‘Who?’
‘The captain of Eagle — Elliot’s friend Lester thinks it suspicious that two sea-officers should die within such a short space of time of each other. Pepperell was murdered by Brinkes — the man charged with ensuring that Piccadilly Company meetings are not disturbed. I will hunt down Brilliana today, to see what she can tell me about her dead lovers — and about her brother, too. Lester is also looking into it, on Williamson’s behalf.’
‘Lester,’ said Thurloe disapprovingly. ‘Stay away from him. I distrust him intensely.’
‘Do you? I rather like him.’
‘Oh, I am sure he is charm itself. However, do not forget that he was present at the beginning of the spat that saw Elliot and Cave dead.’
‘He tried to stop them from fighting, and was almost killed when Cave lunged at him.’
‘And that is suspect in itself. I sensed something devious about him the first time we met — years ago, when we were both much younger. Do not trust him, Tom.’
Chaloner nodded, but although he usually respected Thurloe’s insights, he was inclined to dismiss this one. Of all the people he had met since returning from Tangier, Lester was by far the most personable.
‘The second case is Teviot,’ he went on. ‘He and his garrison died because Harley, Newell and Reyner gave him misleading information. All are members of the Piccadilly Company, but Reyner was murdered within hours of agreeing to tell me what happened at the ambush on Jews Hill. He gave his mother that list of the Piccadilly Company’s enemies.’
‘Which probably comprises the names of specific Adventurers,’ surmised Thurloe.
‘Then Reyner’s mother was murdered, and her list stolen. Fitzgerald says the killer will have his just deserts next Wednesday — St Frideswide’s Day — because his master has a plan.’
‘Pratt’s murder?’ asked Thurloe. ‘Or are we talking about a different plot?’
‘It must be a different one. I had the feeling that he expects something truly catastrophic, and the death of an architect — no matter how valuable Pratt thinks himself — is hardly that. But this is the third case: the letters. I have questioned the Queen’s staff, but learned nothing useful. However, Pratt hobnobs with the Piccadilly Company and the Adventurers. And he lives in the Crown.’
‘How will you proceed with that particular investigation?’
‘Spend time in White Hall, asking more questions of more people. The last case is the Earl’s stolen bricks — connected to the others by virtue of its architect and its location in Piccadilly. I have no idea who the culprits might be, and I suspect his materials will continue to go missing until the damned place is finished.’
‘Pity,’ said Thurloe. ‘Because I imagine that is the one your Earl would most like solved. You must visit the place as often as possible, and interview Pratt, Oliver and their workmen. Something will occur to you eventually, you will see.’
Chaloner was not so sure, but felt it was the least of his worries. ‘Perhaps you should tell Williamson to arrest Fitzgerald, on the grounds that his master might not be able to put this diabolical plot into action if his chief henchman is unavailable.’
‘Lawyers would have him free within the hour — suspicion and rumour is not solid evidence. No, Tom. It is better to leave him alone, because if he goes to ground, we will never thwart him.’
‘If you say so,’ said Chaloner unhappily.
The day that followed was not very successful. Chaloner arrived at White Hall to find Dugdale waiting. The Chief Usher looked decidedly fragile, with bloodshot eyes and a sallow complexion. So did the Earl’s secretary Edgeman, who was sipping some sort of tonic as he sat at his desk.
‘Good,’ Dugdale whispered when he saw Chaloner. ‘When you have finished telling me what you have learned about the stolen supplies, you will go to the Tennis Court. The Duke of Buckingham has challenged Mr O’Brien to a bout, and the Earl wants a representative from his household to be there.’
‘I suspect he would rather I hunted the brick-thief.’ Chaloner spoke deliberately loudly.
‘That is why he wants you to go to the game,’ said Dugdale, wincing as he put a hand to his head. ‘All his enemies will be there, and you will eavesdrop, to learn which of them is the culprit. This order comes directly from him, so you will obey it.’
‘But it is a bad idea,’ objected Chaloner. ‘First, the Tennis Court is too open for eavesdropping. And second, most of his enemies know me, so will watch what they say when I am near.’
‘Then you will have to find a way around it.’ Dugdale smirked unpleasantly. ‘But do not take too long — if you fail, you may find yourself jobless.’
‘Leave him alone, you two,’ said Kipps, arriving suddenly, and as bright and energetic as the Chief Usher and secretary were seedy. ‘I am tired of you baiting him all the time.’
Dugdale ignored him. ‘Make your report to me, Chaloner, and then be about your duties.’
‘Significant headway has been made,’ lied Chaloner vaguely.
‘Good,’ said Kipps, before the Chief Usher could remark that this was insufficient. He regarded Dugdale coolly. ‘I shall pass the news to the Earl — we do not want it garbled in the retelling, do we?’ He turned back to Chaloner. ‘Have you uncovered anything about the villain who sent those letters to the Queen? That is the most serious matter, as far as I am concerned. I like the woman.’
‘Really?’ asked Dugdale scathingly. ‘I thought your tastes ran more towards Lady Castlemaine.’
‘Did you enjoy yourself at the brothel last night, Dugdale?’ asked Chaloner, speaking loudly again, this time in the hope that the Earl would hear. ‘You and Edgeman?’
Edgeman regarded him in alarm, while Kipps’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment.
‘You spied on us?’ demanded Dugdale, shocked. ‘How dare you! Get out, before I commission some of my friends to teach you a lesson.’
‘Friends like Fitzgerald the pirate?’ asked Chaloner, unmoved. ‘Or Harley, the scout whose faulty intelligence saw five hundred men dead? You were certainly in their company last night.’
‘We do not know them,’ said Edgeman quickly, while Dugdale spluttered with outrage. ‘But your remarks suggest that you were in this brothel, and I am telling the Earl. He will not believe that Dugdale and I frequent such places, but you are another matter entirely.’
He was right, and Chaloner suspected that his attempt to combat their bullying had just misfired. He had only mentioned Fitzgerald and Harley in an effort to disconcert them, but Edgeman’s denial made him think again: could the secretary and Chief Usher be associated with the Piccadilly Company? As most of its thirty members wore disguises, it was impossible to say who attended its meetings. Or did being Adventurers preclude them from joining, on the grounds that the two groups were at loggerheads?
He bowed a curt farewell, and started to walk to the Tennis Court, although he stopped abruptly when an uncomfortable thought occurred to him: should he be wary of Kipps? The Seal Bearer had admitted that his application to join the Adventurers had been rejected, so had he promptly thrown in his lot with their rivals? Moreover, he should not have known about the Queen’s letters, because the Earl — in a rare display of discretion — had kept the matter within his family. Did that imply Kipps had another reason for knowing, namely that he was involved in the matter himself?
The notion was not a happy one, and Chaloner was grateful he had Thurloe’s friendship, because he was otherwise quite alone.
As Chaloner had anticipated, eavesdropping was hopeless at the Tennis Court. It was dangerous, too, because the Earl’s enemies had gathered in force, and Chaloner was jostled, pinched and poked but did not dare retaliate, because at least twenty men with swords would have been delighted to fight him if he had. Individually, they posed no threat, but en masse they were a distinct menace.