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Anne Perry - [Thomas Pitt 23]

Page 36

by Seven Dials


  The blood drained from Narraway’s face. “God Almighty!” he breathed. “You’re right . . .”

  Markham was still talking to Trenchard.

  “What was it you learned about Tariq el Abd that is relevant to the death of Lieutenant Lovat?” Markham said with a lift of curiosity, his eyes wide, seeing only his own victory, so close he could already taste it.

  “I learned why he killed him,” Trenchard answered.

  Pitt half rose to his feet. He had no clear idea what he was going to do, but he could not let this happen—the bloodshed would drown the whole of Egypt and ruin British India, Burma and beyond.

  Trenchard saw him and turned toward him, and smiled.

  “Tariq el Abd lost the whole of his family in a hideous—” he began.

  There was a loud crack, and immediately another. Trenchard fell backwards and slid down onto the floor of the stand.

  Pitt swung around just as the third crack sounded, and he saw Ferdinand Garrick’s head seem to explode as he fell, the revolver still in his hand.

  The judge was paralyzed.

  Markham’s legs folded underneath him, and he slipped down awkwardly.

  Pitt walked forward, Narraway a pace behind. He went over to the witness stand where Trenchard was lying. Garrick had struck him through the head with both shots, blowing half his brain away. He had finally closed the last chapter of the massacre. Egypt and the East were safe.

  Narraway looked at the body for a moment, then turned his back and stared towards the gallery, where everyone was moving away from Garrick, sprawled on the floor—except Vespasia. Oblivious of the blood on her gown, she knelt beside him and gently folded his hands. It was a pointless gesture, but it had a dignity, a peculiar respect, as if suddenly she had seen something of value in him, and a certain pity that was beyond judgments.

  In the dock, Ryerson put out his hand and took Ayesha’s, it was all he could reach of her, but it was enough.

  “I’ll see that Stephen Garrick is cared for,” Narraway said quietly. “I think we owe his father that.”

  Pitt nodded, still looking at Vespasia. “It will be done,” he said with absolute conviction. “And Martin Garvie will watch over him.”

  Narraway looked up at Ryerson, and something of the tension in his body softened and a burden inside him seemed to ease.

  By Anne Perry

  Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group

  Featuring William Monk

  The Face of a Stranger

  A Dangerous Mourning

  Defend and Betray

  A Sudden, Fearful Death

  The Sins of the Wolf

  Cain His Brother

  Weighed in the Balance

  The Silent Cry

  A Breach of Promise

  The Twisted Root

  Slaves of Obsession

  Funeral in Blue

  Death of a Stranger

  Featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt

  The Cater Street Hangman

  Callander Square

  Paragon Walk

  Resurrection Row

  Bluegate Fields

  Rutland Place

  Death in the Devil’s Acre

  Cardington Crescent

  Silence in Hanover Close

  Bethlehem Road

  Highgate Rise

  Belgrave Square

  Farriers’ Lane

  The Hyde Park Headsman

  Traitors Gate

  Pentecost Alley

  Ashworth Hall

  Brunswick Gardens

  Bedford Square

  Half Moon Street

  The Whitechapel Conspiracy

  Southampton Row

  Seven Dials

  A Ballantine Book

  Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group

  Copyright © 2003 by Anne Perry

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

  Ballantine and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  www.ballantinebooks.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Perry, Anne.

  Seven dials / Anne Perry.

  p. cm.

  1. Pitt, Charlotte (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Women detectives—England—London—Fiction. 3. Pitt, Thomas (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 4. Police—

  England—London—Fiction. 5. London (England)—Fiction. 6. Police spouses—

  Fiction. I. Title.

  PR6066.E693 S48 2003

  823′.914—dc21 2002035605

  eISBN: 978-0-345-46352-4

  v3.0

 

 

 


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