Maneil heard a knock on the door.
‘Who is it?’
Again the knock. Maneil sighed and swung his feet off the bed. He pulled back the bolt, opened it and the crossbow quarrel struck him full in the throat.
CHAPTER 13
Athelstan was still studying the garden; Sir John was taking some small refreshment in the arbour, mopping his brow, Sir Maurice was elsewhere when Simon Gismond, Sir Walter Limbright’s captain of the guard, came out shouting for Sir John.
‘What is it?’ he demanded crossly.
‘My lord coroner, one of the prisoners is dead.’
‘Poisoned?’ Athelstan asked.
‘Might as well be. A crossbow quarrel full in his throat. The corpse is still slightly warm. You’d best come and see.’
They followed him back into the manor and met Sir Maurice on the stairs. All three followed Gismond up along the dusty, shabby gallery. The door to the chamber was open. Maneil was lying on his back, arms out, head slightly twisted. The front of his jerkin was soaked in blood which had splashed out to form a dark red puddle around his head. A soldier stood by the window gazing out.
‘Who found the corpse?’ Athelstan asked.
‘I did.’
The soldier came over, cradling his helmet in his hand. He had a plough boy’s face, open and honest, his cheeks chapped and red. He took one fresh look at the corpse and hurried back to be sick in the small latrine pot beneath the window.
Athelstan crouched down. He pressed his hand against Maneil’s cheek. It was not yet cold. Aspinall came in. He took one look at the corpse, groaned and knelt beside it, pulling down the jerkin. Athelstan could see the great red angry hole around the crossbow bolt. He looked back at the door. The dead man had been flung at least two or three feet back into the room by the force of the quarrel.
‘He would have died instantly,’ Athelstan said. ‘The crossbow must have been held only inches from his neck.’
Athelstan went through the dead man’s wallet but he could find nothing except a few coins and a scrap of parchment. He walked over to the bed and looked down at the dirty, dishevelled blanket, picked it up and sniffed the sour, acrid smell of stale sweat. He threw it back and turned as Gresnay and Vamier were led into the room. Sir John dismissed the guard but told Gismond to stay. The two Frenchmen took one look at their colleague’s dead face and went and sat on the bed, the most woebegone expression on their faces.
‘We are going to die,’ Gresnay announced. ‘We are going to die in this awful benighted manor. Killed by some tail-bearing Englishman. Do you understand me?’ He got to his feet, his face mottled in fury.
He turned to Sir John but Gismond stepped in between them.
‘I think you’d best sit down,’ he said softly. ‘The coroner is not responsible for your friend’s murder.’
‘Well, who is?’ Vamier expostulated. He flapped his hands around. ‘Where’s the arbalest? Where’s the crossbow? Gresnay and I haven’t got a pin between us!’
‘Master Gismond,’ Sir John barked. ‘Take Maltravers here. I want this place searched for anything suspicious: knives, daggers, cross-bows, anything!’
Ordering Vamier to take the corpse by the feet, he shifted the body on to the bed. Athelstan knelt down, whispered the words of absolution and made the sign of the cross. He had barely finished when Sir Walter staggered into the room, clutching his stomach. He took one look at the corpse and crouched down just inside the door. His face was pale, flecks of vomit stained the corner of his mouth.
‘Another one dead!’ he grated. ‘I’ve lost everything.’ He began to sob quietly, head down, shoulders shaking.
Even the prisoners looked pityingly at their keeper.
‘I swear to God I had no hand in the deaths of any of them. While my daughter’s death is a punishment from God for my hateful heart!’
Sir John walked over and crouched beside him.
‘Come on, man,’ he urged. ‘Take a drop of wine. It will settle your stomach, not too much.’
Sir Walter obeyed.
‘Now, get to your feet.’ Sir John pulled him up by the elbows. ‘You are an English knight, you are distraught and, like us, you are in the Devil’s Domain. A killer walks the galleries of Hawkmere. Now, it could be one of those.’ He pointed across to the two Frenchmen. ‘Or, indeed, anyone here.’
‘It can’t be the Frenchmen,’ Sir Walter muttered, glancing shame-facedly at them. ‘Not even my own men carry crossbows. They are locked away in the armoury and that’s padlocked twice over. Gismond keeps one key, I keep the other.’ He spread his hands beseechingly. ‘Sir John, what am I to do?’
‘I have a suggestion.’ The friar spoke up. ‘And it may save more lives. Our two French prisoners should be separated and locked in their chambers. A guard inside and one without. They are to be served food direct from the kitchen. They are not allowed to meet anyone except the soldier who is in the room with them.’
Vamier went to protest but Athelstan held his hand up.
‘No, no, it’s the safest way.’
‘He speaks the truth,’ Gresnay said. ‘It should have been done before. I am sorry, Pierre.’ He glanced at Vamier. ‘But, until our ransoms are paid, even if the assassin strikes again, such measures might trap him.’
‘But why be kept separate?’ Vamier protested. ‘Whoever killed poor Maneil there carried a crossbow and quarrel. Whoever killed him must have been a member of the garrison here or a visitor. And,’ he added finally, ‘Monsieur de Fontanel left long before poor Eudes was slain.’
Sir Maurice came back into the room.
‘The armoury is still sealed and locked,’ he announced. ‘Gismond told me that no man carries arbalests, the guards have long bows and quivers.’
‘Sir Walter.’ Sir John snapped his fingers. ‘Have these two men put in their chambers immediately! The guards must be posted. Care must be taken with their food.’
‘I’ll taste it myself,’ Sir Walter offered, eager to assert his authority.
Sir John and Athelstan made their farewells and, a short while later, they and Sir Maurice left the manor.
The day was drawing on. Athelstan reckoned it must be close to Vespers time, for the blue sky was scored with red. A breeze had sprung up and clouds were massing over the city. He looked at the scorched grass.
‘It will be good if there’s a storm,’ he remarked. ‘The earth needs to drink and we, Sir John, need to trap an assassin.’
‘I am not going back into the city. I suppose, Sir Maurice, you’ll accompany Brother Athelstan. I am going to search out my friends the scrimperers,’ the coroner said, swaying slightly on his feet. ‘I wonder if they know about some poor whore who has gone missing?’