The Outlaws of Ennor: (Knights Templar 16) (37 page)

‘I can …’ Brosia stopped, flustered, with a wary look at the Prior. ‘I am sure I can make a man rise as easily as any other woman, but why I should do this for him, I don’t know.’

Cryspyn said shortly, ‘Because the Bishop has ordered it, woman, and you are one of his flock. I desire you …’ he flushed as he heard his own
double entendre
and continued swiftly, stammering slightly, ‘to test Isok and report back to me. You both know what is needed.’

Baldwin finished his cup and set it down. ‘Very well, let us take a closer look at this body of yours.’

‘I should have thought that the Prior would want the corpse to be returned to his island for burial,’ William said, leading the way down the middle of the church.

‘There can be little doubt of that,’ Baldwin observed.

‘You
think so? Cryspyn can be very straitlaced. He hates priests who fail in their oaths. He’s been here so long, I think he has come to look upon the priory as his own personal manor. Any man who threatens the stability of his manor can expect harsh treatment at his hands.’

‘I thought him a very moderate man.’

‘You should see him when he is angry! And little makes him more bitter than behaviour that brings his priory into disrepute. Consider Luke: the man was notorious. He came here because of his womanising, and he probably died because of it.’

Baldwin nodded. ‘You think her husband sought to punish the man who desired her?’

‘Yes. David was furious, I have heard.’

‘David!’

‘Who did you think I meant?’ William asked in surprise.

‘Why, Isok. I had heard that this Luke had actively sought out Tedia and that his overtures had been observed by others.’

‘I don’t think so. In the past, I have seen Luke ogling all the women in the vill, but more recently he’s concentrated on Brosia, I think. Certainly over the last couple of weeks. She has been flaunting herself at him outrageously.’

‘There are two bodies here?’

‘The other was the gather-reeve.’

Baldwin had reached the body and peered under the sheet. ‘How did he die?’

‘He was stabbed in the chest.’

‘By a short-bladed knife, then. It wasn’t long enough to go all through the man’s chest. And the knife had two edges to it.’

‘Um … yes,’ William said. In a few moments of peering, this man had seen as much or more than Ranulph during his inquest. He felt faintly impressed as Baldwin went to the second body and lifted the sheet.

It was Luke, and Baldwin sighed to see the young man’s ravaged, eyeless face. ‘I truly wish this monk had learned from his errors. He is a man I used to know.’

‘Can you tell me anything more about him?’

‘Only
that if he was killed by an outraged husband, it would be no more than he deserved, and certainly wouldn’t surprise me,’ Baldwin said.

‘I see you know more than you’re telling me,’ William said, but shrugged. ‘Let him answer for his own sins before the Father.’

The body was naked, and Baldwin studied it with interest. ‘This man was stabbed and died almost instantly, I should guess. I have seen stabs in the breast like this, and when the blade passes into the heart, it results in a very swift end. How long has he been dead, do you think?’

It was a fact that priests grew accustomed to death. Dealing with bodies which had been discovered after some while, and observing corpses before their altars prior to their being buried was an unpleasant, but necessary, part of their duties.

Now William set his head on one side like a hound questioning a stupid command. ‘I should think he died more than a few days ago. What would you think?’

‘I am no coroner, but I have had some experience with bodies left in the open, and I personally believe that this man has not been dead for very long. In fact, I think that he was still alive on the morning of the day after the storm. He was alive the day before yesterday, but died before last night.’

William’s eyes narrowed, and he peered at Baldwin.

The knight laughed. ‘The good Prior sent a man to see all was well on the morning after the storm. Luke was alive then. He clearly died before last night, though, since he was brought here to you then.’

‘I understood the last night bit,’ William muttered. ‘But when could he have died? And who did it?’

‘That we need to learn still,’ Baldwin said. ‘Was he undressed when he was discovered?’

‘I think he was clothed, but there were tears in the material.’

‘I would like to see his clothing.’

