P. Chisholm - A Murder of Crows

“Ah dinna ken, one paper wis in his office when we searched it, the other was…ah…in another place.” Dodd stopped himself just in time. He didn’t think Marlowe ought to learn anything he didn’t already know about Richard Tregian and the mysterious Father Jackson.

“And do you know what kind of code it is?”

“Sir Robert said it might be one that used a pattern to change letters to numbers or that changed them at hazard and he’d need a codebook. There’s been nae codebook found so he must have worked it out but I dinna ken what pattern it could have been and I havenae the time to puzzle ma heid over it.” Dodd grunted with sour humour. “Nor the talent forebye. Ah’m no’ a clerk, me.”

Marlowe’s eyes were narrowed. “There are other kinds of code. I doubt Carey could puzzle out either kind of numerical cypher by himself either. If he managed to work it out that means it must be tolerably obvious and simple because the man isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is.”

“Nor are ye, Mr. Marlowe,” said Dodd pointedly, moving the pile of paper in his hands.

Marlowe paused and then added grudgingly, “There’s a simpler kind of code which is where you use a very common well-known book as the key and refer to particular words by page number, line, and word number in a sentence. Then all you need to do is tell your correspondents which book it is and they can do the rest. The system has the benefit that you can use different codings for common words like “and” and “but” which makes it harder to crack. You also don’t have a written key lying around which always looks suspicious. In some ways it’s very secure, but simple to work out if you can guess the book being used.”

Dodd thought about this. That made sense. “How d’ye find out what book it was?”

“Usually there’s a symbol or name in another code which sets it out.”

“Could that be an upside down A?”

Marlowe shrugged. “Could be, yes. You have to use that, then get the correct book, decode some of what’s written, and see if it makes any sense at all. Generally you use a book that has been commonly printed but isn’t obvious. For instance, nobody uses the Bible because it’s too obvious. Why don’t you ask Carey when he comes home from his hawking?”

Dodd wasn’t about to answer that question. “Ah wantae surprise him.”

“I’m sure you will. Now can I have my play back?”

Dodd showed his teeth. He would probably never get a better opportunity to find out what Marlowe had been up to. “Not sae fast, Mr. Marlowe.” It was interesting to watch him: he folded his arms, his eyes half-closed and he leaned back slightly.

“If this is to be an inquisition, Sergeant, would you object if I got myself a cup of aqua vitae to wet my whistle?”

A rare smile lit Dodd’s face. “Well now,” he said, “On the one hand I would object, for a cup of aqua vitae’s a fine thing to throw in a man’s face when ye’re about tae try and stab him and I’ll thank ye to take yer hand fra yer eating knife, Mr. Marlowe.”

Marlowe scowled and uncrossed his arms.

“There again,” Dodd continued thoughtfully, “On the ither hand, Ah wouldnae object for I’m in a bad enough temper that Ah’d be fair grateful to ye if ye gave me the excuse to give ye the beatin’ of yer life.”

Marlowe looked sour. “What is it you want to know, Sergeant?”

“Ah wantae know what the hell ye’ve been up tae these past few weeks, Mr. Marlowe,” said Dodd, “I know Sir Robert thinks he’s got it worked out but fer me, it’s a’ a mystery.”

Marlowe said nothing. To encourage him, Dodd put another sheet, taken at random from the middle of the pile, into the fire. The poet winced.

“I’ll tell you what I can,” he said sulkily, “If I know myself.”

“All I wantae know whit were ye thinkin’ of, setting a pack of roaring boys on us the ither night? Eh? And then bringin’ in Topcliffe tae ambush us all? Ah take that as unfriendly, Mr. Marlowe, I surely do.”

Marlowe was squinting slightly and Dodd realised he was talking too northern again. But before Dodd could try and repeat it more southern, Marlowe began to speak.

“Heneage was furious when you raided his house. He got the word from the clerk of the lists when he went to see how another case of his was progressing and instead of going to his house in Chelsea, he called upon me instead. He blamed me for…for arresting you instead of Sir Robert and for destroying his fine plan against my lord Hunsdon. He reckoned the whole mess was my fault and threatened me with a treason trial and Topcliffe, everything.”

“Speakin’ of which, why did ye arrange for me to be arrested?”

Marlowe shrugged. “It’s not important, I made a mistake. I thought Carey and you would have changed clothes when I sent the men in to take you.”

“Did ye tell Heneage this?”

“I did. He didn’t believe me. He said I was working with Carey and accused me of betraying him.”

“Ay?”

“He offered me the chance to redeem myself if both of you ended up either in the Fleet or dead. I warned him that if he killed Sir Robert, Lord Hunsdon would cease to be a Knight of the Carpet and become again what he was when he defeated Dacre in the Rebellion of the Northern Earls. And that his lady would be even more dangerous. We had an argument about it. At last he said I had to work with Topcliffe, who was with him, as it happened.”

“Ay?”

“So Topcliffe and I laid a plan. I hired some roaring boys in Smithfield that I had used before, to lie in wait for you in Fleet Street that night in case you didn’t come to the Mermaid. I told them you were not to be killed and if they were asked who had paid them, to make a show of resisting and then give my name. I thought that might bring Sir Robert into the Mermaid where Topcliffe could take him.”

Dodd grunted. So he hadn’t needed to get his sleeves wet half-drowning the man, he could have just asked him. That was annoying.

“Meanwhile Topcliffe went to gather his men and waited with them at another boozing ken near the Mermaid. I sent for him as soon as you arrived but he wasn’t there-he had been called to the Tower on another matter. You had left by the time he came back and he was threatening me with the rack though it was all his fault. So when the boy told me there was a gentleman in the back yard asking questions, I near as damn it praised the Lord for it. Topcliffe sent for all his men and we took Carey easily enough, playing drunk, but you weren’t with him and that worried us. We were right. Once Topcliffe had gone chasing after you into the night, Carey said something to me which…well, which made me reconsider. I wanted sanctuary, that was all. So…I helped him by knocking out one of the guards Topcliffe left behind and Carey dealt with the other one. Then you turned up and you know the rest.”

Dodd nodded. Most of this fitted quite well. He would have to think it through very carefully before he trusted it, but just for the moment he would accept it.

Marlowe had crossed his arms again. “So, Sergeant? Are you satisfied?”

“Mebbe,” Dodd allowed. “It isnae an obvious lie.”

Marlowe gritted his teeth, obviously working hard to be civil. “Will you give me my play back now?”

Dodd put his head on one side, assessing Marlowe’s temper. He remembered that the man had actually been arraigned for murder once, but got away with it on grounds of self-defence and probably Walsingham’s pull and good lordship on behalf of his pursuivant.

“Nay sir, Ah’ve too much respect for ye. I’ll take it wi’ me, and leave it by the door when I’m done.”

“But…”

Another page edged closer to the flames and Marlowe withdrew again, took his hand off his dagger hilt. Dodd tilted his head at the part of the room on the other side of the bed. “Ah want ye to stand ower behind the bed where I can see ye.”