Michael JECKS - The Boy-Bishop's Glovemaker

‘You see, I think this fellow was forced into an impossible position. He had no wish to lie or see Ralph accused. But someone did. Someone who hates competitors in the city. Someone who would be glad to see his last significant competitor for political power in the place removed.’

‘Christ’s blood! You mean Vincent.’

‘Of course. Le Berwe told his son that he would be given enough money to seek a place at University or to win over a patron if he carried out this single task…’

‘No, sir. My father said he would take away all my money if I didn’t.’

‘I see.’ Baldwin glanced at Jolinde’s miserable expression. ‘So your whole future depended upon whether or not you were prepared to rob a man and leave him to suffer punishment for your crime.’

‘A man who incites crime is more guilty than the weak weapon of his malice,’ Coroner Roger grated.

‘My father has suffered bad luck,’ Jolinde protested. ‘I don’t think he would have hit upon this idea had he not been terribly scared for himself.’

‘What should he fear from Ralph?’ Coroner Roger scoffed, but then his expression hardened. ‘Or was there something else he feared?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Well, as I said, the booty isn’t here,’ Baldwin said. ‘Your friend decided he couldn’t live with the guilt of his crime and took it back. As Elias will testify, Peter returned later that morning and gave him the missing gold and jewels. Ironic.’

Simon nodded understandingly. ‘Yes. Poor Peter returned the stolen jewels and money just in time for the murderer to steal it all.’ He frowned. ‘Yet Coppe the cripple said he left the Cathedral later. Did he return?’

‘He may well have done. To apologise in person, and explain what had happened,’ Baldwin said. ‘Jolinde, you should reflect upon this: you agreed to obey your father’s commands and you would have caused the ruin of an innocent man as well as forcing a friend to be your accomplice against his will. Your father may have compelled you to obey him, but you repeated his crime in forcing Peter to take part. If Ralph had lived, he would have been wrongly accused of theft. Instead, the ruin has fallen upon your shoulders… and it will bring shame upon your father too.’

Jeanne poured a fresh pot of wine for Hawisia as the woman’s tears began to well once more.

‘Drink this, my dear. It will help.’

‘I… thank you, Lady Jeanne. I needed something.’

‘There, is that better?’

Hawisia gave her a brittle smile, her eyes strangely pale now that her face had reddened. ‘Yes, I feel much better, thank you.’

‘You really should not concern yourself with such terrible fears,’ Jeanne said calmingly. ‘I am sure your husband’s son is a perfectly good man.’

‘Jolinde was always a jealous fellow,’ Hawisia said, dabbing at her eyes with a sleeve.

‘Do you mean he was jealous of you?’ Jeanne asked.

‘Oh, Lady Jeanne! I love my husband, I love him dearly,’ Hawisia burst out. ‘But I live in terror of his boy.’

‘But why ?’

‘My husband’s first wife died, you see. It was just as she was due to give birth to her first baby. It was a girl child, but how would Jolinde have guessed that?’

‘I don’t understand you.’

‘Jolinde wants no other children. I think that’s why he killed Vincent’s first wife.’

‘What?’ Jeanne cried.

‘As soon as she became pregnant, Jolinde refused to speak to her. He was always a greedy soul, but I think the thought of a legitimate son so revolted him that he decided to kill it and his father’s wife. He poisoned them.’

‘You know that for certain?’

‘No,’ Hawisia said wretchedly. ‘I don’t know anything for certain. All I know is what I have heard in the city: that the girl grew ill suddenly just before giving birth. I think that was why Jolinde killed her. And now I am terrified that he will do the same to me and my child!’

‘The shit !’ Coroner Roger swore as they left the Secondary slumped near his cold hearth. ‘Miserable, canting shite ! I knew Ralph – and to think of that decent man being set up by that pair of turds makes me want to throw up. How dare they!’

‘You can do nothing about the boy,’ Simon reminded him. ‘Benefit of Clergy.’

‘True, but I can speak to his father, and arrest the sod if I can find any evidence – and I bloody will! Are you coming along?’

Baldwin set his head to one side and considered, ‘I should like to join you, but I have another investigation which has been given to me. Before you go, however, we should tell you something we learned this morning.’ Baldwin told the Coroner all that they had heard from Coppe, finishing with the discovery that the basan and cordwain were missing.

‘Thank you for that. Not that I see how it can help us,’ the Coroner grunted.

‘It may be easier than you imagine. Basan and cordwain could be used for glovemaking, bagmaking, or any number of other products – but Vincent trades in such things. He sold them to Ralph in the first place. Ask whether he has heard of any for sale. Ask Karvinel too. Someone would be likely to offer him that sort of stuff. And now I suppose I should seek Adam’s poisoner. I cannot believe his wild allegation, but he gave us a suspect: the Chorister Luke.’

Luke sat numbly in the chamber before his desk and tried to make sense of Adam’s sudden collapse. Gervase had left him in the care of the Clerk of the Lady Chapel while he ran to see how he could help Adam, but now he had returned and was standing behind the Chorister. It was a relief for both to see Baldwin and Simon.

They entered without knocking and Simon nodded his head reassuringly to Gervase, trying to convey a little of his conviction that the child was innocent. Baldwin walked straight to Luke, taking up a stool en route and seating himself before the boy.

Luke found himself gazing into the darkly intense eyes of the knight from Furnshill. It was disconcerting. The man appeared to be looking through Luke’s own eyes and into his soul. ‘Sir?’

‘Luke, Adam has made a dreadful allegation against you,’ Baldwin said slowly and distinctly. ‘Do you know what it is?’

‘He said I had poisoned him. Gervase told me.’

‘That is quite right. Now you are too young to be accused in a court, and even if you were, you would be safe because you are within the Cathedral, so you fall under Canon Law. I want you to speak the truth to me. Have you ever tried to poison someone in the precinct?’

‘No, sir,’ Luke responded immediately. ‘I wouldn’t know how to.’

‘Luke, this was on the floor in the room,’ Gervase said and passed Baldwin the little flask of orpiment.

‘Arsenic?’ Baldwin asked. ‘Luke, do you recognise this bottle?’

‘Yes. It’s like the ones we use here,’ he said, looking up at Gervase for confirmation. ‘I had been using some for a picture. Look!’ Luke said and showed Baldwin his work. The golden-yellow tints gleamed even in the meagre light of the hall. ‘But I didn’t have it with me at the meal.’

‘So you didn’t put any of this upon Adam’s food?’

‘No,’ said Luke, adding with simple honesty, ‘although I would have if I had thought of it. He’s always bullying me.’

Behind him, Gervase rolled his eyes heavenwards. The little devils always had to make some sort of lunatic comment. He saw the Bailiff cover his mouth with a hand, trying to smother the chuckle.

‘Anyway, sir,’ Luke said, ‘wouldn’t someone see if their food was covered in yellow stuff?’

Baldwin nodded. ‘I rather think they would, Luke.’

Gervase heard a certain conviction in his voice that made him peer doubtfully, but before he could say anything there was a light knock at the door. He sighed and went to open it.