William fetched the robe from his chest at the back of the church. ‘I was wondering whether to keep this or not. It is too small for me, but would have helped patch my old one.’

‘There
are some tears, as you say. I should have expected more in the way of rents in the cloth,’ Baldwin said. ‘It would seem that he has been attacked by some birds, but also by other creatures.’

‘I expect that would be crabs or fish,’ William said. ‘He was not found in a boat but lay on the sands. All manner of sea creatures would have feasted upon him.’

Baldwin shivered at the thought. This, he knew, was the kind of death which was nearly visited upon him. ‘You mentioned that he was not in a boat?’

‘No. He had been, though. Pieces of broken timber were all about him as though he was in a boat which was wrecked upon the shore.’

‘Who found him?’

‘It was your friend: Isok.’

Baldwin’s face fell. ‘Oh.’

Simon
found the room at the back of the keep, and when he had managed to persuade the guard at the door, with a penny and a flask of wine, that he was a genuine visitor, he was allowed in to see Sir Charles – once he had deposited Baldwin’s sword with the gaoler.

Entering the cell, Simon was still trying to convince himself that Ranulph and Thomas were honourable and wouldn’t harm Sir Charles and Paul, but that memory of their fleeting glance was firmly imprinted upon his memory. Yet he had no idea why Ranulph should wish to have them kept in gaol. It made little sense. Sir Charles may have threatened him once, but there were good reasons for that.

Could Ranulph and Thomas have decided to use Sir Charles as a pawn in some way? Maybe they wanted to force Simon to condone some action, or do something for them – something that he would otherwise refuse? No, that was surely too far-fetched! In any case, what could they want him to do? Something regarding the murder of the gather-reeve? Not very likely. Unless, Simon realised, unless Thomas
was
the murderer and he wanted Simon to find another man guilty … Thomas had had the chance: he had been there, and he, like so many, always carried a dagger.

If he intended demanding that Simon should support the conviction of an innocent man, he could think again. Better that ten guilty men went free than that one innocent man should be wrongly punished. Anyway, this was all foolish. There was no indication that either man was intending to cause such a miscarriage of justice. Simon stepped inside the cell.

If anything, Sir Charles was still more beamingly happy to see him than before. ‘Bailiff! Come in, my friend! This is extraordinarily good. Paul! Move your fat, luggardly arse off that stool and let our friend be seated. Would you care for a little ale, Simon? It is not
good, but it is better than the wine with which they have supplied us.’

‘I thank you, but no. I’ve tried the local ale and I think I’d prefer the piss-water from the stews in Exeter. It’s foul.’

Sir Charles nodded with amusement, but he was watching Simon keenly, like a man who was expecting an answer to an unspoken question.

‘I have heard nothing more about your release,’ Simon began, ‘but I think it can’t be long. The Lord of the Manor is a harsh master, though, and he dislikes dissension.’

‘And so do I.’ Sir Charles exclaimed heartily. ‘He disliked my drawing my sword on him, and I disliked his way of piracy. Theft has never appealed to me – not when it is theft of my property.’

Simon was unpleasantly aware of the guard at the door, who would be listening carefully to every word. ‘Ranulph is a good man and perfectly fair. All we have to do is explain everything and apologise.’

Sir Charles listened attentively, nodding. ‘Yes. By the way, Bailiff: I was taken downstairs to meet your friend yesterday. He called me into his room and showed me a sword. When I declared that it was not mine, he asked whose it was.’

‘Did you say?’ Simon asked. If Sir Charles had identified it, it would reflect badly on Simon, who had denied all knowledge of the thing.

‘I said I knew of one like that, which was owned by our friend, yes. But I told him that poor Baldwin was washed overboard and must be dead. Why, was that a mistake?’

‘I do not know,’ Simon said, but inwardly he blamed himself for the error. He should have admitted whose sword it was and been done. No matter that his friend would be posthumously acknowledged as a Templar; in reality it would only harm his memory with a few people, and by denying Baldwin, Simon had lied to his own rescuer. ‘Did they say anything else about your release?’

