Текст книги "The Merchant’s Partner"

Автор книги: Michael Jecks

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“Greencliff, sir? He seems well enough in body, but I wish he’d say something.”

“Why? Has he stayed silent?”

“Yes, sir. Since the hour we brought him here.”

Baldwin sighed. “Take me to him.”

The cell was an unpleasant, square chamber dug under the floor of the main room. To get to it, Tanner had to lead the knight through the curtain at the back. Here, in the wooden floor, was a trap door with a simple latch secured by a thick wooden peg. Lifting this, the knight could peer into the dank and murky interior. “Greencliff?” he called doubtfully.

There was a sudden stir in the far corner, then a small splash as the boy stepped into a puddle, before his face suddenly appeared under the trap, and Baldwin could not help shaking his head and sighing. The boy who so recently had been a strong, tall and proud youth was a pale shadow of himself. His features were gaunt and strained, the skin appearing yellow in the half-light, his eyes vivid and unhealthy, his cheeks sunken and wan. His whole appearance was that of a man close to death, of someone who had fallen victim to an unwholesome disease.

“Tanner, get him out of there.”

Fetching a ladder, the constable wandered back to the hole in the ground and slipped it down. “Come on, lad. The knight wants you up here,” he called, offering his hand.

Leading the way to the front room, Baldwin stood with his arms akimbo and looked at the boy, shaking his head. Greencliff held his gaze. There was fear there. The knight could see it deep in the boy’s eyes, but he still appeared defiant. “Do you have anything else you want to say to me about the old woman’s death?”

“The witch, you mean.”

The knight peered at him. The boy’s voice sounded as though he was caught between emotions. It was as if anger and impatience were struggling for dominance, but Baldwin was sure he could see contempt, and self-disgust as well. “Did you think she was a witch?”

“Me?” The question seemed to surprise him.

“Yes. What did you think of her?”

“I didn’t think anything of her. I know what she was. Evil! She deserved to die!”

“Why?”

The boy held his gaze firmly and squared his shoulders with resolution, but kept silent. After a few moments Baldwin sighed.

“Very well. If you do not wish to answer, I cannot force you.” Greencliff glanced across at the imperturbable Tanner, and looked as though he was sneering. Turning, he was about to return to his cell when Baldwin stopped him. “No. Your friend has told us the truth.”

“What?” Greencliff spun round and stared at the knight. Strangely, Baldwin thought he was now scared. “Who?”

“Yes, we know you were with Stephen de la Forte all afternoon. He’s told us.”

Later, he knew that what worried him most was the fleeting glimpse of absolute surprise as the boy said, “Stephen?”

Chapter Eleven

They left the youth with Peter, consuming a large bowl of stew with minced meat, the priest happily organising more bread and ale as his guest ate.

Simon rode quietly with his chin on his chest. The three were silent, as though they were all contemplating the murder. At last, he said, “Baldwin, we must go back to Wefford and ask other people what they saw.”

“Yes, you’re right. We’ve spent two days thinking that Greencliff had to have been involved. Now we must get back to trying to find out who really was,” said Baldwin and sighed.

“Calm yourself, Baldwin.”

The knight threw him a puzzled glance. “Eh?”

“Just because it wasn’t Greencliff, that doesn’t mean it was your friend’s son.”

“No, but it’s suspicious, isn’t it? That he was here, trying to find out about her just the day before she…”

“Look at it this way – nobody saw him there, did they? Let’s see whether someone else was there.”

“Yes,”, he said, but not convinced.

“So, where do we start?”

The knight stared ahead, towards the town itself, as if there was a clue in the scenery itself. “Jennie Miller, I suppose. Oatway said she was there with Sarah Cottey. Let’s see her. She might know something that can help us.”

The mill was a large, sturdy building to the east of Wefford, and they found their way to it by the simple method of riding through the woods until they came to the stream, then following it north. It stood in a small, sheltered valley. Looking at it, Simon thought it looked like a safe and warm property, with thick walls and a pleasing drift of smoke rising from the tall chimney. At the eastern end lay the stream from which it gained its power, quiet and sluggish now, but wild and fast when the countryside was less frozen. They had to cross the leat to get to the buildings, and were able to use a small wooden bridge that had been thrown over to help the farmers bring their grain.

