‘But a monk nonetheless,’ said Aidan coldly. ‘Yet some good will come out of this dreadful business: the King will have no choice but to remove Walter from office now.’
Geoffrey stared after him as he stalked away. Having Walter under suspicion of murder would put the priory at a significant advantage, and was yet another reason why the monks should remain on his list of suspects.
While the Benedictines started moving Marcus’s body to an outbuilding for washing, Geoffrey began to feel that the odds of solving the crime were too great, and he seriously considered riding away and telling Hilde that her uncle had been killed by a lunatic who randomly slaughtered monks at their prayers. Unfortunately, she was unlikely to be satisfied with such an answer, and he also knew that the mystery would gnaw at him if he did not stay to solve it.
As they exited the church, Walter returned, this time with a contingent of soldiers as well as his knights, and offered to set them to investigating the latest crime. Odo’s jaw dropped in astonishment at what he declared was mind-boggling audacity, while Cadowan and Nest watched the scene with expressions that were difficult to read. Geoffrey was not sure what to make of any of them.
‘You asked yesterday to examine Leger’s possessions,’ said Aidan, handing Geoffrey a box. ‘He did not have many — he followed our order’s policy of poverty, obedience and chastity.’
The knight was acutely aware that everyone was watching as he began to sort through the chest’s contents. Cadowan and Nest were blank-faced. Odo and his monks were vengeful and angry, although Ivar seemed more distressed than enraged. And the men from the castle were alert and tense; Geoffrey realized uncomfortably that they seemed full of pent-up violence,
He doubted there would be anything useful in Leger’s belongings — not so long after his death, and with the entire priory aware that he had asked to inspect them. There was a spare habit, another plain wooden cross and some letters from Hilde. Odo’s eyebrows drew together in disapproval when he saw them: monks were not supposed to hoard keepsakes.
‘Nothing,’ said Roger in disgust.
Absently, Geoffrey unfolded one or two of the letters, half listening to a tension-loaded discussion between Walter, Odo and Cadowan about who might have committed the second murder. None of them said anything new: Odo thought the suspect hailed from the castle, Walter claimed it was a monk or a townsman, while Cadowan pointed out that the priory and the castle held the most obvious suspects. Tearfully, Ivar announced that he distrusted everyone, and even included Geoffrey and Roger in his accusing glare. The bald declaration silenced the clamour of the others, and so did the growl of thunder that followed it.
A tiny piece of parchment had been hidden in the third letter Geoffrey opened. The spidery writing looked as if it had been penned by the same hand as the desperate letter to Hilde. The knight had no doubt that it was Leger’s. He began to read:
Brother Ivar shared a terrible secret with me today. He told me the location of the sky-stone, which lies at the base of the great oak below the cliffs from which Drogo fell. I urged him to set it on the altar, because it comes from God, but he is afraid. Perhaps it would be best if it stayed hidden, because it brings out evil in good men. I fear for my life now. It is
There was no more, and Geoffrey could only assume that the monk had been interrupted before he could finish. He became aware that people were regarding him expectantly, so he handed the letter to Odo, who read it with narrowed eyes. The prior glared at Ivar.
‘You concealed the sky-stone under a tree?’ he demanded angrily. ‘You stupid fool! Why did you not bring it here, to be safe?’
‘No!’ cried Ivar, blood draining from his face. ‘Leger promised never to reveal my secret — not until we had discussed together what was to be done. He promised!’
‘That was before he knew it might cost him his life,’ said Aidan angrily. ‘Why did you burden him with this knowledge? Why not Odo or me? We are men who know how to look after ourselves, but he was not. You killed him with your nasty games!’
Ivar looked ready to cry, while Geoffrey considered the information with interest; Odo and Aidan knew how to look after themselves, and he had seen Aidan with a dagger. Did that mean they were not averse to shedding a little blood for whatever cause they believed in?
‘We had better go and lay hold of it,’ said Odo to his monks. ‘We do not want it falling into the wrong hands.’ He looked pointedly at Walter, who bristled.
‘What do you mean by that?’ the constable demanded. ‘And why should you have it? If Ivar had wanted it to go to the Church, he would have given it to you when he took holy orders.’
‘I do not want any of you to have it!’ shouted Ivar. ‘I have kept it safe for years, and I shall decide where it goes when my death is near.’
‘Then you had better make a decision soon,’ growled Pigot. ‘Or you may run out of time. Like Leger.’
‘Is that a threat or an unintentional confession?’ demanded Odo. ‘It sounded like the latter. In other words, you killed Leger, because you guessed Ivar had confided in him, and you wanted the thing for yourself.’
‘We do not want it,’ said Walter contemptuously, while the black-haired knight blanched at the accusation. ‘Why would we, when it failed to save Eleanor?’
‘Because it saved me,’ said Nest quietly. She looked directly at Pigot. ‘When I was being chased by men with harmful intent.’
Pigot flushed guiltily, although Walter was incensed. ‘That incident had nothing to do with us, as I have already told you.’
‘But Pigot has not,’ said Cadowan, who had not missed the knight’s reaction. ‘Let him hold Leger’s cross and deny it. If he lies, he will be struck down. Here — take it.’
‘Perhaps we did follow Nest when we saw her alone by the cliffs,’ snarled Pigot, putting his hands behind his back when Cadowan tried to thrust the cross into them. ‘But you cannot prove our intentions were dishonourable.’
‘It does not matter,’ said Nest quietly, pulling her husband away. ‘It was a long time ago, and all forgotten.’
‘Not by me,’ hissed Cadowan. ‘It will never be forgotten by me.’
‘Never mind this irrelevance,’ said Walter briskly. ‘As constable, it is my duty to find this stone and smash it before any more evil is done. I shall prepare a search party.’
‘No!’ cried Ivar, darting forward. ‘You cannot destroy it! It is a gift from God.’
‘Get away from me, you devil-lover,’ snarled Walter. ‘Your stone will soon be dust.’ Then he snapped his fingers to indicate his men were to fall in behind him and left the priory without another word.
‘We had better make sure we reach it first,’ said Odo grimly. He looked around at his monks, who were already donning cloaks against the looming storm. ‘We cannot stand by and see a gift from God destroyed. You had better stay here, Ivar — you will slow us down.’
Geoffrey raised his eyebrows. ‘You will have to hurry: if Walter reaches it first, it will not be easy to wrest it from him. He and his men are armed.’
‘There are many ways to the base of the cliff,’ said Aidan. He grinned wildly. ‘And I believe I know a faster way than Walter.’
They hurried away, and Geoffrey looked around to find that he and Roger were alone. Cadowan and Nest had also disappeared, while even Ivar, apparently loath to stand by while his treasure was seized, had hobbled after his brethren.
‘It looks as if they all mean to have it,’ said Roger, amused. ‘It is a pity they know these cliffs, because I would not mind owning a healing stone myself — to use on you. You do not look well.’
‘I am all right,’ said Geoffrey, although his arm now throbbed so badly it was difficult to think of anything else. He winced when the next thunderclap started. ‘I suppose all we can do now is wait to see who returns victorious.’
‘Not here, though,’ said Roger, looking around in distaste. ‘We shall visit a tavern.’