Christian inclined his head in acceptance. “But why kill people?” Justin had returned, pistols in hand. Christian could see the others moving about below. Keeping his gaze locked with Swithin’s, he frowned. “I don’t understand. Killing people never helps.”
Swithin’s expression turned superior. “In this case, it will-it does. It stops them from selling the company without me having to admit…anything. Without me having to beg them not to.”
“But being convicted of murder’s not going to help. You don’t want that.”
Swithin smiled slyly. “It won’t happen-I won’t be convicted. No one can prove I killed Randall and Trowbridge. It was surprisingly easy. Just a knock on the back of the head and they were gone. Quick and neat. But there’s no proof I killed them-I made sure of that. No-now I just have to pitch this bitch off the roof and everything will work out.”
He shifted, turning toward Letitia as if to do just that.
Christian seized the moment to glance down; the others were repositioning, trying to get a bead on Swithin without Letitia or he anywhere close. Dalziel saw him looking and waved, beckoning-they wanted Swithin closer to the edge. Christian hurriedly asked, “But why from the roof? Why not just knock her on the head like the others?”
It was the only thing he could think of to ask.
Swithin looked back at him, a strange smile curving his lips; beyond him, Christian saw Letitia gathering herself-she’d used the time he’d bought them to regroup.
“I can’t do that,” Swithin told him. “She’s Randall’s and Trowbridge’s murderer-she’s the one who knocks people on the head. Not me. Never me. She was making far too many inquiries-or you were on her behalf. I know you spoke with Gallagher, and then you went to see Roscoe. I couldn’t allow that-couldn’t allow you, and her, to learn too much. But it doesn’t matter now. Once she goes over the edge, you won’t be able to help her anymore. And everyone will see that she killed the other two, then came after me, and when she couldn’t kill me, she rushed up here and threw herself off.” His smile widened. “It’s obvious.”
Christian didn’t know what to say, how to respond to such foolishness.
But it seemed they’d run out of time.
That quantity slowed as Swithin turned to Letitia. Christian saw him tighten the grip he had on her arm.
He was going to half throw, half swing her over the edge-he’d only need to make her topple. He could do it without stepping closer to the parapet. There was only one thing Christian could do-one risk, one gamble, he had to take.
“Swithin.” He poured every ounce of command he possessed into his voice. “Look down.”
Startled, Swithin glanced back at him; he still had his pistol in a firm grip. Christian didn’t move so much as an eyelash.
Puzzlement growing, unable to read anything in Christian’s face, Swithin shifted; bracing his arm, anchoring Letitia at arm’s length, he edged closer to the parapet, looked over and down.
Two shots rang out, virtually inseparable.
Swithin jerked, then stumbled backward, crumpling to the ground.
Slinging Letitia forward as he fell, his descending weight acting as a fulcrum propelling her over the edge.
Christian shot forward, leapt over Swithin, dove for the edge, grabbed-but her body had already cleared the parapet.
He couldn’t reach her-but her bound hands, desperately reaching out to him as she twisted and fell, brushed, clutched at his sleeves.
He seized her wrists, hung on with both hands as her falling weight yanked him to the edge. Going down on his knees, he braced his body behind the low parapet, his hands locked viselike about hers.
Her fingers clenched convulsively, gripping, clinging.
Then came the jerk as he took her weight.
The muscles in his arms screamed; pain shot across his shoulders. He heard her cry out in pain and shock.
But he had her. Mentally giving thanks, he closed his eyes for a second, savored the feel of her hands still in his.
Still alive in his.
She gasped, gulped in air as her swinging weight steadied.
After a moment she looked up; he felt the shift in her weight.
Spreading his knees, lowering his body, he leaned into the parapet, and opening his eyes, looked down.
Into her face.
He smiled. “I’ve got you.”
The concern-the fear-in her eyes didn’t fade.
She studied his face, then he saw her gaze lower.
“You can’t hold me forever.”
“Believe me, I can-or at least for long enough now to be able to manage forever.”
She smiled faintly; something in her face changed. Her eyes, when she lifted them to his again, were filled with an emotion he hadn’t seen in them before-one she’d never let him see.
“I love you.” Letitia knew that, no matter what he said, she was going to fall and die. The muscles of his neck, shoulders, and chest were under horrendous strain, the veins in his throat starkly corded. Even now the muscles in his arms were starting to quiver.
So she had to say now what she hadn’t yet. “I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. I’ve always loved you, every day through all the years. I never stopped loving you. Even when I lay with Randall, it was you I was with in my heart.” She smiled softly. “That was yours from the first, and will be yours to the last.”
“I love you, too.” He continued to look into her eyes. “I always have. I never stopped loving you-I never will.” His hands tightened on hers. “Now hold on.”
Her smile faded. “It’s hopeless.”
“Nothing’s ever hopeless-just look at us. And in this case, we have friends who are running hither and yon as we speak.”
He glanced past her. “Apparently there’s refurbishing still going on around the house-they’ve found a large oilcloth. And there’s bales of hay, too. They’re arranging them beneath you.” His gaze switched back to her face. “You can’t possibly be so gauche as to fall before they’re ready to catch you-they’re going to so much trouble.”
Hope sprang to life within her. A bright burning flame, it caught and flared-so quickly, so strongly, she felt giddy. She nearly laughed.
If there was hope, she’d cling to it-cling to life, and him.
He was looking down past her again. “They’re almost ready-they’ve stretched out the oilcloth. There’s only four of them-no, Barton has joined them. Good man. You’ll have to stop hounding the poor beggar now-very bad ton to hound a man who was instrumental in saving your life.”
The thought of Barton finally being helpful was too much; she humphed.
But then his expression sobered and he looked back at her.
“Now comes the difficult part.” He held her gaze. “You have to trust me. When I say let go, you have to let go. Believe me, that won’t be as easy as it sounds. You’ll be falling. But the straw bales are beneath you-you won’t hit the ground. And the oilcloth will slow you-which is why you have to let go exactly when I tell you, because they’re going to have to pull the cloth taut at the right moment.”
She nodded her understanding. “Yes, all right.” She trusted him implicitly, more than enough to trump all fear.
“Good.” He looked down, raised his voice. “On the count of three.” His gaze returned to her face. His hands shifted on hers, easing his grip but not yet releasing her. “One, two…” His eyes held hers. “Let go.”
Wrapped in his gray gaze, she opened her fingers.
Felt his warm grasp slip away as gravity took hold and she started to fall.
Heard him call from above, “Three!”
And then she was falling.