Read Online Thomas & Charlotte Pitt 29 - Death On Blackheath by Anne Perry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne Perry
Ads: Link
might ’a been a fool about men, goin’ an’ picking the stupidest great lummox she could find.’ She glared at him, daring him to argue.
‘How did she meet him?’ Stoker asked.
‘Came an’ did a carpentry job ’ere,’ she answered. ‘Kept coming back even after it were finished, just to see ’er.’
‘Was she frightened of him?’ He tried to keep the sudden anger out of his own voice, and his face.
‘Not ’er! Ask me, she were sorry for ’im,’ she responded. ‘More fool ’er! ’E played on it. ’Oo wouldn’t?’
‘She was gentle?’ he said with some surprise. The idea he had in his mind was of a strong woman, handsome and sure of herself. But the cook might know of a vulnerable side to her that her mistress didn’t.
The cook laughed and shook her head. ‘Yer just like all men, aren’t yer! Think because a woman’s ’andsome, an’ got a mind of ’er own, that she can’t be ’urt, can’t cry ’erself ter sleep when no one sees ’er, like anyone else. She were worth ten of ’im, any day, an’ ’e knew it.’ She was obliged to blow her nose again, hiding the tears on her face.
‘Did that make him angry with her?’ Stoker asked.
‘Didn’t think so.’ She glared at him. ‘You tellin’ me I’m wrong?’
He did not answer. He needed to know more: for example, if it was indeed Kitty lying in the morgue, how had she come by the gold watch that had been stolen from Dudley Kynaston?
‘Who else did she know?’ he asked. ‘Anyone who gave her expensive presents?’
‘No she didn’t!’ the cook snapped back at him. ‘If she were a fool like that, you think she’d ’a bin a lady’s maid?’ There was contempt in her voice, and she was too hurt to try to govern it. He was only a policeman of sorts and she had done nothing wrong to fear him. ‘If you mean to stay in a quality house like this, you don’t never let your greed get the better o’ you,’ she said witheringly. ‘You’re thinking just because she got soft over a young man what wasn’t worth it, that she were stupid all the time? Well, she weren’t. If she’d ’a been born in the right family, and learned ’ow ter be’ave ’erself like a lady, she could ’a married the best an’ never ’ad ter work a day in ’er life. Yer take wot life gives yer, an’ get on with it. You too, an’ all!’
Stoker smiled, something he did not often do on duty. Most of his work was grim – and, more often than not, he did it alone. Perhaps he was too sober? He would have liked Kitty Ryder, if he had known her.
‘You are quite right,’ he conceded. ‘So apart from her choice in admirer, she was wise in her friends.’
‘I’m not sayin’ as she didn’t ’ave some daft ideas,’ the cook said more amiably. ‘An’ some dreams as wouldn’t never ’appen. Course she did. Wot girl don’t? An’ she could fight ’er corner if she’d a mind to. But not like some, she could own up if she were wrong … sometimes, any’ow.’
‘Thank you, you’ve been very helpful. I’d like to speak to the rest of the staff, if you please.’ He did not expect them to add much, but it was possible some of those nearer Kitty’s age might know other things, details he could use. He had spoken to them before, but this was different. Now there was the matter of the gold watch. The handkerchief might be Rosalind’s, and possibly given to Kitty. The watch was unquestionably Kynaston’s, and stolen from him, but seemingly by a pickpocket in the street. It was essential that they prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the woman in the gravel pit was someone else. That was his job, in order to protect Dudley Kynaston. Then the presence of the watch would be a coincidence – probably!
Late that same afternoon Pitt received a message that he should report to the Home Office at his very earliest convenience. Perhaps seven o’clock that evening would be a good idea.
He read the note at quarter past six, but knew that he
‘How did she meet him?’ Stoker asked.
‘Came an’ did a carpentry job ’ere,’ she answered. ‘Kept coming back even after it were finished, just to see ’er.’
‘Was she frightened of him?’ He tried to keep the sudden anger out of his own voice, and his face.
‘Not ’er! Ask me, she were sorry for ’im,’ she responded. ‘More fool ’er! ’E played on it. ’Oo wouldn’t?’
‘She was gentle?’ he said with some surprise. The idea he had in his mind was of a strong woman, handsome and sure of herself. But the cook might know of a vulnerable side to her that her mistress didn’t.
The cook laughed and shook her head. ‘Yer just like all men, aren’t yer! Think because a woman’s ’andsome, an’ got a mind of ’er own, that she can’t be ’urt, can’t cry ’erself ter sleep when no one sees ’er, like anyone else. She were worth ten of ’im, any day, an’ ’e knew it.’ She was obliged to blow her nose again, hiding the tears on her face.
‘Did that make him angry with her?’ Stoker asked.
‘Didn’t think so.’ She glared at him. ‘You tellin’ me I’m wrong?’
He did not answer. He needed to know more: for example, if it was indeed Kitty lying in the morgue, how had she come by the gold watch that had been stolen from Dudley Kynaston?
‘Who else did she know?’ he asked. ‘Anyone who gave her expensive presents?’
‘No she didn’t!’ the cook snapped back at him. ‘If she were a fool like that, you think she’d ’a bin a lady’s maid?’ There was contempt in her voice, and she was too hurt to try to govern it. He was only a policeman of sorts and she had done nothing wrong to fear him. ‘If you mean to stay in a quality house like this, you don’t never let your greed get the better o’ you,’ she said witheringly. ‘You’re thinking just because she got soft over a young man what wasn’t worth it, that she were stupid all the time? Well, she weren’t. If she’d ’a been born in the right family, and learned ’ow ter be’ave ’erself like a lady, she could ’a married the best an’ never ’ad ter work a day in ’er life. Yer take wot life gives yer, an’ get on with it. You too, an’ all!’
Stoker smiled, something he did not often do on duty. Most of his work was grim – and, more often than not, he did it alone. Perhaps he was too sober? He would have liked Kitty Ryder, if he had known her.
‘You are quite right,’ he conceded. ‘So apart from her choice in admirer, she was wise in her friends.’
‘I’m not sayin’ as she didn’t ’ave some daft ideas,’ the cook said more amiably. ‘An’ some dreams as wouldn’t never ’appen. Course she did. Wot girl don’t? An’ she could fight ’er corner if she’d a mind to. But not like some, she could own up if she were wrong … sometimes, any’ow.’
‘Thank you, you’ve been very helpful. I’d like to speak to the rest of the staff, if you please.’ He did not expect them to add much, but it was possible some of those nearer Kitty’s age might know other things, details he could use. He had spoken to them before, but this was different. Now there was the matter of the gold watch. The handkerchief might be Rosalind’s, and possibly given to Kitty. The watch was unquestionably Kynaston’s, and stolen from him, but seemingly by a pickpocket in the street. It was essential that they prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the woman in the gravel pit was someone else. That was his job, in order to protect Dudley Kynaston. Then the presence of the watch would be a coincidence – probably!
Late that same afternoon Pitt received a message that he should report to the Home Office at his very earliest convenience. Perhaps seven o’clock that evening would be a good idea.
He read the note at quarter past six, but knew that he
Similar Books
