis. Have no fear Miss, I will be replacing him henceforth."

To be continued...