“No.” She swallowed hard. “Thank you. I am Inspector Pitt’s wife. I should like to see Mr. Ballarat, if you please. It is most urgent.”
The man’s face colored and he avoided her eyes. “Er— yes, ma’am. If—if yer’ll wait a few moments I’ll go an’ see.” He closed the ledger, put it away under the shelf, and disappeared out of the glass-paned door into the passageway. She could hear his muffled voice speaking hurriedly to someone beyond.
She stood on the worn linoleum floor and waited. No one came back, and she knew they were too embarrassed to face her, not knowing what to say. It frightened her. She had expected anger, defensiveness, repeated assurances that it must be a mistake and would be put right immediately. This evasion must mean either that they doubted Pitt themselves or that they dared not express their feelings. Was there no loyalty among them at all, no trust, even after all the years they had known him?
Panic rose inside her, making her sick. Without realizing it she stepped forward, desperate to make a noise, to shout till someone came, even to scream.
The door swung open suddenly and she jumped. The same constable looked at her, this time meeting her eyes.
“If yer’d like ter come this way, ma’am.” Still he did not use her name, as if he were ashamed somehow and wanted to pretend she was someone else.
She stared at him coldly. “Mrs. Pitt,” she told him.
“Mrs. Pitt, ma’am,” he repeated obediently, even the tops of his ears turning pink.
She followed him along the passage, up the stairs, and across into Ballarat’s large, warm office. A fire was burning on the grate and Ballarat himself was standing in front of the hearth, feet slightly apart, boots shining.
“Come in, Mrs. Pitt,” he said expansively. “Come in and take a seat.” He waved his arm at the leather easy chair, but he did not move to allow her the fire.
She sat on the edge, upright. The constable closed the door and fled.
“I’m deeply sorry that I had to send such a message,” Ballarat began before she could speak. “It must have been a dreadful shock for you.”
“Of course it was,” she agreed. “But that is hardly important. What is happening to Thomas? Don’t they realize who he is? Have you been to Coldbath Fields and told them? Perhaps they don’t believe a letter.”
“Certainly they know who he is, Mrs. Pitt.” He nodded several times. “Naturally, I made certain of it immediately. But I’m afraid the evidence is quite unarguable. I don’t want to distress you by recounting it. I do think, my dear lady, it would be better if you were to go home, perhaps to your own family, and—”
“I have no intention of doing anything so perfectly useless as going home to my family!” She tried to swallow back her fury but her voice was shaking. “And I’m perfectly capable of hearing the supposed evidence, whatever it is!”
He looked uncomfortable, his rather florid face becoming even more mottled. “Ah.” He cleared his throat to give himself time to order his thoughts. “If you will allow me to know better, that is because you do not understand what it is. I assure you, it would be far better if you were to leave your interests in my care, and go home—”
“What are you doing to show his innocence?” she interrupted fiercely. “You know he didn’t do it! You must find the evidence.”
“My dear lady”—he held up his hands, plump and well manicured, the firelight catching a gold signet ring—“I must abide by the law, just like everyone else. Of course,” he said carefully and with a patience so obvious she could taste it in the air, “of course I wish to believe the best of him.” He nodded again. “Pitt has been a good police officer for years. He has served the community in many ways.”
She opened her mouth to retaliate against such condescension, but he was not to be interrupted.
“But I cannot override the law! If we are to uphold justice, we must abide by due process, like everyone else.” He was well launched now. “We cannot set ourselves above it.” He opened his eyes very wide. “Naturally, I do not for a moment believe Pitt would do such a thing. But with all the best will in the world, I cannot and must not say that I know!” He smiled very slightly, showing the superiority of male reason over emotionalism. “We are not infallible, and my judgment of a man is not enough to clear him before the law—nor should it be.”
She stood up, facing him with tight, cold rage.
“No one is asking you to be judge, Mr. Ballarat.” She glared at him. “What I had expected, before I met you, was that you were loyal enough to fight to defend one of your own men, whom you know perfectly well would not have committed such a crime. Even if you did not know him, I would have assumed you would suppose him innocent and do everything to check the evidence over and over again to find the flaws.”
“Really, my dear,” he said soothingly, taking a step forward and then meeting her eyes and stopping. “Really, my dear lady, you must accept that you do not understand! This is police business, and we are experts—”
“You are a coward,” she said witheringly.
He looked startled, then regained his composure with a smooth, glassy gaze. “Of course you are upset. It is to be expected. But believe me, when you have taken a rest and had a little time to think about it—perhaps it would be wise to leave the matter to your father? Or if you have a brother, or brother-in-law?”
She swallowed hard. “My father is dead, so is my brother-in-law; and I have no brother.”
“Oh.” He looked confused, an avenue of escape had closed unexpectedly. It was damnable that there was no man to take care of her—for everyone’s sake. “Well . . .” he floundered.
“Yes?” she inquired, staring at him furiously.
His eyes wavered and slid away. “I’m sure everything will be done that can be, Mrs. Pitt. But I am also sure you would not wish me to interfere with the law, even if I were able.” He was satisfied with that; his tone grew stronger. “You must compose yourself and trust in us.”
“I am perfectly composed,” she said chokingly, and left the second half of the reply deliberately unsaid. “Thank you for your time.” And without waiting for him to summon any polite parting words, or offering him her hand, she turned on her heel and went to the door. She flung it open and walked out, leaving it swinging.
