Edward Marston - The Elephants of Norwich

Gervase knelt down to peer more closely at the corpse. Evidence of a violent death was horribly clear but the killer had left no clues as to his identity. Gervase peeled the sacking away to reveal the lower half of the body. The feet were tied together with a stout rope. To the surprise of his companions, Gervase then rolled the man briefly on his side so that he could look at his back before lowering him gently into his former position. Shaking his head in bafflement, he stood up again.

‘Where are his hands?’ he said.

‘Heaven knows,’ said Ralph.

‘That’s not the question that his master will ask,’ said Bigot, leading the two of them out of the room. ‘He’ll want to know where his priceless gold elephants are. The lord Richard will insist that the killer be brought to justice, but not out of consideration for Hermer. A steward can be replaced; those two gold elephants cannot.’

All three men took a deep breath when they came out into the fresh air again. The sheriff was decisive. He ordered his men to disperse the small crowd that had gathered, then sent two of them to fetch a litter so that the body could be carried to a more dignified resting place in the morgue at the rear of the chapel. Reflecting on what they had seen, Roger Bigot and the two commissioners walked back towards the castle.

‘I feel that I owe you both an apology,’ said the sheriff.

‘Why?’ asked Ralph.

‘This is a poor welcome for such important guests. Examining a corpse like that is hardly the best way to whet your appetite for a banquet.’

‘True, my lord sheriff, but no blame attaches to you. Any apology is unnecessary. It’s not as if you deliberately arranged to have a murder victim laid at your very door.’

‘Someone did,’ remarked Gervase.

‘What do you mean?’

‘The steward was meant to be found, Ralph. Why leave him so close to the castle when he could have been buried where nobody would ever have found him? There’s calculation here. That house was empty but I dare say that children play in it occasionally and,’ he added, wrinkling his nose, ‘it’s certainly used by people for another purpose. It was only a matter of time before the body was discovered.’

‘Unfortunately,’ said Bigot, ‘it just happened to be on the day of your arrival.’

Gervase was unconvinced. ‘I wonder.’

‘Why?’ demanded Ralph.

‘Because it might not be such a coincidence.’

‘What else can it be?’

‘A warning.’

‘To whom?’

‘To the lord Roger and to us.’

Ralph frowned. ‘How do you reach that conclusion, Gervase?’

‘It’s not a conclusion,’ replied the other. ‘It’s just a possibility that we have to consider. On the very day that we ride into Norwich, a dead body is found in the shadow of the castle. It’s no anonymous corpse left there at random. The murder victim is Hermer the Steward.’

‘So?’

‘You’ve not read the returns for the Taverham hundred as closely as I have, Ralph. Hermer was not only going to support Richard de Fontenel when he appeared before us in the shire hall. He was actually claiming land in his own right, one of the outliers at the heart of the dispute. It was a gift from his master for services rendered.’

‘And the lord Mauger contests that?’

‘Not against the steward any longer,’ said Gervase, sadly. ‘The only place where Hermer will be able to state his claim is before his Maker. I trust that God will be more merciful than the murderer.’

‘And more merciful than I’ll be when I run that killer to ground,’ vowed Bigot. ‘This was a brutal murder and it must be answered. But go on with what you’re saying, Master Bret,’ he continued as they strolled in through the castle gate. ‘You spy a link between this crime and your presence in the city?’

‘A potential link, my lord sheriff.’

‘I have my doubts,’ said Ralph.

‘Suspend them until we learn the truth,’ advised Gervase. ‘It may be that my guess is wide of the mark. What does seem clear is that the murder of the steward and the theft of the gold elephants are somehow connected.’

‘I’d already decided that,’ said Bigot.

Ralph nodded solemnly. ‘So had I. Hermer was probably killed by someone who wanted the keys to the room where the gold elephants were kept. What puzzles me is this. The lord Richard’s manor is several miles away. Why bring his steward all the way here in order to stab him to death?’

‘That’s not what happened, Ralph,’ said Gervase.

‘No?’

‘Hermer was killed elsewhere then brought here. Under cover of darkness, most likely. You didn’t see the man’s back. His tunic was badly torn as if he’d been dragged along the ground and there were wounds in his scalp and neck. I think that his feet were tied together so that he could be pulled along behind a horse.’

‘Who could do such a thing to another human being?’

‘We’ve both seen worse on a battlefield, my lord,’ said Bigot.

‘That’s different,’ said Ralph. ‘We’re not on a battlefield now.’

‘Yes, we are,’ said Gervase as they came to a halt in the bailey. ‘We’re royal commissioners who’re caught in the middle of a battle over land. Instead of fighting with deeds and other legal documents, someone is resorting to more effective methods.’

‘That can only mean the lord Mauger,’ reasoned Bigot.

‘Is he capable of such an act?’ said Ralph.

‘Capable of ordering it, if not committing it.’

‘Then he’s the villain you must arrest.’

‘Not so fast, my lord,’ said the sheriff. ‘I prefer to gather evidence before I make an arrest. Mauger is the first person I’ll question but I’ll do so cautiously. He’s as slippery as an eel. Be warned. You’ll have to deal with him yourself.’ He ran a meditative hand across his jaw. ‘The crimes may seem to have Mauger’s signature on them but that could be an illusion. He and the Lord Richard are at each other’s throats. Mauger will rejoice in anything that upsets his rival but that isn’t evidence enough to convict him.’

‘You think that he may be innocent?’

‘It’s not inconceivable.’

‘But he’s the person who stands most to gain.’

‘Perhaps,’ said Gervase, thoughtfully, ‘but the lord Mauger is also the person who stands least to gain. Here we are, only a short time after we’ve examined a murder victim and we’re already naming him as the chief suspect. He’s too obvious. What if someone is setting out to incriminate the lord Mauger?’

‘Who?’

‘Someone who wants to stir up bad blood between him and the lord Richard.’

‘That’s easily done,’ said Bigot.

‘What advantage would they gain, Gervase?’ asked Ralph.

‘I don’t know,’ confessed the other.

‘Then they’d have no motive. The lord Mauger does.’

‘Motive and means,’ agreed the sheriff, ‘but I was struck by the words that Master Bret just used. He said it was “too obvious”. That’s my feeling. Mauger is cunning and devious. He works in the shadows. Why should he leave a dead body on my doorstep when he knows that it’ll bring me down on his neck?’

They continued to review the situation and speculate on the possible identity of the murderer. Roger Bigot did not try to exclude them from the investigation in any way. Sensing their ability to give practical help, he took pains to invite their comments. Ralph and Gervase were duly touched. It was not the first time that their arrival in a town had been greeted by a violent death, but they usually had to track down the killer against the express wishes of the sheriff. Bigot was less possessive. He would cooperate with anyone who could lend valuable assistance to him in a murder inquiry.