by Anne Perry
“This is Stafford’s,” he said grimly, meeting Pitt’s eyes. “I saw him drink from it just after the end of the interval. It is a hideous thought, but there may be something in it which caused his illness. Perhaps you should take it and have it examined—even if only to exclude it.”
“Poison?” Pitt asked gravely. He looked down at Stafford. The more he considered the course of events he had observed, the less absurd did Livesey’s words seem. “Yes,” he admitted. “Yes of course. You are quite right. It must at least be considered, even if only to prove it was not so. Thank you.”
He took the flask and looked at it, turning it over in his hands. It was very slim, very expensive, chased in silver and engraved with Samuel Stafford’s name and the date of its having been given to him, February 28, 1884; a recent gift, over five and a half years ago. It was a beautiful thing to be a vehicle of death. “I’ll have it examined, of course,” he went on. “In the meanwhile perhaps we had better find out what we can about Mr. Stafford’s evening and precisely what happened.”
“Of course,” Livesey agreed. “And arrange for the body to be taken away discreetly. I shall have to explain to Mrs. Stafford why it cannot go to his home until it has been examined for the cause of death. How very distressing for her! The whole business is most grieving. Is there any lock to this door?”
Pitt turned around and looked at it.
“No, only an ordinary latch. I’ll wait here until you can inform the management and have a constable sent. We cannot leave it open.”
“No, naturally not. I’ll go now.” And without waiting any further Livesey went out and disappeared, leaving Pitt alone just as the curtain fell to a long and enthusiastic round of applause.
On a sunless street deep in London’s dangerous slums, a respected solicitor is found dead—and beside him lies the barely living body of his son.
THE SILENT CRY
by
ANNE PERRY
The police are baffled until shrewd investigator William Monk uncovers a connection between them and a series of rapes and beatings of local prostitutes.
Then it becomes shockingly clear that the son must have killed his own father….
Published by The Random House Publishing Group. Available wherever books are sold.
ASHWORTH HALL
The gathering at the country estate of Charlotte Pitt’s wealthy sister has the appearance of a smart autumn house party. In reality, the guests are Irish Protestants and Catholics in reluctant parley over home rule for Ireland, a problem that has plagued the British Isles since the reign of Elizabeth I. When the meeting’s moderator, a government bigwig, is found murdered in his bath, the negotiations seem doomed.
Charlotte and her husband, Superintendent Thomas Pitt of Scotland Yard, must root out the truth before simmering passions above and below stairs explode again in murder.
ASHWORTH HALL
by Anne Perry
Published by The Random House Publishing Group.
Available wherever books are sold.
