Seven Dials Page 0,16

said quietly. It was not an agreement, he was merely acknowledging that he understood. "Miss Zakhari told you that she had heard the shots... Did she say how many?"

"A single shot," Ryerson corrected him.

Pitt nodded. "You went to see, and found Lovat dead on the ground near the laurel bushes. What then?"

"I asked her if she had any idea what had happened," Ryerson replied. "She told me she had no idea at all, but that Lovat had sent her letters, pressing her to rekindle an old love affair, and she had refused, fairly bluntly. He was not willing to accept that, which was presumably why he had come."

"At three in the morning?" Pitt said with disbelief. He did not add reasons for the absurdity of that.

For the first time Ryerson showed some trace of anger. "I have no idea, Mr. Pitt! I agree it is ludicrous-but he was unarguably there! And since he is dead, and no one we know spoke to him, I cannot think of any way to learn what he hoped to achieve."

Pitt had a sudden awareness of the power of the man, the inner intellectual strength and the will which had taken him to the peak of his profession and kept him there for nearly two decades. His vulnerability with regard to Ayesha Zakhari, and the fact that he was involved, in whatever way, with a murder and therefore in personal danger, had made him temporarily forget it. When Pitt spoke again it was with a new respect, even though it was unintentional. "What did you do then, sir?"

Ryerson colored. "I said that we must move the body. That was when I knew that it was her gun."

"It was your idea to move Mr. Lovat's body?"

Ryerson's face set a fraction harder, altering the planes of his cheek and jaw. "Yes, it was."

Pitt wondered if he was trying to protect the woman, but he had no doubt whatever that if it was a lie, it was one Ryerson was not going to retract. He had committed himself, and it was not in his nature to go back, whether it was pride or honor that held him, or simply the truth.

"I see. Did you fetch the wheelbarrow or did she?"

Ryerson hesitated. "She did. She knew where it was."

"And she brought it back to where the body was?"

"Yes, and the gun. I helped her lift him in. He was heavy, and extremely awkward. His body was limp. He kept sliding out of our grasp."

"Did you take the head or the feet?" Pitt already knew the answer, but he was interested to see if Ryerson would tell the exact truth.

"The head, of course," Ryerson said a trifle tartly. "It was heavier, and the wounds were in his chest, so that was where he bled. Surely you know that?"

Pitt was annoyed to find himself embarrassed, and wished he had not asked the question. "You put him in the barrow, then what did you intend to do with him?" he continued.

"Take him to Hyde Park," Ryerson answered. "It's less than a hundred yards away."

"In the barrow?" Pitt said in surprise.

Temper flashed across Ryerson's face. "No, of course not! We could hardly wheel a corpse around the streets in a garden barrow, even at three in the morning! I had gone to harness up the gig and Ayesha was going to bring him to the mews. That was when the police arrived. As soon as I heard the voices I came back. Lovat's blood didn't show on my dark suit; the constable assumed I had only just come. Ayesha immediately confirmed him in that assumption, to protect me. I was about to argue, then I saw the sense in remaining free to do whatever I could to help her."

Again, Pitt was surprised. From any other man he would have doubted that, but from Ryerson he accepted it. He had not once attempted to cover over either his presence or his involvement, and he had to know that attempting to move a body from the scene of a crime was itself an offense.

"And what are you doing to help her?" Pitt asked unblinkingly.

Suddenly desperation filled Ryerson's eyes and terror flooded up inside him for a moment beyond control. "Trying to think what the devil really happened!" he said hoarsely. "Who did kill him, and why? Why at Eden Lodge, and why in the middle of the night?" He spread his hands slightly, strong but finely sculpted for so large a man. "What was he