The Elephants Of Norwich Part 8

He lifted the shroud again to take another look at Hermer's face. Ralph studied his reaction. He and Gervase had visited the morgue earlier to scrutinise the body in the hope of finding that telltale evidence had been revealed by its tending. Neither of them had ever met the steward yet they treated his corpse with a reverence they felt appropriate. There was nothing reverent about de Fontenel's perusal. As he gazed down at the bruised face for the second time, he might have been appraising some rotten food served up to him by mistake. Ralph saw no hint of grief, still less of affection. He was grateful that the sheriff had asked him to accompany them. It meant that he was able to lend support to his host and take the measure of a man whose extraordinary behaviour had interrupted the banquet in the hall. Richard de Fontenel did not endear himself to the commissioner.

*Let's get out of here,' the visitor said, flicking the shroud back into place. *I've seen all that I need to of Hermer.'

*What will you do with the body?' said Bigot.

*Take it back with us. My men have brought a cart for the purpose. Hermer will be buried in the local church. And soon,' he added. *Before that stink grows worse.'

*Death is never fragrant, my lord,' observed Ralph.

Ignoring the remark, de Fontenel led the way out. When all three of them stepped back into the fresh air, they saw torches burning in the bailey. The last of the guests were leaving the castle. Roger Bigot now gave vent to his own anger.

*I've indulged you far enough,' he said, sharply. *It's time for recompense.'

*I owe you nothing, my lord sheriff.'

*An apology is the least that you could offer,' prompted Ralph.

The visitor rounded on him. *Who asked you for your opinion?'

*n.o.body. I offer it of my own free will.'

*Then I treat your advice with the contempt it merits.'

*Don't insult my guest,' warned Bigot. *I'll have no more of that.'

*Then tell the lord Ralph to hold his tongue.'

*Tell me yourself,' said Ralph, squaring up to him. *If you dare.'

*I'd dare more than that,' a.s.serted de Fontenel, truculently.

*Would you?'

Their eyes locked in a silent tussle. Richard de Fontenel was smouldering but caution slowly got the better of anger. Ralph's stare was calm but steadfast, conveying a challenge that was too daunting for his adversary to take up. The fact that he was a royal commissioner also had to be weighed in the balance. If rough hands were laid upon his agent, the King himself would come in search of the malefactor. It was Richard de Fontenel who eventually gave way and averted his gaze. The sheriff issued a stinging reproach to his uninvited guest.

*Take care, my lord,' he said, confronting him. *Offend anyone else beneath my roof and you'll pay dearly. The banquet you so rudely interrupted this evening was held in honour of important visitors. It was arranged days ago and could not be cancelled at the last moment because of a sad turn of events. No disrespect was being offered to your steward. As you saw, his body was treated with care and respect. Its very presence in the morgue ensured that little merriment took place in my hall this evening.'

*I can vouch for that,' Ralph confirmed.

*There was no excuse at all for your boorish behaviour,' continued Bigot, glaring at de Fontenel. *It disgusted me, upset my wife and outraged my guests. While I'm sheriff here, I'll obey n.o.body's wild demands. Mark that well, my lord. The next time you ride unbidden into my castle with a troop of men at your back, I'll have each one of you clapped in irons. Is that understood?'

*Yes,' murmured the other.

*Speak up, man!'

*Yes, my lord sheriff. I was perhaps a little intemperate.'

*Is that all you have to say?'

Richard de Fontenel s.h.i.+fted his feet and threw a hostile glance at Ralph, annoyed that he was being reprimanded in front of the commissioner and reluctant to yield up the apology that was being asked of him. Cold facts had to be accepted, however. In the county of Norfolk, the power of the sheriff was paramount. It was backed by the King's own writ and it was fatal to violate that.

*I crave your forgiveness, my lord sheriff,' he said at length.

Bigot was brusque. *Some things are unpardonable.'

*I was crazed by the news about my steward.'

*That's not how my deputy viewed your response. Olivier tells me that you seemed more concerned about the loss of your gold elephants than you did about the murder of your steward. Have you no loyalty to the men you employ?'

*I'm their master,' retorted the other. *It's they who owe loyalty to me.'

*What sort of man was Hermer?' asked Ralph.

*A good one until he was corrupted by Mauger.'

*You've firm proof of that, my lord?'

*I will have,' vowed de Fontenel. *When I shake the truth out of him.'

*You'll do nothing of the kind,' said Bigot, peremptorily. *The lord Mauger is under my protection. I'll conduct any interrogation that is called for and I'll do so at my own discretion. I'll not be stampeded into action by you.'

*Besides,' said Ralph, mischievously, *if memory serves me aright, the lord Mauger has more knights at his beck and call than you. If you try to threaten him, he'll beat you all the way back to your manor house.'

*There'll be no violence between the two of them,' continued the sheriff. *This county is subject to the rule of law and I'm charged with the duty of enforcing that law.' He gave de Fontenel a meaningful look. *Do you still intend to go your own way?'

*Not if you apprehend Mauger.'

*That's not the answer I look for, my lord. You warmed the ears of my deputy with a blunt message for me. You swore to take the law into your own hands. Are you still of the same mind? If you are,' Bigot said, unequivocally, *I'll give you time to reflect on your stupidity in one of the dungeons. Is that what you want?'