‘Not in so many words, no,’ Sir Charles said with a pensive wrinkling of his forehead. ‘They mentioned that they thought I was a liar, accused me of murdering some fellow who collected taxes,
and then threatened me with execution unless I confessed my crimes. Apart from that, nothing.’

‘What crimes, in the name of Christ?’ Simon demanded. ‘We only came here, what, two days ago?’

‘But apparently they are plagued with pirates hereabouts, and I would make a good example to all my friends.’ Sir Charles spoke lightly, but it was plain that his sense of humour was not translating itself to Paul.

‘I’m ready to catch one of them and take a sword or dagger to the rest,’ Paul said in a low voice. ‘Bailiff, would you help us? Can you get us weapons?’

‘There should be no need for that,’ Simon said. ‘There has been another ship attacked by pirates, I’ve heard. It’s come into the port today. That means you can’t be associated with the pirates. They’re still at large, while you two have been locked in here for the last couple of days.’

‘That is very reassuring,’ said Sir Charles. He leaned back in his chair, nodding sagely. ‘However, I think my companion here has a point. Perhaps a dagger or two would make us feel more comfortable. Bailiff?’

Isok stared at Baldwin with an inscrutable expression. ‘I came when you called me, Father William. What can I do for you?’

‘You can take that mulish expression off your face for a start, you bellicose old fart,’ William declared. ‘Come in and sit down here. Now tell this gentleman what you found when you saw Brother Luke on the beach.’

‘It was as I told you before, Father,’ Isok said, ignoring Baldwin. ‘I noticed some wreckage on the water and looked about me to see where it came from. When I glanced at Great Arthur, I saw the splinters of wood, and then this body. I took my boat in to pick him up and bring him to the island.’

‘Speak to the man here as well as to me, Isok.’

Isok shivered slightly. ‘I don’t want to talk to him.’

William glanced at Baldwin. ‘It looks like this man has grown a worm in his bowels. Sorry he’s so rude.’

‘If
he wants company, he can get it from my wife, no doubt,’ Isok declared vindictively.

‘What has your wife to do with this? Come, man, we’re trying to find out what happened with this monk. What is the difficulty with that?’

‘I want nothing to do with him.’

‘Isok, he has to see where the body was found,’ William said heavily. ‘This is ridiculous! Look, you were First Finder. You have to help us to seek the killer.’

Isok lowered his head. That was a fair point, and he knew it. If he didn’t help the authorities to investigate a murder, he was breaking the law and risking a serious punishment. A First Finder had legal responsibilities, and since the dead man was a priest, the Prior had every right to demand that his murderer be found. Added to the fact that Prior Cryspyn was Isok’s master, Isok knew he couldn’t very well refuse to help, but he saw no reason to volunteer too quickly.

‘Can you take me there?’ Baldwin asked.

At last Isok favoured him with a cold look. ‘Aye. I could.’

‘And his safety would be on your head,’ William rasped. ‘Don’t think you can throw him over the side, lad! In fact, I think I’d better come too, Sir Baldwin, just to make sure that you’re safe.’

Baldwin was glad of the company. It would be more pleasing to have William to talk to. The belligerent sailor obviously wanted nothing to do with him, and in fairness to Isok, Baldwin was unpleasantly aware that he had cuckolded the man that very morning. It would not be possible for him to relax in Isok’s company.

They soon made their dispositions. William said that as soon as they came back he would send a messenger boy to the castle to let Simon know that Baldwin was safe, but that he couldn’t do it yet if Baldwin wanted to investigate the island where the body was found today. William had duties in his church, he couldn’t spend all day wandering over islands. Baldwin asked for a dagger, and William found an old rusty ballock knife – a long-bladed weapon with two large round spheres at the base of the blade. It was a Dutch weapon, and well-enough balanced, for all that the metal was tarnished and
pitted. Baldwin found a stone and began sharpening it. Isok merely demanded some cold meats and a skin of fresh water to take with them.