Michael Jecks - The Malice of Unnatural Death

And then Jen’s eyes snapped open, and Sarra’s relief turned to horror as she realised that Jen’s mind had finally broken.

‘It’s all right, Sarra,’ she said reasonably, and then gave a gentle smile. ‘I can see you’re worried about your job when I am wife to the sheriff and this sow is in her grave. You don’t have to worry. I’ll keep you in your post. All will be easierwhen this woman is dead, never fear.’

Maurice slipped on a cobble, and Jen suddenly became aware of her danger. She shot a look over her shoulder and saw him comingclose. Her jaw clenched, and she turned a furious look upon Sarra. ‘You should have warned me!’ she hissed, and then sprangforward with all her anger behind her blow.

The knife flashed grim and deadly, and Sarra felt nothing, only a desire to save Lady Alice. The moment dragged past slowly,like a lifetime. She saw the knife in Jen’s hand, and she felt herself move to block Jen’s path to Lady Alice. It was instinctual,not a thing she intended to do, and as the knife shot forward to reach past her flank, Sarra felt it hit her, a slow, draggingblow that hurt like a punch, but which hardly felt dangerous. No, it was more like a blow one of her brothers might have givenher. And then she had Jen’s forearm in her hands and held it tight. ‘Jen, come, leave us here. You don’t need to get intoany more trouble,’ she said.

She saw Jen’s face twist with rage, and felt the arm in her hands twist. At first she had a good grip, but then somehow hergrip loosened, and she felt the knife hand pull away from her, saw it gleam like red oil in a wide arc to keep the men atbay, and all hold up their hands, watching that wicked blade as it passed in front of them. And Sarra tried to go to Jen tocapture her herself, wrap her arms about her so as not to hurt her, and try to bring her to her senses, but she heard a sharp,piercing squeal and spun on her heel to see her lady staring at her with a hand to her mouth.

‘Lady, I …’

But no more words would come. In a bleak inspiration, she knew what Alice had seen. The pain throbbed at first, like a bruise, but then she was racked with a white-hot searingdeep in her bowels, and as she put her hand to her side she realised she was dying. There was a gushing from the wound, anda hot, burning feeling at her groin and heart, and as she fell to her knees she saw Jen baring her teeth in impotent maliceat Lady Alice before springing away from the encircling men and darting up an alley.

Then she toppled over, and even as Maurice reached Alice, Sarra’s sight was fading. She just couldn’t focus. It was so irritating. And there was a roaring noise in her ears …

Exeter City

Maurice reached his sister as her legs began to buckle. ‘Sister! Sister, did she cut you?’ His arms went about her, and he grippedher in a hug.

Her eyelids fluttered, and as his panic communicated itself to her she shuddered, and then pushed him away. ‘Sarra! Sarra!’

Maurice had seen enough death already in his life. He glanced down at the maid where she lay twitching on the ground, eyeswide but unseeing. ‘She is dead, Alice. I am sorry.’

Alice gave a short scream, instantly quashed as she realised who was holding her. ‘Maurice, you must run! Fly from here. Myhusband’s men will be here any moment. Please, run!’

Maurice looked over at the house. He could see all the people in the roadway about them staring at the body at his feet. ‘Icannot …’

‘Leave me! Just go!’

He nodded dumbly. Slowly and reluctantly he let his sister free from his arms, and saw her sink to her knees on the roadwayat Sarra’s side, weeping as she reached out to Sarra’s face, stroking it gently as the life left her.

And then he turned and set off in pursuit of the bitch who had tried to kill his sister.

Baldwin sat musing for a long while after Robinet had finished. It was plain enough to him that this man had reason enoughto kill the messenger, but he was less convinced of his ability to do so. For one thing, unless Robinet managed to have Jamesoverwhelmed with drink, it was clear enough that James was the younger, the taller, and the stronger of the two. In a straightfight, James must surely win. Then there was the other aspect: the fingers removed while James was yet living. He couldn’tsee why Robinet should want to torture the man.

It was Simon who voiced his feelings. ‘How would this fellow get the messenger to submit to losing a finger or two?’

‘Money, Bailiff,’ the coroner said. ‘It’ll always bring in a hireling to help do your business. This is a large enough city. There are plenty of men here to do a man’s bidding.’

‘It would take a strong man to hold down the messenger while his finger was taken off,’ Simon said musingly.

‘What of this fellow’s friend?’ the coroner said, as though reluctantly. He was averse to bringing to justice those who actedfrom good motives, clearly.

‘Walter of Hanlegh,’ Baldwin murmured. ‘The man who would do the king’s bidding. Where is he now, fellow?’

‘I do not know,’ said Newt. ‘I suppose he saw someone whom he sought to follow or something … Perhaps the man he thoughtmight have been the killer of James.’

‘He too was a friend of this James?’ Baldwin ventured.

‘Alas, no. He considered James a traitor to me, and for that reason he refused to speak to him. Walter is a man of firm views.’ Newt smiled thinly.

‘Firm enough to avenge the injustice done to you?’ Simon queried swiftly.

‘No,’ Newt said firmly. ‘He denied it and Walter is a man of honour.’

‘Was he a local man? Was he born Exonian?’ Coroner Richard asked. ‘I don’t remember the name.’

‘No. He was here some years ago, and liked the city. When he left the king’s service, he had money to buy a house, so he camehere to live.’

‘What was he doing here before?’ Simon said.

‘It was a service to the king, that is all I know,’ Newt said. ‘He would not discuss his tasks with me, and I won’t speculatewith you about him. He is honourable and fair-minded. I will say no more.’

‘Let us go to his house, then,’ Baldwin said, rising. ‘Perhaps we shall find him there.’

Newt nodded, albeit unhappily. He already felt as though he had betrayed his oldest friend, but there was little else he coulddo in the face of their suspicion, and just now all he wanted was to ensure that these men accepted his own innocence.

They made their way from the tavern, and as they did so they heard the all too familiar sound of the hue and cry.

‘Sweet Jesus, what is the matter with this city?’ Coroner Richard boomed as he heard the regular blasts on a horn. ‘Come, Keeper, we should go and investigate this, too.’

Baldwin shook his head, grunting. ‘I would prefer to see this Walter … but is not that noise coming from the east? Ifwe continue on our way to Walter’s house, we shall surely pass the place from which all this noise is coming.’

Newt was content to have their visit to Walter’s house delayed. For all he knew, this was another little incident in a large city: a churl caught trying to snare a purse in a crowd,or an urchin grabbing a loaf and bolting. There were always little felonies being committed in a city the size of Exeter.

They made their way up the lane towards Carfoix, and it was as they turned a corner in the street that they came across thelittle group of people. A woman stood weeping loudly at the side, being comforted by Langatre and another man, while otherspeered and spoke in hushed voices.

‘ Stand back! ’ The coroner stood in the road with his hands on his belt and bellowed with full force, and the men in the crowdmoved away hurriedly. A woman at the far side of the road gave a small shriek on hearing him, and dropped a basket of eggs.