Baldwin nodded approvingly as he gazed at the mill and the stream. Mills were jealously guarded by their parishes, and although the knight had only been here once before, and then only briefly, he was proud of this one. It had been built by his brother only five years before, and he was glad to see that the walls were maintained well, their limewash shining in the light.

But then, as they approached, they heard a high scream, and they spun in the saddles to look for the source. It seemed to be a young girl’s voice.

At first there was nothing, then the cry came again, shrill and urgent, from the woods to their left, on the other side of the water. Baldwin felt at once for his sword arid drew it, scanning the trees with a frown while Simon fumbled for his knife and spurred his horse alongside. They exchanged a glance, then both prepared to leap the stream.

“Ignore them, they always make a lot of noise.”

Turning, Baldwin saw a smiling, chubby woman in her early twenties standing in the doorway. He motioned toward the noise uncomprehendingly. “But… Who?”

Her smile broadening, she put a finger and thumb to her mouth and gave a piercing whistle. Immediately the sounds stopped, and were replaced by giggling and laughter, quickly approaching. After a few minutes four children appeared, two boys and two girls, the oldest being perhaps ten or eleven years old.

The knight’s eyebrows rose in sardonic amusement as he carefully stowed his sword away. Simon frowned as he watched the oldest of the two girls walk sedately to her mother. It was the girl from outside the inn, the one he had seen when they had brought the witch’s body back from the field. His eyes rose to take in the mother as Baldwin asked:

“You are Jennie Miller?”

Her grin broadening, she nodded as her brood accumulated around her, their eyes fixed on the strangers. “Yes. It was the children playing. I’m sorry if they troubled you.”

Clearing his throat, Simon glanced at his friend as he shoved his dagger back in its sheath, it’s no trouble. “We… Er… Thought someone was being attacked. That was all.”

The knight dropped from his horse and glanced up at Simon, then over at Hugh, who sat glowering with a face like thunder. When he turned to the woman, Baldwin was laughing. “No, it’s no trouble, apart from having a fit of the vapours!” He strode forward, “I am Baldwin Furnshill. Can we speak to you?”

At her nod, Simon leapt down, threw his reins to Hugh and told him to wait with the horses. She led them inside, sending the children away to play.

It was sparsely furnished, but welcoming and homely. There was a large table, benches, and chairs at one end, and at the other was a huge chimney and hearth, now filled with logs and roaring. Motioning towards the flames, Jennie Miller said, “My husband isn’t here right now, he’s woodcutting. If you want him, you’re welcome to wait by the fire…” Her voice trailed off inquiringly.

Taking a seat at the fire, Baldwin sat and smiled. “No, it was you we wished to see.”

“Me?” Her eyes seemed huge, but not from fear, only amusement. This was no mindless peasant, Baldwin thought to himself, this was a quick-witted and intelligent woman. She was also clearly not afraid.

“It’s about the death of Agatha Kyteler,” said Simon as he too dragged a chair to the fire, then sat contemplatively staring at her. “Did you know her?”

She laughed as she sat. “Everyone knew old Agatha! She was always helpful to people who needed her sort of aid.”

“What sort of aid?”

“Anything,” she shrugged. “A salve for a burn or wound, a potion to clear the bowels, a medicine to stop pain – she could give help to almost anyone. She was very clever.”

The bailiff peered at her. “You know what the people say about her? That she was a…”

“A witch?” She laughed. “Oh, yes, some said so. Why? Do you believe that?”

From his side Simon heard a low chuckle. He subsided back into his seat and left the knight to the questioning, faintly offended by his friend’s amusement. It was not surprising that he should believe, after all. He was not credulous, but everyone knew that the Devil was all round, trying to win over the forces of good and subvert them. Shrugging, he watched the woman as Baldwin began to question her.

“You didn’t think she was a witch?”

“No,” she said dismissively. “That was only a rumour. Old Grisel wanted to blame her bad luck on someone else. Bad luck happens. When we lose a sack of corn to weevils we don’t say someone put a curse on us. It just happens. When something steals chickens, there’s no reason to assume that it must be because of a witch. It was probably a fox!”

“But you said she was good with herbs and making medicines. Is that why people were prepared to think it was her, do you think?”

“Yes, I think so. She was very skilled, she knew all about different plants. That doesn’t mean she was a witch, though, and after all, everyone was happy to take advantage of her knowledge when they needed her.”

Baldwin nodded thoughtfully, and Simon was sure he was thinking of Sam Cottey, the man who denounced the old woman as a witch but still used her poultice when he hurt his arm.

