Shade steps forward. 'I'm Jack Novelle. Is Stevens here?'
The young butler bows slightly. 'Of course, sir. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. Please come in. Stevens is currently in the kitchen. I'll go and get him.'
'No need,' Shade says, walking through the foyer to the back of the house.
We follow him to the kitchens where we find Stevens sitting at a table in a wheelchair reading the paper. He looks up at us as we come in.
‘Miss Marguerite, you’re back,’ he exclaims warmly. ‘I’m so glad they found you!’
I smile. ‘Thank you, Stevens. Me, too.’
'When did you get out of the hospital?' Shade asks, coming forward and shaking his hand.
'At the end of last week,' he says with a smile.
He gestures at the wheelchair. 'I'm afraid I'll be in this contraption for the next month, however.’
He rolls his eyes and looks over at the butler who answered the door. 'I hope young Percy here didn't make a fool of himself.'
The new butler winces a little at Stevens' harsh tone, but says nothing.
'I suggest you begin familiarizing yourself with the binder I’ve given you,’ Stevens says to Percy who nods and leaves the room, going in the direction of Stevens’ office behind the kitchen.
‘My condolences, Master Jack,' Stevens says to Shade, looking somber.
'Thank you for the sentiment, Stevens,' Shade murmurs. 'But you know we weren't close.'
'Just so, sir. I should tell you, I've been told to expect Master Andrew shortly.'
'Yeah, he called me this morning and said he was heading up. I didn't figure he'd waste any time.'
Stevens just nods.
'I wondered if I could get into my father's office.'
'I'm afraid it's been locked, sir,' Stevens murmurs. 'On your father’s instruction, in the event of his passing the room was to be secured. One of the family lawyers came not an hour after we received news of the crash. He took the key with him.'
'Fuck, we're too late,’ Shade grinds out.
‘Indeed, sir,’ Stevens replies, looking around the kitchen slowly, as if making sure no one else is listening.
'However,' he says very quietly, 'I believe there is a spare on top of the bookcase in the hallway outside the door. You see, your father once locked himself in his office and then got himself roaring drunk. No one could get in until he’d sobered up and unlocked the door himself. This was years ago, of course, not long after your mother... As a result, I had a copy made and kept there, should I ever need to enter in an emergency.'
Shade’s relief is palpable. ‘Do we have your permission to go in?’
'Of course.’
‘What about the camera?’ he asks. ‘We don’t want a record of us being in there.’
‘I actually turned it off remotely this morning,’ Blake murmurs with a small smirk. ‘No one will know we were here.’
If Stevens is surprised that Blake has access to the house systems, he doesn’t say, but I think he does give Blake an assessing look over the top of his China cup as he takes a sip of his tea.
‘I would ensure that none of the staff see you, though. Over the past few weeks, some employees have proven to be untrustworthy, and I had not yet been able to speak to your father about procuring new hired help before his passing.'
'Don't trust the staff. Got it, Stevens,' Blake says, turning on his heel with a mock salute.
He goes out of the kitchen first, and we follow on his heels.
