"What made you go to look for him? Don't tell me you were expecting this to happen."
"Oh no," said Amberley. "We were on our way to speak to you, that's all."
Fountain shook his head. "I can't get over it. It's a ghastly business. My God, it makes one wonder who next?"
The sergeant came back into the room and asked Mr. Fountain to be good enough to answer a few questions. Fountain was quite ready to answer anything he could, but had little information to give. The valet had been in his room at half-past seven when he went up to dress for dinner. He had not seen him since then, nor thought about him until, on going up to bed shortly before midnight, he had found nothing prepared for him. He had rung the bell; Baker had answered it and had said that Collins had not been in the servants' hall at suppertime.. He had gone to look in his room and found it empty.
Fountain admitted that he had felt suspicious. Ordinarily he would have merely supposed that the man had taken French leave and slightly overstepped the mark, but certain circumstances made him think there was more to it than that. He thought it significant that the valet's disappearance occurred on the very day he had received a month's notice.
Mr. Amberley, who had picked up the current number of Punch from the table and was idly perusing it, raised his eyes at that.
"You had given him notice?"
"Yes, I had. This morning. All things considered, I thought it best. The man's been presuming on his position. And then there was that business about young Brown. The more I thought over what you said.
Amberley, the fishier the thing looked to me. Dawsoü, too. Once you start suspecting a man you don't know where to stop. And if you get into that frame of mind the only thing to do is to sack the servant."
"But Collins, if I remember rightly, had a sound alibi on the night of Dawson's murder."