“When we spoke to Grisel Oatway, she said that she saw you there, at Kyteler’s house, on the day she died. Tuesday. Why were you there?”

“Tuesday? Yes, I was there. I went to speak to her about my pains. Last time I was with child she helped with the sickness and cramps. I wanted to see her about some more herbs, like the ones she gave me before.” Seeing the knight’s raised eyebrows, she giggled. “Yes, I’m carrying a baby again.”

“Oh… Fine, well…” To Simon’s amusement, he saw that it was the knight’s turn to be embarrassed. “I see. You did see her?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, I was there early in the afternoon.”

“Do you know when?”

“Not really. About two hours after noon, maybe.”

“How was she?”

“She was fine. A bit tired, I think. She used to spend so much time out collecting plants, and I think it was getting to be a bit too much, really.”

Simon cleared his throat and leaned forward. “You seem to be one of the very few people who knew her, like Sarah Cottey, but no one seems very sad that she’s been killed.”

“Why should we be sad? The poor old woman never tried to make friends here.”

A picture came into mind of the Kyteler cottage, fresh painted, with a new roof. “The house was well-looked-after. She was surely too old to paint and thatch – who did that for her?”

Jennie Miller smiled knowingly. “She wasn’t stupid,” she said, and her voice seemed to imply that she was not certain that the same could be said for Simon. “Whenever someone went to her, they had to pay in some way. She was not anxious for money, she had little need for it. No – she asked for things that were useful. If someone needed her help, they had to help her.”

“How long were you with her on the day she died?” asked Baldwin.

“How long? About an hour. Maybe a little more. I don’t know. Sarah might be able to help, she was there just as I left.”

“Do you know why she was there?”

“I think you should ask her that, don’t you?”

Baldwin studied her with a small frown, but slowly began to nod his head. “Perhaps we should,” he agreed.

“Grisel Oatway said you and Sarah were still there when she arrived?”

“Yes. I waited until Sarah had finished. She’s an old friend, and I wanted to speak to her. We started to walk up the lane towards the village…”

“How long was she with Agatha? When roughly did you leave?”

“Oh… She was there maybe a half-hour. Anyway, that’s when Grisel came rushing down towards the cottage. She was mad! Another of her chickens had been taken.”

“She was mad? Mad enough to…?”

“If you’re going to ask me whether she was mad enough to kill, I’m not saying yes or no,” Jennie Miller said tartly. “How could I say? She was furious, certainly, she could hardly talk without spitting. When she got to the cottage we could hear her voice clearly, shrieking at poor old Agatha while we walked back.”

“You didn’t go to help?”

“Help who? Would you have gone to separate two strong old women like them? I’d think even a knight could be nervous of doing that!”

“Yes,” Baldwin said, with a sudden smile. “You may well be right.”

“When you left, did you see anyone else on your way home?” asked Simon.

“Anyone else?” she paused, then spoke more quietly, “I thought I did, but Sarah didn’t.“

Leaning forward, both men kept silent as they waited.

“Back towards the road, I could swear that I saw a woman slipping off the track and into the trees as we came close.”

“Who?” Simon felt as though they were getting closer to the details now, nearer to an understanding of what had happened.

“I don’t know,” she said, glancing at him with a sympathetic smile, seeing his near despair. “It was dark there under the trees like I say. It was a woman, I think, but she was wearing dark clothes. Both cloak and tunic‘

“And Sarah didn’t see her?” he persisted.

“Ask her, but I don’t think she did. She would have said. I didn’t mention it because I wasn’t sure myself.”

“Do you know of anyone who hated her enough to want to kill her?” Baldwin asked.

She screwed her face into a cynical wince. “It’s hardly the sort of thing people are going to talk about in the lane, is it? No, I’ve never heard anyone talk about murdering her.”

“Not Grisel Oatway, for example?”

“No.”

He sighed and gazed into the fire for a moment. Looking up, he caught a thoughtful glance from her.

“There is something else.”

“No,” she said, but she looked troubled.

“It is very important, Jennie,” the knight persisted, seeing her waver. “Whoever did this could kill again. He’s like a mad wolf: once it’s tasted the blood of a man, we have to kill it because it’s not scared of people any more. It kills once, then it knows it can kill. Whoever killed Agatha Kyteler can do it again, because he knows he can do it.”

