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murdered. He took a shaky breath.  Because it was someone of his
acquaintance. Another churchman, I think.
 What? Now he had Wetron s entire attention, even if not his
belief.
Tellman met his eyes without flinching.  Yes sir. Apparently,
there s something in the woman s notes, Miss Lamont I mean,
which could prove it, now we know who she meant.
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SOUTHAMPTON ROW
 What is it, man? Wetron demanded.  Don t stand there talk-
ing in riddles!
 That s it, sir. Mr. Pitt can t be sure until he sees the papers in
Miss Lamont s home. He hurried on before Wetron could interrupt
him again, forcing his voice to rise as if in excitement.  It ll still be
hard to prove it. But if we were to tell the newspapers that we have
the information . . . of course, we don t need to mention Mr. Pitt, if
you don t think it s a good idea . . . then whoever this man is, and
he is probably the one who killed her, then he may very well betray
himself by going to Southampton Row.
 Yes, yes, Tellman, you don t need to spell it out for me!
Wetron said sharply.  I understand what you are suggesting. Let me
give it some thought.
 Yes sir.
 We ll keep Pitt out of it, I think. You should go to Southamp-
ton Row. After all, it s your case. He made the point deliberately,
watching Tellman s face.
Tellman made himself smile.  Yes sir. I don t know why Special
Branch got involved with it at all. Unless, of course, it was because
of Sir Charles Voisey?
Wetron sat very still.  What has it to do with Voisey? You re
not imagining the man implicated by the cartouche was Voisey, are
you? There was heavy ridicule in his tone, and the curl of his smile
was bitter, tinged with mockery and regret.
 Oh no, sir, Tellman said quickly.  We re pretty sure that
Maude Lamont was blackmailing at least some of her clients, cer-
tainly the three that were there the night she was killed.
 Over what? Wetron asked carefully.
 Different things, but not for money, for certain behavior in the
present political campaign that was helpful to Sir Charles Voisey.
Wetron s eyes widened.
 Indeed? That s a rather odd accusation, Tellman. I suppose you
are aware of exactly who Sir Charles is?
 Yes sir! He s a most distinguished appeal court judge who is
now standing for a seat in Parliament. He was recently knighted by
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ANNE PERRY
Her Majesty, but I don t know exactly what for, except word has it
that it was something remarkably brave. He said it with reverence,
and watched Wetron s lips tighten and the muscles stand out cord-
hard on his neck. Perhaps Lady Vespasia was right?
 And has Pitt got some reason to believe all this? Wetron
asked.
 Yes sir. Tellman kept his voice perfectly level, not too assured.
 There is some very definite connecting link. It all makes a lot of
sense. We re that far from it! He held up his finger and thumb
about an inch apart.  We just need to flush this man out, and then
we can prove it. Murder s a very nasty crime indeed, any way you
want to look at it, and this one especially. Choked the woman.
Looks like he put his knee in her chest and forced this stuff down
her throat until she died.
 Yes, you don t need to be graphic, Inspector, Wetron said
tartly.  I ll call the press and tell them. You get on with finding the
proof you need. He bent to the paper he had been reading before
he was interrupted. It was dismissal.
 Yes sir. Tellman stood to attention, then turned on his heel.
He did not breathe a sigh of relief, or allow his body to let go of the
tension and shiver until he was halfway down the stairs again.
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CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Pitt returned immediately to Vespasia, this time writing a note
which he handed to the maid, then he waited in the morning
room. He believed Vespasia was one person who would refrain from
judging his part in Wray s death, but he could not bring himself to
assume it before he had seen her. He waited, pacing the floor, his
hands sweating, his breath ragged.
He spun around when the morning room door opened, expect-
ing the maid to tell him either that Lady Vespasia would see him or
that she would not. But it was Vespasia herself who was there. She
came in and closed the door behind her, shutting out the servants
and, from the look on her face, the rest of the world.
 Good morning, Thomas. I assume you have come because you
have some plan of battle, and a part in it for me? You had better tell
me what it is. Are we to fight alone, or do we have allies?
Her use of the plural was the most heartening thing she could
have said. He should never have doubted her, regardless of what the
press wrote or what the odds against them might be. It was not
modesty on his part, it was lack of faith.
 Yes, Captain Cornwallis and Inspector Tellman.
 Good, and what are we to do? She sat down in one of the
large rose-pink morning room chairs and indicated another for him.
He told her the plan, such as it was, which they had formulated
around his kitchen table. She listened in silence until he had finished.
 An autopsy, she said at last.  That will not be easy. He was a
man not only revered but actually loved. No one, apart from Voisey,
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ANNE PERRY
will wish to see him named a suicide, even though that is already the
assumption. I imagine the church will endeavor to leave the exact
verdict open, and at least tacitly assume some kind of misadventure,
in the belief that the less that is said the sooner it will be forgotten.
And there is considerable discretion and kindness in that. She
looked at him very steadily.  Are you prepared for the discovery that
he did, in fact, take his own life, Thomas?
 No, he said honestly.  But nothing I feel about it is going to
alter the truth, and I think I need to know it. I really don t believe
he took his own life, but I admit it is possible. I think Voisey con-
trived his death, using his sister, almost certainly without her
knowledge.
 And you believe an autopsy will indicate that? You may be
right. Anyway, as you will no doubt agree, we have little else. She
rose to her feet stiffly.  I do not have the influence to force such a
thing myself, but I believe Somerset Carlisle does. The faintest
smile flickered over her face and lit her silver-gray eyes.  You no
doubt remember him from that farcical tragedy in Resurrection [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]