Bulteel nodded eagerly, pleased with his ready acquiescence. ‘I know the Earl is determined not to pay Dorcus Newburne’s pension — he says he would rather spend a night with the King’s mistress, so that should tell you the extent of his resolution. And I know he wants you to prove Muddiman is responsible for Newburne’s death, because then he can pass the burden of the pension to him.’
Chaloner regarded him in distaste. ‘Really?’
Bulteel nodded again. ‘So, if you expose Muddiman as the culprit, you will be reinstated. However, if you discover the killer is some pauper, or that Newburne died in the course of his government duties, he will not be so generous.’
‘I cannot tell him it was Muddiman if I find evidence to the contrary. I am no lapdog, uncovering “evidence” to orders.’
Bulteel regarded him appraisingly, then gave his shy smile. ‘I knew you would say that — I am a good judge of men, and I know an honest one when I see him.’
Chaloner shot him a searching look of his own. ‘I suspect, from your reaction, that you have devised a way to resolve my dilemma.’
‘You are astute, and the Earl is a fool not to cultivate your loyalty. What you need is a plan that will please him no matter what you discover, and I have been mulling one over for some time. Newburne was wealthy — he owned a mansion on Old Jewry, one on Thames Street and two in Smithfield.’
‘Do you happen to know if he rented rooms in the Rhenish Wine House, too?’
Bulteel was puzzled. ‘He hired a garret on Ave Maria Lane, but his other places were proper houses which he owned himself.’ He looked wistful. ‘The Thames Street property is the nicest, in my opinion. It is not very big, but it has a lovely view of Baynard Castle.’
Chaloner rubbed his chin. ‘I do not suppose it is next to Hodgkinson’s business, is it?’
‘Oh, no,’ said Bulteel in distaste. ‘Print-works smell, and he had more genteel neighbours than that. In fact, one was Maylord the musician.’
‘Is that so? Maylord abandoned his Thames Street home shortly before his death, perhaps because he heard or saw something that frightened him. I wonder whether it was anything to do with Newburne? I have struggled to find connections between them, but being neighbours would certainly count.’
‘I inspected Newburne’s accounts for a government survey once, and a lot of courtiers hired his legal services. Perhaps Maylord was one of them, and their relationship was that of lawyer-client.’
‘You do not remember for certain?’
Bulteel shook his head. ‘I kept notes, though, so I can check for you. However, what really stuck in my mind were the inconsistencies in Newburne’s accounts. He was swindling the government quite openly — not the Lord Chancellor, but other departments.’
‘Did you report him?’
Bulteel winced. ‘I do not possess your moral courage, and Newburne was in high favour at the time. I overlooked them, as I was expected to do. That is where the saying “Arise, Tom Newburne” comes from — success despite ethical shortcomings.’
‘Is it, indeed?’ murmured Chaloner. How many more alternative meanings would he be given for the curious phrase?
‘But we digress. What I want to tell you is that he owned a box of jewels. He invested his legitimate income with bankers, but could hardly do the same with the profits from his shady business, so he stored those in a little chest.’
‘I was told his hoard was a popular folktale, that it has no basis in fact.’
‘Then you were told wrong,’ said Bulteel with great conviction. ‘It does exist. I have seen it.’
Chaloner was not sure whether to believe him. ‘Where?’
‘He kept it buried in the cellar of his Old Jewry house. He dug it up in front of me once, when we needed to lend the Earl some ready cash.’
‘The Earl owed Newburne money?’ asked Chaloner with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. If there was ever a good motive for murder, then an unsavoury debt was among the best.
‘It was repaid in full ages ago,’ said Bulteel, seeing what he was thinking. ‘The Earl did not kill Newburne. However, if you can lay hold of this treasure, you can present it to him and it will serve two purposes: it will pay Dorcus’s pension, regardless of what you learn about her husband’s manner of death; and it will ensure you keep the Earl’s favour.’
‘But that means Dorcus’s pension will be paid from her own money — her lawful inheritance.’
‘Not so. Newburne earned those jewels by cheating the government, so they are not hers.’
‘That is contorted logic. Devious logic, too.’
‘The chest belongs to the government,’ insisted Bulteel stubbornly. ‘And I would rather our Earl had it than anyone else, because he may use it to pay his servants — you and me. However, you should present it to him only after you have identified your suspect, to soften the blow. Unless the culprit is Muddiman, of course, in which case you should leave it where it is. Then you will have it in reserve, for when you need to prove your loyalty the next time.’
‘And what do you gain from this arrangement?’
‘You will tell the Earl that we solved the case together, so we can both claim credit for the victory. Then he will see us as indispensable, and we will be safe until the next crisis comes along.’ Bulteel looked uncomfortable. ‘I know you will be taking all the risks, but I really cannot help you with a burglary, because I would not know what to do. However, it is my information.’
Chaloner had heard worse offers. ‘How do you know you can trust me?’
‘I trust you,’ said Bulteel with surprising conviction. ‘You have had several opportunities to feather your nest from your work, but you never have, despite being in desperate straits. You are honest.’
‘I am a spy,’ countered Chaloner. ‘We lie without thinking about it.’
Bulteel grinned, revealing his bad teeth. ‘And I am a lawyer, so there is little I do not know about deception, either. I am not asking for your hand in marriage here, Heyden — just a temporary alliance. As soon as we are back on the payroll, we can revert to our usual antipathy, if you like. But my wife is expecting our first child soon, and I need regular employment.’
‘Very well,’ said Chaloner, holding out his hand.
Bulteel clasped it. ‘Thank you. You will not regret trusting me, I promise.’
Chaloner hoped he was right. ‘The chest is buried in Newburne’s cellar?’ he asked, supposing it would be no great trouble to break into the house and take a look. He had done it before, after all.
‘There is a single barred window, and the treasure is just below it. He may have covered the spot with an old box or a heap of rags.’ Bulteel stood. ‘Meanwhile, the Lord Chancellor is in the Shield Gallery, watching the river through the window. I will escort you there, if you like.’
The flooded Thames was an unsettling sight. It was brown and swift, and in it were whole trees, the shattered pieces of wooden buildings, clothing and even a woman’s body, face-down and undulating among the waves. Sand-filled sacks had been placed in front of the palace’s water-gates, but they were a futile measure against such a powerful force, like trying to kill a pig with a pin.
‘The tide will turn in an hour,’ said the Earl, watching it from the comfort of the gallery. All the windows had been thrown open, and courtiers jostled for vantage points. The King was among them, and his mistress, Lady Castlemaine, clung to his arm, declaring in a penetrating voice that it would do no harm for some of the capital’s hovels to be washed away, because they were ugly.
‘They are people’s homes, my love,’ said the King, although there was no real sting in his words.
‘Then this is their chance to build prettier ones,’ she retorted petulantly. ‘I am weary of squalor — it is so tiresome. Lord, I am bored! Will no one play billiards with me?’
There was an immediate flurry of raised hands, although most were hastily lowered again when the King cast a laconic eye over them. He snapped his fingers for wine, although half the Court looked as though it had imbibed far too much already, despite the early hour. Chaloner looked away, thinking it might not be a bad thing if the river also took White Hall and its dissipated occupants when it swept away the slums that so offended Lady Castlemaine’s sensitivities.