*No, my lord sheriff.'

*Then repudiate your boast.'

There was a long pause. *Perhaps I spoke in haste,' conceded the other at length.

*Spoke in haste and acted in fury.'

*I'm sorry about that.'

*Rein in your temper,' ordered Bigot, *and say no more about the lord Mauger. He'll not escape close questioning. Other lines of inquiry must also be explored.'

*That's why I asked about your steward,' said Ralph, seriously. *Did the fellow have many enemies?'

*None at all, as far as I know,' grunted de Fontenel.

*Was he married, my lord?'

*Hermer lived alone.'

*He must have had family or friends of some sort.'

*His parents came from Falaise but they died years ago. As for friends,' he said with a slight smirk, *Hermer took his pleasures where he could find them. He liked the girls to be young and pretty.'

*Why do you think he was murdered?' asked Ralph.

*Because he knew too much. Hermer was bribed to steal the elephants from me. When he handed them over to his paymaster a" and I know who that was a" his tongue was silenced in the most brutal way.'

*It's the brutality that worries me, my lord.'

*For what reason?'

*Put yourself in the position of this alleged paymaster,' suggested Ralph. *For the sake of argument, imagine that you bribe someone to steal precious items from a rival. When that's done, you decide to have your hireling killed.'

*Go on.'

*Wouldn't you take care to hide your tracks? Wouldn't you bury the body some distance away instead of leaving it under the nose of the lord sheriff?'

*Probably.'

*I certainly would,' opined Bigot.

*There's another point,' continued Ralph. *Your steward looks to have been st.u.r.dy enough but he was no soldier. It wouldn't have been difficult for someone to take him unawares with a sly dagger.'

*So?'

*Why stab him a dozen times or more when one well-placed thrust would've done the task? Your steward was defenceless, he wore no armour. Why was his body so cruelly abused? If you had seen his ankles, you'd have noticed the ugly weals left by a piece of rope. Your steward was dragged on his back over rough ground, my lord. Who'd wish to do that?'

*Mauger.'

*Keep his name out of it,' ordered the sheriff.

*I agree,' said Ralph. *The man who murdered your steward had a personal score to settle. It was a vengeful death. That rules out the lord Mauger. From what I hear, he's no saint but neither is he a coldblooded killer. Remember those missing hands, my lord. Why were they cut off? There has to be a meaning in that brutality.'

*The lord Ralph is right,' concluded Bigot. *The man we seek didn't bribe your steward into stealing those elephants. He slaughtered Hermer for a purpose.'

*To strike at me,' said de Fontenel.

*No,' argued Ralph. *To get revenge. I come back to my original question, my lord. This is an intensely personal crime. Who were Hermer's enemies?'

*I told you. He had none.'

*Think hard.'

*There's no need. Hermer was a conscientious steward who carried out my orders to the letter. n.o.body could have any cause to dislike him, let alone hate him enough to carry out such a barbaric attack.'

*What about Alstan?'

*Who?'

*An old man we met along the way,' said Ralph. *One of your bordars.'

*There are dozens of such men on my estates,' said the other, dismissively. *I can't be expected to remember the name of every churl.'

*You should remember Alstan. Old age didn't deprive him of his spirit. You reduced him to slavery. When he had the gall to complain, you had the fellow whipped and chased off your land.'

*It was no more than the wretch deserved.'

*That's a matter of opinion, my lord. I saw Alstan's scars. They'll remain till his dying day. I was reminded of them when I went into the morgue earlier and looked at the wounds on your steward's back. As a matter of interest,' Ralph went on, *who actually administered that beating?'

*I don't know. I left the matter to Hermer.'

*Could he have wielded the whip himself?'

*Possibly.'

*Then it seems he did have an enemy, after all. Who'd have a better reason to drag him at the tail of a horse than a man whose back had been lashed to shreds? I'm not saying that Alstan is the culprit here,' Ralph emphasised, *because I'm certain that he's not. The old man can barely walk, leave alone commit murder. But others might want revenge on his behalf. Others might want to cut off the hand that used that whip on Alstan. Do you see what I'm telling you, my lord?'

*What?'

*Forget the lord Mauger. Look nearer home for the killer.'

Gervase Bret lay on the bed and cradled his wife lovingly in his arms. Moonlight slanted in through the gaps in the shutters to create a striped pattern on the bare floor. He kissed Alys softly on the forehead.

*I'm sorry, my love,' he whispered.

*It's not your fault, Gervase.'

*I should never have brought you with us.'

*You weren't to know that a terrible murder would be committed. Besides,' she said, squeezing his hand, *I'd rather be with you whatever may befall us.'

*The ride was too exhausting for you. I should have realised that.'

*I'd be well enough after a night's sleep.'

*You'll be able to rest all day tomorrow, Alys.'

*I wouldn't dream of it. Golde and I want to see something of Norwich.'

*Take some of Ralph's men as an escort.'

*Don't fuss over me,' she teased. *I can manage, especially with Golde at my side. You just worry about the work that brought you here in the first place. The sooner that's done, the sooner we can head back home to Winchester again.'

*There may be some delay, I'm afraid,' he sighed.

*Why is that?'

*This murder has complicated matters, my love. It has a direct bearing on the major dispute that we came to settle. Ralph has decided that we can't even begin our deliberations until the crime has been solved.'