Bedford Square - Anne Perry [4]
“Don’t know,” Tellman admitted, biting his lips. “Doesn’t make sense. I suppose we’ll have to start asking all ’round the square.” His face reflected vividly his distaste at the prospect.
They both heard the clatter of hooves at the same time as a hansom came from the Caroline Street corner of the square at a brisk clip, followed immediately by the mortuary van. The van stopped a dozen yards along the curb and the hansom drew level with them. The frock-coated figure of the surgeon climbed out, straightened his collar and walked over to them. He nodded greeting, then regarded the dead man with resignation. He hitched the knees of his trousers slightly, to avoid stretching the fabric, and squatted down to begin his examination.
Pitt turned as he heard more footsteps, and saw the constable coming with a highly nervous lamplighter, a thin, fair-haired man dwarfed by his pole. In the dawn light through the trees he looked like some outlandish knight-at-arms with a jousting lance beyond his strength to wield.
“I din’t see nuffink,” he said before Pitt could ask him.
“You passed this way” Pitt reaffirmed. “This is your patch?”
There was no escaping that. “Yeah …”
“When?”
“S’mornin’,” he replied as if it should have been obvious. “ ’Bout first light. Like I always do.”
“Do you know what time that was?” Pitt said patiently.
“First light … like I said!” He sent a nervous, sideways look at the body, half obscured by the surgeon as he bent over it. “ ’e weren’t ’ere then. I din’t see ’im!”
“Do you have a watch?” Pitt pursued, with little hope.
“Wo’for? Gets light different time every day,” the lamplighter said reasonably.
Pitt realized he was not going to get more exact than that. The answer, from the lamplighter’s point of view, was sensible enough.
“Did you see anyone else in the square?” he said instead.
“Not this side.” The lamplighter shook his head. “There were an ’ansom on t’other side, takin’ a gennelman ’ome. Bit the worse fer wear, ’e were, but not fallin’ down, like. Din’t come ’round ’ere.”
“No one else?”
“No. Too late fer most folks from parties, an’ too early fer maids an’ deliveries an’ like.”
That was true. At least it narrowed it down a little more. It had been dark when the constable had been on his previous round, and barely light when he had found the body. The lamplighter could not have been around long before. Which meant the body had been put there within the space of fifteen or twenty minutes. It was just possible, if they were very lucky, that someone had awoken in one of the houses on this side and heard footsteps or shouting, even a single cry. It was a forlorn hope.
“Thank you,” Pitt accepted. The sky was pale now beyond the heavy trees in the center of the square, the light shining on the far rooftops and reflecting mirrorlike in the top-story windows above them. He turned to the surgeon, who seemed to have completed at least his superficial examination.
“A fight,” he pronounced. “Short one, I’d guess. Know more when I see him without his clothes. Could be other abrasions, but his coat isn’t torn or stained. Ground was dry, if he fell over or was knocked. Wasn’t on the street, anyway. There’s no mud on him that I can see. No trace of manure or anything else. And the gutters are pretty wet.” He glanced around. “Rained yesterday evening.”
“I know,” Pitt retorted, looking at the glistening cobbles.
“’Course you do,” the surgeon agreed, nodding at him. “Don’t suppose I can tell you anything you don’t! Have to try. What I’m paid for. One very heavy blow to the side of the head. Killed him. Probably a length of lead pipe or a candlestick or a poker. Something of that sort. I’d guess metal rather than wood to do that much damage. Heavy.”
“Likely to be marks on the person who did it?” Pitt asked.
The surgeon pursed his lips thoughtfully. “A few bruises. Perhaps where the fist connected. Judging by the splits on his knuckles, most likely a jaw or head. Clothes or soft flesh wouldn’t do that. Face would be bruised, hand wouldn