‘Witness?’ echoed de Fontenel.
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Who are you talking about?’
‘The man who presented the gift to the abbey — Jocelyn Vavasour.’
‘But he’s disappeared. The lord Jocelyn has become an anchorite.’
‘My colleagues are on their way to find him at this very moment.’
Richard de Fontenel was checked. His jaw tightened and his eyes darted. He was mortified by the notion that, even if they were located, the missing elephants would not be returned to him. His wedding gift would be confiscated and his plans thrown into confusion. He was caught unawares by the next question from Gervase.
‘Does the name Olova mean anything to you, my lord?’
‘Who?’ said the other, blinking in surprise.
‘Olova. She lives in the Henstead hundred. Your steward had dealings with her.’
‘That may well be, Master Bret. I didn’t keep track of every person that Hermer saw in the course of his duties. I’ve never heard of this Olova.’
‘Even though you acquired land that once belonged to her?’
‘It was done legally, I assure you.’
‘Not in her opinion. The lady is ready to challenge you in the shire hall.’
‘Let her.’
‘She didn’t speak too highly of your steward.’
‘You’ve talked to her?’
‘The lord Eustace and I rode out to see Olova yesterday.’
‘Do you give preference to a Saxon?’ said de Fontenel, flaring up. ‘The place to settle a dispute is in the shire hall, not behind my back. I’ll register the strongest complaint about this, Master Bret. Judges should be quite impartial.’
‘Olova made no attempt to influence me, my lord,’ Gervase assured him.
‘Then why visit the woman?’
‘To seek her views on another subject.’
‘You went all that way to listen to an embittered old Saxon crone?’
‘Olova is half Danish, my lord. Her late husband was a thegn with estates large enough to match your own. I found Olova a woman of intelligence and determination.’
‘Neither will do her any good when she takes me on in the shire hall.’
‘Are you trying to influence a commissioner, my lord?’ said Daniel, waspishly.
‘Not at all,’ blustered the other. ‘I didn’t introduce Olova into the conversation.’
‘The only reason that I do so,’ said Gervase, ‘was that she talked about Hermer. She was less than grief-stricken when I told her of his fate.’
‘I’m not interested in her, Master Bret.’
‘Then let’s forget her for the moment, my lord. What I wanted to ask you about was your steward’s hands. Why do you think they were cut off?’
‘Sheer savagery!’
‘I was appalled when I saw the mutilation,’ recalled Daniel.
‘The hands were returned to you,’ resumed Gervase. ‘Why was that, my lord?’
‘I wish I knew.’
‘Was it a symbolic gesture, perhaps?’
‘Symbolic of a brutal mind. It would be typical of the lord Mauger.’
‘The lord sheriff has absolved him of the crime.’
‘I know,’ grunted the other, ‘and I’ve learned for certain that it was not his doing.’
“How?’
‘That doesn’t concern you, Master Bret,’ said the other, eager to move them on their way. ‘You come at an awkward time. I’m a busy man and have much to do. If you’ve told me all you came to say, I’ll bid you farewell.’
The visitors rose to their feet and walked across to the door, where Gervase halted. ‘I believe that you once employed a man called Starculf,’ he said.
‘Not for long. He was dismissed.’
‘What did he look like, my lord?’
‘A tall, handsome, upstanding young fellow. A strong one, too, who used to be a falconer. To look in his face, you’d have thought him the soul of honesty. But he let me down, Master Bret. Nobody does that with impunity.’
‘So I understand.’
There was an exchange of farewells, then Gervase led the way out. It was only when they were riding away from the house at a trot that he spoke to his companion. ‘What did you learn from that, Brother Daniel?’
‘That the lord Richard is a poor liar. He didn’t buy those elephants in France.’
‘No,’ said Gervase. ‘He knew exactly where they came from. He may not have stolen them in person but I’m certain that he instigated the theft. Without knowing it, he may even have told us who the thief was.’
‘It wasn’t Starculf,’ said the monk. ‘The description he gave of the man was nothing like the one we had from the sacristan at the abbey. Brother Joseph told us that the thief was short, stocky and thirty years or more. He was no handsome young man.’
‘The sacristan was not describing Starculf at all, Brother Daniel.’
‘Then who was he talking about?’
‘Hermer.’
Drogo had important news to report. Expecting approval, he strutted into the house with more confidence than he had shown when he left it. Mauger Livarot was in the parlour, fastening the gold brooch that held his mantle on. He swung round on his steward. ‘Well?’
‘I’ve spoken to my man at the castle, my lord.’
‘What did he say?’
‘There’s much activity there. Ralph Delchard and Eustace Coureton rode off at dawn in search of Jocelyn Vavasour.’
‘Why?’
‘He didn’t know, my lord. He simply overheard them talking about going to the Holt hundred. That’s where they believe they’ll find him.’
‘I thought that the lord Jocelyn became an anchorite.’
‘He did. Nobody quite knows where he is.’
‘They must be very anxious to track him down,’ said Livarot, stroking his chin, ‘though what use a holy man is to them, I fail to see.’ He gave a cackle. ‘Unless they want the mad fool to bless their enterprise.’
Drogo preened himself. ‘I’ll know more detail in due course,’ he said. ‘As soon as I heard where they’d gone, I sent a man off in pursuit. He’ll shadow them all the way.’
‘Well done, Drogo.’
‘The lord sheriff is also being followed.’
‘How is Roger Bigot spending the day?’
‘Searching for one of the men they suspect — Starculf.’
‘That’ll keep him busy. Is Olivier Romain with him?’
‘Yes, my lord. They’re making every effort to hunt the man down.’
‘Then we must get to him first,’ said Livarot. ‘I remember Starculf well. He was driven off the lord Richard’s estates. Rough treatment breeds revenge. Find him, Drogo. Organise a search of your own.’
‘I’ve already done so,’ said the other, complacently.
‘Good.’
‘We’ll recover those gold elephants somehow, my lord, I promise you that. We might even catch a murderer into the bargain.’
‘All that I’m interested in is a pair of elephants. As for the man who killed Hermer, I’m more likely to congratulate him than hand him over to face justice. Hermer was as loathsome as his master,’ Livarot sneered. ‘I’ve been saved the trouble of killing him myself.’
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Two commissioners have ridden off, you say. What of the other?’
‘Gervase Bret is paying a call on the lord Richard.’
‘Oh?’
‘Brother Daniel, their scribe, was in attendance.’
‘You have eyes everywhere, Drogo.’
‘I spend money wisely, my lord. But we’ll soon know what passed between the lord Richard and his visitors. I have eyes and ears inside that manor house. I’ve arranged to meet Clamahoc later,’ the steward said airily. ‘He’ll tell me every word that was spoken.’
‘This is cheering news, Drogo. I sense that we’re moving forward.’
‘We are, my lord.’
‘Is there anything else to report?’
‘Not unless you wish to hear about the commissioners’ wives?’
‘Have they gone in search of Starculf as well?’
‘No, my lord,’ said Drogo, washing his hands in the air. ‘They accepted an invitation to visit the lady Adelaide. I dare say they’re on their way back to the castle by now. Unfortunately, I have no spy in that particular household.’