‘It is full of nasty, bitter old men – the kind who encouraged Badew to delay signing the Clare Hall quit-claim for ten long years. Poor Margery. All I can think is that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ Heselbech glanced around him. ‘Very wrong. She should not have been down here with him or anyone else. It is dangerous.’
‘Is it?’ gulped Michael uneasily. ‘Why?’
‘It can flood suddenly if the valves on the roof are opened,’ explained Heselbech. ‘Fortunately, people know I am down here now, so we are quite safe.’
Bartholomew was not so sure about that, given what had happened to the Austin’s predecessor. He took a step towards the stairs, thinking the cistern would be an awful place to die.
‘You say Margery should not have been down here, Heselbech,’ said Langelee. ‘But she was the steward’s wife – she could go where she pleased in his domain. Roos, however, should have been in the Bell tavern, so his presence is more of a mystery.’
‘True,’ agreed Heselbech. ‘However, Roos seemed to know his way around the castle yesterday – I saw him striding along inside the palace at one point – which suggests that he has been here before. But how could he have done? No one would have invited him, which leads me to wonder if he invaded on the sly – not just last night, but on other occasions, too.’
‘That is an interesting observation.’ Michael turned to Bartholomew. ‘Were they killed here or elsewhere?’
‘Here,’ replied Bartholomew. ‘If they had been carried down the steps, there would be bumps and scrapes on their bodies. The culprit dispatched them here, then shoved them in the water, expecting them to sink. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong spot to do it, because there is a sill just below this pavement. Look.’
He took Langelee’s sword, and demonstrated that the water was only knee deep for the first two or three feet. Then the shelf ended, and it would be forty feet down to the bottom. It meant that the bodies had not sunk out of sight, as had evidently been intended, and the culprit was no doubt horrified that his crime had been discovered so quickly.
‘The boot,’ said Langelee in sudden understanding. ‘Roos was missing one. Is that what plugged the pipes and caused the alarm to be raised?’
‘Probably,’ said Bartholomew. ‘And thank God it did, or the bodies would have rotted in the water. You know from personal experience what a devastating effect that can have on the health of those who drink it.’
Michael stared hard at Heselbech. ‘A killer stalks your town, and his victims now include not only a fellow Austin, but a lady everyone loved. You must have some ideas as to suspects.’
‘Several,’ shrugged Heselbech. ‘But none whose guilt I can prove. The squires, especially Nuport, are vicious louts who need a stronger man than Albon to tame them. Then there are Thomas and Ella, whose pranks often end in tears–’
‘They certainly ended in tears for Talmach,’ remarked Langelee. ‘Her unloved husband.’
Heselbech nodded. ‘You might want to look at Bonde as well – he is an evil fellow, who has committed murder before, while the Red Devil should never have been allowed to gain such a firm foothold at the castle. But accusations are nothing without evidence, which I do not have.’
When Bartholomew and Heselbech manoeuvred Margery up the steps and out into the bailey, it was to find a guard of honour waiting to receive her. Servants and courtiers alike hurried forward to take the body from them and lay it gently on a bier, after which it was borne away in respectful silence. Then the three Michaelhouse men retreated to a quiet spot behind the kitchens to discuss what they had learned and how they should proceed.
‘I know you want to catch Roos’s killer, Brother,’ said Langelee worriedly, ‘but can you not forget your responsibilities, just this once? An enquiry will damage our chances of winning benefactors, because we cannot recruit them and chase murderers. There is not enough time.’
‘Then you concentrate on winning new patrons while Matt and I find the killer,’ determined Michael. ‘I cannot return to Cambridge without at least having tried to see justice done.’
‘But what happens if I worm a donation from someone who then transpires to be the culprit?’ objected Langelee. ‘It would break my heart to give it back.’
‘You would have to,’ said Bartholomew firmly. ‘It would be tainted, and would almost certainly come back to haunt us in the future.’
‘I agree,’ said Michael. ‘Which is another good reason for investigating – so we can lay our hands on our hearts, and say we did our utmost to ensure that any money we take home is clean. So let us begin. What more can you tell us about the bodies, Matt? Start with who was dispatched first.’
‘It is impossible to say. However, the stab wounds are identical in size and shape, which suggests the same weapon was used. It is indicative of a single assailant.’
‘Anything else?’
‘We all saw Roos and Margery talking to each other yesterday. I thought it odd at the time that one of the Lady’s most bitter enemies should hobnob with the wife of her steward …’
‘It looked to me as though they were arguing,’ said Langelee. ‘Perhaps Roos killed her, then dispatched himself from remorse.’
‘Never,’ said Michael, shaking his head. ‘I knew Roos – he was not a remorseful man.’
‘I want to say that they cannot possibly share a connection to each other,’ said Bartholomew. ‘Not just because they hailed from different sides of a bitter feud between the Lady and Badew, but for their characters – hers as a kindly soul, and his as a nasty old lecher …’
‘I sense a “but”,’ said Michael.
Bartholomew nodded. ‘But I found something that suggests they knew each other rather well. She wore an onyx ring engraved with a bird. Here it is.’
‘You took it?’ gulped Michael in alarm. ‘Lord! I hope we are not accused of theft.’
‘I was afraid it would fall off when we carried her up the stairs. You can give it back to Marishal now. However, before you do, look at what I found on a cord around Roos’s neck. I removed that for safekeeping, too.’
He held both items in the palm of his hand. Michael and Langelee peered at them.
‘But they are the same in every detail,’ breathed Langelee. ‘Why did you not mention it at once? Why wait until now?’
‘Because we were not alone when I made the discovery,’ replied Bartholomew soberly, ‘and it is difficult to know who to trust in this place.’
‘You mean Heselbech?’ asked Langelee, startled. ‘He is all right.’
‘I agree with Matt,’ said Michael. ‘It is wise to be cautious until we know more about what is happening. However, the man who makes me uncomfortable is Nicholas. I disliked the way he drooled over your letter-opener the other night. It is inappropriate for a priest to covet a weapon.’
‘Of course he admired it,’ said Langelee impatiently. ‘He is an ex-warrior who knows a good blade when he sees one.’
Michael was disinclined to argue, and returned his attention to the rings. ‘So what do these mean? That Roos and Margery were lovers, and these are tokens of their shared affection?’
‘That does not sound very likely,’ said Bartholomew. ‘I seriously doubt she could have been tempted by anything Roos had to offer.’
‘I agree,’ said Langelee. ‘Besides, I know women, and she was not the sort to break her wedding vows.’
‘Then maybe she and Roos were kin,’ suggested Michael. ‘Do not forget what Heselbech said – that Roos seemed to know his way around the castle. If Roos and Margery were related, he may have been a regular visitor here.’
‘If so, he would not have told Badew and Harweden,’ predicted Langelee. ‘Familial ties to the wife of the Lady’s steward? They would have denounced him on the spot!’