It was then, when his friend sat back, looking like a kindly father persuading his daughter to obey for her own good, that Simon saw her expression change. She stared at Baldwin with a curious resolve, as if the decision was as difficult as agreeing to take a lover, but once her choice was made, she was committed.

“Very well. But I cannot believe it was him.”

“Who?”

“Harold Greencliff. When we came to the edge of the trees, where the lane meets the road, I saw him.”

“With Stephen de la Forte?”

“Not that I saw. I didn’t see Stephen, only Harold. I thought he was alone.”

“What was he doing?”

“Nothing. Just standing there with a horse.”

“His own horse?”

She gave a quick laugh. “Harold have a horse? No, he does not need a horse. Anyway, it wasn’t a man’s horse. It was a nice little mare, brown with a white flash on her head and little white mark on her left foreleg like a short stocking. He was standing and holding her just off the road, almost in the trees. He looked like he was trying not to be seen.”

“If it was Greencliff, did Sarah Cottey see him?”

She smiled sadly, but shook her head. “No. Sarah would have commented. She couldn’t have seen him.”

“Why?”

“Sarah and Harry grew up together. They were as close as brother and sister. I think she still expects him to…”

Baldwin gently prompted her. “Expects him to what?”

Sighing, she stared at the flames. “To ask her to marry him. She’s always loved him. But he doesn’t love her.”

“Who is he in love with?”

“I don’t know, but find the owner of the little mare and I think you’ll find out.”

Outside once more, they found Hugh lurking sulkily, still holding the three horses by their reins. He was about to make a comment when he caught sight of the two men’s expressions and decided quickly not to. The look on his master’s face told him that this was not a good time to mention the weather. Handing their reins to them, he watched sullenly while they mounted their horses, then climbed on to his own and, shivering slightly, trotted off after them.

There was no conversation as they went. His master and the knight were sunk deep in thought, and Hugh found himself wondering what had been said in the mill. Both seemed morose, glowering at the trail ahead as they retraced their tracks to the road. He shrugged, putting their mood out of his mind. His priority was a warm meal and drink. Drink mainly: a pint of mulled wine or ale. It was so cold out here, with the wind whistling and howling between the branches of the trees like lost souls.

At the onslaught of a fresh, bitter blast that cut through his flesh to the bones beneath, he turned his head aside and groaned with the sheer pain of it.

“Are you all right, Hugh?”

Looking up he saw Simon swivelling in his saddle to peer back. Seeing the question in his master’s eyes, he tried to answer through his chattering teeth, but all he managed was a grimace. It was with relief that he heard Simon say, “Baldwin, we’ll have to stop to let Hugh warm up. I think he’s frozen colder than the mill leat.”

“If you’re sure,” said Baldwin giving Hugh a sour look. “But what with him not liking horses and needing to sit in comfort with a fire, I honestly cannot see why you don’t simply pension him and have done with him!”

“He’s not that bad!” Simon laughed as they carried on. Hugh carried on in silence, but kept his ears open. “And he was outside all the time we were indoors by the fire.”

There was a pause for several minutes, and then Hugh heard Baldwin mutter, “So what do you think, Simon?”

“About Greencliff? It looks suspicious, doesn’t it? He was there, after the women seem to have left the witch alive, we know he was nearby.”

“Yes,” Baldwin mused. “But why? Why was he there? And whose horse was it? Why would Greencliff want to kill Agatha Kyteler?”

“Are you going to arrest him again?”

“I don’t think so. Let’s see if we can find out more first. Maybe it was just sheer coincidence he was there. I don’t want to arrest the boy every other day! And what about the horse, and this other woman? Maybe she can help us.”

“Maybe. But who is she? How can we find out who she is?”

By the time they clattered into Wefford, Hugh felt as if he was frozen to his saddle. His hands seemed to have taken on a will of their own and refused to obey him as he tried to force them to open and release the reins. When Baldwin sprang lightly from his horse, at first he stood impatiently and watched with his face set into an irascible grimace. Then, slowly realising that Hugh was having difficulty, he stepped forward, peering at the servant with concern. Seeing the miserable set of Hugh’s face, he quickly moved up and helped the dejected man from his horse, assisting him to the door of the inn while Simon handed the horses to the hostler.

