'We've got something,' she said, as she came over to them. 'God, this heat . . . These fucking suits . . . I can't cope.' She fanned her face, which was now bright pink, and wiped a stray wisp of dark hair from her glistening forehead. 'The main gates on the Fulham Road . . . they're open every day, but the pedestrian gates on either side . . . they keep them padlocked. Always. They're still chained, but one of the padlocks looked newer than the other . . . so we checked the keys in the office. The one the keeper has . . . for the right-hand gate . . . it doesn't fit.'

'So, somebody's changed the padlock,' Tartaglia said. Jamieson nodded. 'At least we now know how he got in,' he continued. 'Although it doesn't explain much else.'

He thought of the missing padlock from the crypt door and the chain left casually lying on the ground where it would be seen. Either the killer had been disturbed before he had a chance to replace it or, more likely, he had meant for the body to be found and had left the chain to draw attention to the crypt.

'When was the pedestrian gate last used?'

'Ages ago,' she said, still drawing deep breaths. 'Months, at least, according to the keeper.'

Tartaglia looked at Donovan. 'Thought you said there's a camera on that gate?'

'That's what I was told.'

'Well, hopefully it should show us what happened if it's working.' He had lost count of the number of times they had been let down by a vital camera being out of action, or there being no tape in an old-fashioned, non-digital recorder.

Jamieson shook her head. 'It's working, alright. That's not the problem. It's one of those fish-eye things. Pretty ancient piece of kit. Looks a bit like a smoke alarm. Anyway, it's up on the wall of the South Lodge, about fifteen feet off the ground. Covers the whole gate and path inside.'

'And . . . ?' Tartaglia prompted.

'Well, I thought it looked a bit odd. So I sent one of the lads up to check. You can barely see from below, but the lens has been totally covered. Someone's sprayed it with black paint.'

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

Thanks are due to a number of people for their expert advice, as well as apologies for my having wilfully ignored it on occasion in the interest of fiction. Any errors are entirely mine. From the Metropolitan Police, Consultant Senior Investigating Officer David Niccol and Tracy Alexander of the Forensic Directorate deserve particular mention, not least for their patience, good humour and excellent company. I would also like to thank DI Mike Christensen and DCI Mick Duthie for their help. Thanks also go to Sensei Stephen Nicholls and the British Kodenkan for enlightening me on the fascinating art of Ju-Jitsu and to Dr Nick Hunt of the Home Office for his colourful and creative input on matters pathological. As ever, I am grateful for the companionship of my fellow writers and crime aficionados Cass Bonner, Gerry O'Donovan, Richard Holt, Keith Mullins, Kathryn Skoyles, Nicola Williams and Margaret Kinsman. Special thanks are due to my agent Sarah Lutyens, to Jane Finigan and Susannah Godman of Lutyens & Rubinstein, to my editor Jane Wood, to Charlotte Clerk and everyone at Quercus, and to Lisanne Radice for infinite words of wisdom. Lastly, I am indebted to Stephen Georgiadis and Jeanne Scott-Forbes for their support and input along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

ELENA FORBES is the author of the Mark Tartaglia Mystery Series. The first novel in the series, Die With Me, was a finalist for the Crime Writers' Association John Creasey New Blood Dagger; and the second novel, Our Lady of Pain, was a Globe and Mail Top 10 Crime Book, and a National Post pick for Best Crime Fiction. She lives in London, England, with her husband and children.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER.

House of Anansi Press was founded in 1967 with a mandate to publish Canadian-authored books, a mandate that continues to this day even as the list has branched out to include internationally acclaimed thinkers and writers. The press immediately gained attention for significant titles by notable writers such as Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, George Grant, and Northrop Frye. Since then, Anansi's commitment to finding, publishing and promoting challenging, excellent writing has won it tremendous acclaim and solid staying power. Today Anansi is Canada's pre-eminent independent press, and home to nationally and internationally bestselling and acclaimed authors such as Gil Adamson, Margaret Atwood, Ken Babstock, Peter Behrens, Rawi Hage, Misha Glenny, Jim Harrison, A. L. Kennedy, Pasha Malla, Lisa Moore, A. F. Moritz, Eric Siblin, Karen Solie, and Ronald Wright. Anansi is also proud to publish the award-winning nonfiction series The CBC Massey Lectures. In 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 Anansi was honoured by the Canadian Booksellers Association as "Publisher of the Year."

end.