Buckingham Palace Gardens - Anne Perry [86]
Pitt closed the door behind him and walked over. He bent down and touched Julius’s neck above the collar. The pulse was strong and steady, and even before Pitt straightened up, Julius began to stir.
“Sit up slowly, Mr. Sorokine,” Pitt told him.
Julius rolled over, opening his eyes. He stared up at Pitt with obvious confusion. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice gravelly. He coughed and sat up, wincing with pain. His face was bruised and there was a heavy gash across his cheek, blood smeared on his lip and chin. His hair was tousled. However, unlike Cahoon, he had already shaved, possibly in cold water, since there was no sign of his manservant having been here.
“What happened, Mr. Sorokine?” Pitt asked him. “Please stay sitting on the floor.” He made it sound like an order. He was afraid that if Sorokine got to his feet, he could easily start another fight. He was at least as tall as Pitt, and judging by the grace with which he had moved previously, very fit.
Julius blinked. Then memory rushed back. “God! Minnie!” He started to get up.
Pitt put out a hand and pushed him back again, so that he rolled a little, off-balance. “What happened, Mr. Sorokine?”
Julius shivered. “Cahoon came storming in here, eyes blazing like a madman, snarling something about Minnie, and took a swing at me.” He touched his face and drew his fingers away, covered in blood. “Knocked me over against the bed. When I got up again, I asked him what the devil was the matter. He just shouted something else indistinguishable and hit me again. This time I saw it coming and hit him back. I knocked him against the dresser and everything went flying.” He shook his head, then winced. “I thought that might bring him to his senses, but it didn’t. He seemed to be completely off his head.” He looked totally bewildered.
“He came back and hit me,” he went on. “First with his left hand, which I ducked, then he caught me with his right. We struggled a bit more. It was ridiculous, like two drunks in an alley. He must have got the better of me, because the next thing I remember was a hell of a blow, then you talking to me.” He blinked. “What’s happened to Minnie? We made the devil of a row. She must have heard us! Did she call you? That’s stupid. I’m not going to lay charges. He’s my father-in-law, God damn it!”
Pitt could almost have believed him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sorokine, but your wife is dead.”
Julius looked as if Pitt had hit him again. “What?”
Was it possible he had some kind of mental aberration where he had no idea afterwards what he had done? It would explain why no one had realized his guilt before; he did not even know it himself.
“I’m sorry,” Pitt said clearly. “Mrs. Sorokine is dead.”
“How?” Julius demanded. “It wasn’t Olga, was it? Poor woman.” He closed his eyes again, drew in his breath as if to say something further, then changed his mind and looked up at Pitt, waiting for the answer.
“No, sir. No woman did to her what Mr. Dunkeld described. I’m afraid I’m going to have to lock you in here until I can contact Mr. Narraway again and have more men brought. I’ll have one of the Palace servants bring you something to eat, and possibly see if you need medical help.”
“Me?” Julius seemed not to grasp what Pitt had said.
“Yes. Mr. Dunkeld said you had those injuries on your face before he came in.”
“Injuries?” He put his hand up again to his lip as if he had forgotten the pain and the blood. “No, I didn’t. I told you, he came in here and hit me!” Then the color fled from his face and he got to his feet so swiftly Pitt