Coming into the hall, he saw the innkeeper bustling, moving men from the fire and making space for Baldwin and the frozen servant. Simon could see that the knight had a look of perplexed concern, while Hugh merely wore his usual glower. But there was no mistaking the pain on his face as the beat began to thaw him, the warmth sinking into his flesh like stabs from needle-sharp darts of pure agony.

Sitting near his servant, the bailiff contemplated him. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ll live. I’ve been worse,” Hugh grunted.

The innkeeper returned with jugs of heated wine, setting them beside the fire to keep hot, and nodded to Hugh while pouring a mugful. To Simon he looked like a leech trying out a new quack remedy, watching intently while the servant took a gulp, then leaning forward to top up the mug before standing and walking off to see to another customer.

Baldwin took another mug, then sat with his head down, staring at the hearth, sipping every now and again at his drink like a merchant testing a new batch of wine. When Simon glanced over at him, he was surprised to see that the knight had stiffened, his eyes gazing into the distance.

“What is it?”

“I was just thinking…” He broke off as the innkeeper came back and stood near Hugh, watching him carefully as if to see whether his medicine would work or not. “Ah. I was about to call for you. Tell me, has Greencliff been ill recently?”

“Harry? No.” His eyes flitted to Hugh, clearly comparing the strong and healthy farmer with this weak-seeming servant. “He’s been fine.”

“Oh. And his friend? Stephen de la Forte? Has he been unwell?”

The man’s face was baffled as he shook his head.

“Trying to find out if Greencliff or de la Forte might have needed to go to Kyteler for something?” asked Simon with amusement as the innkeeper hurried off to serve another customer.

“It was worth a try!” said the knight. He shrugged. “But it’s no help again. Greencliff was there the day Kyteler died. He was in the lane after Oatway saw the old woman. Some other woman might have been there too, after Oatway. Apparently Greencliff was very annoyed with the old woman that afternoon, so he may have seen her, though we don’t know why. He may have had a chance to get to her.”

“But de la Forte said…”

“That they were together all afternoon? That’s true.”

“He would, wouldn’t he?” said Hugh glumly.

Simon glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“They’re close friends, aren’t they? Maybe this de la Forte knows Greencliff has done it and wants to protect him. So he told you he was with Greencliff all afternoon when he wasn’t.”

Baldwin grunted assent. “It would make sense.”

“I don’t know,” said Simon thoughtfully.

“The only other people who had a real reason to kill Kyteler were the Oatways,” Hugh continued doggedly.

“But if Kyteler was still alive after she’d been there…” Baldwin began, and was interrupted by Simon.

“Was she? We don’t know that. Grisel Oatway could have killed her. We don’t know for sure that any other person saw the witch alive afterwards. If they did, we haven’t spoken to them!”

“Witch!” muttered the knight with a brief display of disgust, then took another sip at his drink. “All right, so we cannot be certain that Oatway did not kill her. Likewise we cannot be sure that Greencliff didn’t. There appears to be another person involved somehow as well, this strange woman in a grey cloak. Oatway saw her, so did Jennie Miller. Sarah Cottey didn’t mention her, though. Who could she be?”

“There is the other side, don’t forget.” Simon gulped wine, then leaned back and sighed contentedly as he felt it heat a simmering trail in his body. “Why was she carried away from her house up to Greencliffs field?”

“Maybe Grisel Oatway admitted to her husband that she had killed their neighbour and he carried the body away to hide the fact that they’d done it?” said Baldwin.

Hugh looked up. “That’s daft,” he said flatly. Baldwin was so surprised at the contemptuous comment he could not respond, but simply stared at the servant, who suddenly seemed to realise what he had said. Flushing an embarrassed red, he quickly carried on, “What I mean is, sir, that they’re not young, the Oatways. If they were going to hide the body, why would they take it so far away? They’d dump it nearer, somewhere they knew, somewhere they knew other people wouldn’t go…”

“He’s right,” said Simon frowning. “If they had done it, they would hardly carry it so far. And, if they were trying to keep it all hidden, they wouldn’t have left the Kyteler house with blood everywhere, would they?”

The knight mused. “That’s an interesting thought. But the only conclusion must be that it’s even more likely that it was Greencliff. The body was close to his house – maybe he was intending to go and hide it somewhere he knew, but Cottey interrupted his plans? It’s possible.”

“Yes. The only reason for thinking he must be innocent was the fact that Stephen de la Forte gave him an alibi, but from what Jennie Miller said, that wasn’t true,” Simon said. “Which means he must have been lying to protect his friend.”