Riley turned to Evan. "I'm sorry, you'll get nothing from him yet. He may be well enough for "yes" and "no" tomorrow, but he may not. At the moment he's too shocked for you to bother him at all. For certain he can't talk to you, or describe anyone. And it will be weeks before he can hold a pen if his hands mend well enough ever.”

Evan hesitated. He needed desperately to know what had happened, but he was torn with pity for this unbearably injured boy. He wished he had his father's faith to help him understand how such things could happen. Why was there not some justice to prevent it? He did not have a blind belief to soothe either his anger or his pity.

Nor did he have Hester's capacity to provide practical help which would have eased the aching helplessness inside him.

Perhaps the nearest he could strive for was Monk's dedication to pursuing truth.

"Do you know who did this to you, Mr. Duff?" he asked, speaking over Riley.

Rhys shut his eyes, and again shook his head. If he had any memory, he was choosing to close it out as too monstrous to bear.

"I think you should leave now, Sergeant," Riley said with an edge to his voice. "He can't tell you anything.”

Evan acknowledged the truth of it, and with one last look at the ashen face of the young man lying in the bed, he turned and went about the only duty he dreaded more.

Ebury Street was quiet and elegant in the cold morning air. There was a slick of ice on the pavements and housemaids were indisposed to linger in gossip. The two or three people Evan saw were all keeping moving, whisking dusters and mop heads out of windows and in again as quickly as possible. An errand boy scampered up steps and rang a bell with fingers clumsy with cold.

Evan found number thirty-four and unconsciously copying Monk, he went to the front door. Anyway, news such as he had should not go through the kitchens first.

The bell was answered by a parlour maid in a smart uniform. Her starched linen and lace immediately proclaimed a household of better financial standing than the clothes worn by the dead man suggested.