there’s no break on the Teller inquiry. What have you been doing with your time?”

“I’ve spoken to everyone but the sister, Leticia Teller. I was planning to drive to Suffolk today.”

“See that you deal with this latest knifing first. There may be something you can learn from the only witness. As for the Tellers, mind how you go. I don’t want them on my doorstep complaining that you aren’t handling the matter to their satisfaction. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, I do understand. But I have a feeling that there isn’t going to be a happy solution to this case. If we find Teller alive, he may be in a worse state than he was in the hospital.”

“Then the sooner you find him the better.”

By the time Rutledge arrived at the Embankment, the body had been taken away, but the police were still combing the area, looking for evidence. The sergeant in charge, by the name of Walker, greeted Rutledge and said, “We aren’t certain why the assailant was lurking on this side of the bridge, sir. He wasn’t likely to find a target at that hour of the night, and with dawn coming as early as it does this time of year, he could well have been spotted.”

Hamish said quietly, “He was looking for you.”

Rutledge nearly answered him aloud, catching himself only just in time.

“Why?” he demanded silently.

“Because ye’ve seen his face.”

But Rutledge wasn’t sure that he agreed. To Walker he said, “Which way did he go? Did your witness see that?”

“Back across the bridge, sir.”

“Then it’s likely it’s the same man I encountered.”

“So I understand, sir. There’s been a rash of robberies at knife-point. Did they tell you that at the Yard? But in most cases, the victim handed over his money without a struggle, and then was instructed to count to one hundred before turning around. Most did as they were told, and of course he was gone by the time they looked behind them. We think it must be the same person as killed this Mr. Bynum.” Walker shook his head. “Sad, isn’t? He was only just having a breath of fresh air, because his wallet and his coat were still in his office. He had nothing to give his murderer.”

“I’d only been told about the one other attempt, which had ended in death. And that was on Westminster Bridge. Where have these robberies occurred?”

“Mostly south of the river, sir. He doesn’t venture this far often. But there are fatter purses on this side of the bridge. All told, he’s got no more than forty pounds so far.”

“He’s too young to have a family to feed. Unless it’s his mother he’s supporting. There may be brothers and sisters younger than he is.”

“As to that, sir, we’d only be guessing. But he’s killed twice now.”

One of the constables searching along the path looked up and called, “Here, sir!”

Walker and Rutledge hurried to where he was standing.

“A man’s coat button, sir,” he said, pointing it out.

“Anyone walking along here could have lost it,” the sergeant told him. “But we’ll have it anyway. In case.”

Rutledge took it from the constable’s hand. It was a very ordinary button, dark brown and with four holes in it. For a coat, as the constable had said. Remembering the drawers of buttons to choose from in the tailor’s shop, he said, “You’re right. It would be hard to prove either way. But we might be lucky.”

On the river a boat swept by, and bursts of laughter carried over the water.

“Where’s this witness you spoke of?”

“A constable took him along for a bite to eat. The man looked half starved.”

“How much did he see?”

“He said he was coming from the direction of the Abbey, walking toward the bridge, when he heard something that sounded like someone choking. He turned toward the sound in time to see one man falling down and another bending over him, as if trying to help. But then he saw that the second man was rifling the pockets of the first, and he shouted for him to stop. The second man turned and stared at him for several seconds, then turned and ran. By the time our witness reached the victim, he was dying. But there was nothing anyone could do. The witness stayed with him, then saw a motorcar on the road, coming toward the bridge, and shouted for help.”

“And you’re certain this witness wasn’t the killer?”

“He was in the clear. He needn’t have hailed the motorcar. And he’d made