‘But if you thought it was your husband, what better way to remove him?’ Baldwin said coldly. ‘You had hidden in the woods fearing that your husband might have followed you, hadn’t you? And then you saw the man before you and struck. That is what your husband thought.’
‘I couldn’t have killed like that. I am no murderer.’
‘No,’ Baldwin agreed. ‘You are not. The first thing my friend and I thought when we saw Sir Gilbert’s body was that he had been murdered by an experienced man, a professional. This was no frenzied, fearful killing. It was a cold-blooded and deliberate assassination. Only someone with specialised knowledge could have done it.’
‘But who?’ Lord Hugh said.
‘The murderer was a ruthless man, someone with a definite motive,’ Baldwin continued remorselessly. ‘Someone who wanted to remove a potential threat to his lord. Oh, and someone who knew that Nicholas Lovecok had already met him in a tavern. Someone who knew that Sir Gilbert was the emissary of Despenser. Someone who was alone, who was not seen in the woods when everyone else was there. Harlewin le Poter.’
The Coroner felt all the eyes in the room move to him and he gave a surprised smile, raising his eyebrows, protesting mildly, ‘But I was at the road.’
‘Sir Gilbert never came to see you at the roadside. You heard crashing about in the trees, and went in. Let us give you the benefit of the doubt: probably you wished to try to help. You are a King’s officer. You rode into the woods and in a short time you came across a dog’s body. When a horse came blundering towards you, you hid.’
‘He just appeared and leaped down instantly,’ said Harlewin, looking uneasy now. ‘I thought he was after me: I wouldn’t have attacked him otherwise.’
‘You stalked the man while he was weeping for his lost dog. While he knelt at his dead hound’s side, you stabbed him.’
‘I thought he was going to attack me.’
‘Liar!’ Baldwin said coldly. ‘You crept up behind him and stabbed him once, selecting the point which would kill. Then you mounted your house and rode back to the road. Those who saw you there didn’t realise that you had already killed Sir Gilbert.’
‘Why? Why should I have killed him?’
‘It was something I have heard mentioned a couple of times: your corruption. Your reputation seemed unfair because from all I have heard, you have served the King loyally and without double-dealings, yet the stench of deviousness clings to you. It springs from the occasion when you released a man of Earl Thomas’s from gaol. Some Coroners will take money to do such things, but your reputation seemed to be tied to Earl Thomas’s. And Sir Gilbert wanted Lord Hugh to support Despenser.’
Harlewin allowed a fleeting frown to pass over his brow. ‘But how could I have known that?’
‘You told me yourself – you reported that Nicholas had met with Sir Gilbert. It was hardly surprising that Nicholas, a man who himself supports Thomas of Lancaster, should let you, another supporter of his lord, know that there was a dangerous ambassador in the town who had been to call on Lord Hugh.’
‘If you are correct, why should I kill Sir Gilbert? If I knew about their meeting in the tavern, I would also have known that Lord Hugh was committed to the King and wouldn’t change his allegiance.’
Nicholas cried, ‘I didn’t tell him that!’
‘Are you sure?’ said Baldwin.
‘Of course I am! Sir Gilbert asked me about many things and told me he was here to negotiate with Lord Hugh on the Despensers’ behalf, but he never told me the detail of his meeting. He wouldn’t. It was confidential.’
Harlewin shook his head, but then turned and darted for the doorway. Before he could reach it John Sherman leaped forward, hurling himself at the Coroner. Grasping him about the knees, he brought Harlewin down, and when Harlewin looked up, he found himself staring along the naked blade of Sir Peregrine’s sword.
‘Coroner, you are arrested.’
‘Not for long, Sir Peregrine,’ he grinned. He stood and dusted his knees, smiling coolly. ‘As soon as my Lord Thomas hears of my position he will have me released, be assured of that.’
Lord Hugh walked over to Harlewin, looking him up and down with contempt. ‘He may well do that for so loyal a servant, Master Coroner. But before you celebrate, consider this: I have news which may not be so appealing to you. There are stories circulating in London that indicate Lord Despenser is back in the country at the invitation of the King and the bishops. The exile has been declared illegal.’
‘Nonsense! The King wouldn’t dare,’ Harlewin blustered, but his face had gone pale.
‘He did so before with Piers Gaveston; he has done so again. And when Hugh Despenser hears that you murdered his favoured ambassador, I think it won’t matter who your lord may be. Guards: lock him up!’
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lord Hugh called for more wine for all his guests as Harlewin was led away to be locked in the gaol. ‘I understand the reason for his crime, Sir Baldwin, but why was Sir Gilbert’s servant killed?’
‘I confess I wondered about that for a long time too, but if you will call for Toker’s remaining men, they can tell us.’
Owen entered with dragging feet. As he surveyed the faces ranged there, he wished fervently that he had made his getaway from the castle as soon as Toker had left to follow Sir Baldwin. Even the fear of Toker’s reprisals would have been preferable to this.
‘You were one of that band which attacked me?’ Baldwin said sternly.
‘This afternoon, yes, sir – but I refused to take part tonight and warned your man.’
‘You knew that they were going to ambush me?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Edgar entered with Perkin as Owen spoke.
‘Shut up, you bastard!’ Perkin snarled. ‘Don’t tell ’em anything.’
‘What of the servant William?’ Baldwin continued.
Owen told of the encounter in London between the group and William. ‘When we saw William in the courtyard here, Toker said we had to get rid of him. Otherwise he could expose Toker and Perkin for their felonies in London.’
‘Did you take part in killing William?’ Baldwin said.
‘No, sir. Toker had Perkin with him…’
Perkin strained to leap forward but Edgar held him firmly. Instead he snarled, ‘Shut up, or I’ll feed your liver to the crows!’
‘…It was them two who killed the servant. If they’d found the money, Toker and Perkin would have taken it and gone. They killed the sailor when he wouldn’t say where the money was, and because Toker wanted to punish him for defeating us in London.’
‘You did not help in killing William in any way?’
‘No sir. Toker wanted the money for himself, I reckon.’
‘Why were the Bailiff and I attacked?’
‘You kept asking questions. Toker was worried you’d guess he’d killed the servant. Then he realised you’d found the money and he wanted to punish you for taking what he thought should be his. Bloody prat!’
‘You can’t keep us. Where’s the Coroner? He can speak for us,’ Perkin suddenly roared.
‘Why should he speak for you?’ Sir Peregrine demanded harshly. ‘You deserve no protection.’
‘We’ve done nothing wrong. Ask the Coroner. He’ll tell you.’
Baldwin stood before him and considered him for a long moment before saying, ‘I think your friend the Coroner would not be keen to help you now. You are arrested.’
‘Toker might have done wrong, but I’ve done nothing, whatever that maggot says. Get the Coroner.’
‘Do you work for him?’ Baldwin asked.
‘Sometimes.’
‘The Coroner is in gaol, awaiting trial for the murder of Sir Gilbert.’
‘What? Le Poter? The stupid, fat bastard!’
‘He hired Toker to ambush you,’ Owen explained.
‘Shut up, you little shit!’
‘I rather thought so,’ Baldwin said. ‘Sir Peregrine, I would ask that this Welshman be kept in decent lodgings away from the others. He warned my man and saved my life and that of the Bailiff.’