There was panic in Voisey’s eyes; his breath was ragged, beyond his control.
“It seems probable,” Pitt said, “that someone who trusted Mrs. Cavendish implicitly enlisted her help with the express purpose of killing Wray in a manner that would look like suicide, regardless of what it might cost her!” He moved his hand very slightly, dismissing the subject. “The reason doesn’t matter . . . let us say it was a complicated scheme of personal revenge. That is as good a story as any.”
Voisey opened his mouth to speak, then gulped air and closed it again.
“We have the coroner’s report,” Pitt continued. “And Mary Ann Smith’s testimony signed and witnessed, and there will be photographs of both kept in separate and extremely safe places, to be made public should anything unpleasant happen to me, or to any member of my family—or, of course, to Mr. Narraway.”
Voisey stared at him, his skin pasty white. “I’m sure . . .” he said between dry lips. “I’m sure nothing will happen to them.”
“Good,” Pitt said with intense feeling. “Very good.” And he stood back for Voisey to pass, unsteadily, ashen-faced, on his way.
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
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 Garden
Bedford Square
Half Moon Street
The Whitechapel Conspiracy
Southampton Row
A Ballantine Book
The Ballantine Publishing Group
Copyright © 2002 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 is a registered trademark and the Ballantine colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
www.ballantinebooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Perry, Anne.
Southampton Row / Anne Perry.— 1st ed.
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 S68 2002
823′.914—dc21 2001052664
eISBN: 978-0-345-45502-4
v3.0