The Medieval Murderers - The False Virgin

In such a small space it was awkward trying to talk when Grey was towering over the prisoner. He realised that even in his present mood, making Richard feel as if he was being intimidated would only make him more stubborn. Grey crouched down in the straw so that he was level with him. The stench of dung and stale animal piss did not repel him as it would his fellow clerics. He’d grown up with it.

‘Master Richard, I called at your house on the night of the murder. I came looking for the reliquary. I’ve orders to take it to be examined to see if it is genuine.’

Grey phrased his next words carefully. He didn’t want to make Richard think his wife or servants had betrayed him – not unless it became necessary.

‘I discovered the reliquary had been moved from the chest where you had placed it for safekeeping. Did you-’

‘He stole it!’ Richard said vehemently. ‘I came home in the afternoon and recognised that little weasel’s horse tethered a short distance from the house. I hurried in, expecting to find him in the winter parlour, but it was empty. I went upstairs to the solar and I saw the chest had been broken into. I heard a door bang, looked out of the window and saw him running away across the courtyard.’

‘You recognised the thief?’

‘Of course I did, I’m not a fool. It was Edward Thornton. But I didn’t kill him, though I would have had every reason. I gave chase simply to recover the reliquary. Once we reached the forest I was gaining on him, even though he’d had a good start on me; my horse is the younger and stronger, and his beast was beginning to tire. It was dark by that time and he rounded the bend of the track ahead of me. But when I came round the curve there was no sight of him on the road. I realised he must have turned from the track to try to shake me off. It was only when I came back down the track that I saw the path leading off through the trees and that’s when I noticed the Hutt beyond. The moon was glinting off the stones.’

‘You saw him go in and followed him,’ Grey said.

Richard rubbed his neck, trying to ease his stiff shoulders. ‘I glimpsed Edward by the door, but before I’d even dismounted he’d slipped inside. I knew how the little rat’s mind was working. He imagined I’d carry on down the track for miles, leaving him free to ride back to Blidworth, brazen as a cock on a dung heap. Then he could return at his leisure to retrieve what he had stolen from me. But I’m not a fool. I hid my horse well away from the Hutt and I crept up to the door, planning to catch him hiding the reliquary. It was pitch-dark in the Hutt, and I’d taken only a pace or two inside when I tripped over something lying on the floor…’ He paused, rubbing his eyes as if trying to wipe the memory from his mind.

‘What happened then?’ Grey prompted softly.

‘I… I was shaken up by the fall. Must have lain there a minute or two trying to get my breath. I clambered up and I started groping round to find out what I’d fallen over. I thought it was a dead animal. I’d only just discovered it was a man when those fools of wardens came bursting in and accused me of murder!’

‘And it would be perfectly understandable if you had murdered Edward,’ Grey said soothingly. ‘After all, a brother guild member breaks in and steals a valuable object, and when you demand its return, he threatens you, attacks you, and in the heat of the moment… I’m sure a jury would be sympathetic.’

Grey thought it politic not to remind Richard that he was as much a thief as Edward.

Richard slammed his fist against his leg. ‘Are you deaf? I told you he was already dead when I found him. If I’d got my hands on the louse I would have cleaved him in two and hung him up like the pig he is. But I didn’t get a chance. Someone else got there first.’

Grey tried to maintain an understanding tone. ‘You say you saw Edward enter the Hutt. Did you see anyone leave?’

‘Yes, yes, I did!’ Richard pounced on the idea, a little too eagerly. ‘That’s exactly what I saw, someone running from the Hutt after Edward went in. Whoever it was took off along the path in the opposite direction to me.’

Grey knew he was lying. The wardens had been walking towards the Hutt. Anyone running away would have charged straight past them and they were adamant they’d only seen Richard enter, no one leaving. They’d no reason to speak anything but the truth.

‘It was dark,’ Grey reminded him. ‘Didn’t you think it was Edward you were seeing leaving the Hutt and chase after him?’

Richard hesitated. ‘It didn’t look like Edward… the man was… was taller, broader. Besides, I was only interested in recovering the reliquary. So I saw no point in charging after him and I went straight into the Hutt to search for it.’

Grey heard the bluster in his voice and was convinced Richard had only just thought of this.

‘And did you find it?’

‘Haven’t you even got the wits you were born with?’ Richard snapped. ‘I didn’t get a chance to search the Hutt. I told you, I fell over Edward’s body in the dark and then those numbskulls lumbered in, dragged me out and tied me to a tree. They refused to let me go back inside.’ He leaned forward, staring into Grey’s face. ‘Have you found it? Was it in there?’

‘We searched thoroughly, Master Richard. The reliquary isn’t there. Wherever Master Edward hid it, it was not in the Hutt.’ A thought struck Grey and he plucked at his lip. ‘How would Edward have known you had the reliquary in the house? Did you tell him?’

‘Him! I’d have told Cromwell himself before telling Edward. I didn’t even tell my wife. It could only have been Father James who betrayed me. He didn’t want the reliquary removed from the church. He probably put Edward up to this. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were in on this together. That priest’s already tried once to trick me into giving it to him, so when that didn’t work, he arranged to have it stolen. It’s Father James behind all of this. He probably killed Edward himself, once he’d brought him the reliquary. You know, the more I think of it, the more certain I am it was that priest I saw running away from the Hutt. I’d swear to it.’

Grey didn’t believe for one moment that Richard had seen anyone running from the Hutt, much less Father James, but he was convinced that Richard had pursued Edward because he genuinely believed he had stolen the reliquary, and had killed him. Certainly the theft would have given a man like Richard reason enough, and that made a great deal more sense than Sir Layton’s belief that Edward had lured Richard to the Hutt with the intention of murdering him.

But if Richard had followed Edward in close pursuit, how had the man managed to stop off along the route and hide Beornwyn’s statue? If he had it with him, he’d surely try to hide it in the Hutt. But he hadn’t had much time to conceal it there, so why hadn’t they found it?

Grey left the lockup and made his way slowly towards the church. He had no idea if Father James would be inside, but was pleased to find the door of the church standing open. But when he stepped inside it was not the priest he saw.

A spindly young lad was standing up near the altar. He seemed to be handing something to a man standing in the shadow of one of the pillars. The boy spun round as he heard the sound of footsteps on the flagstones. As he turned, a meaty hand shot out from behind the pillar and cuffed the boy’s head.

‘I’ve told you before, brat. You can’t leave offerings before the statue of the Virgin Mary. ’Gainst the law, it is. Don’t let me catch you again.’

The lad turned and ran back down the church. Grey tried to block his way, but the boy was too nimble. He evaded his grasp and was out of the door before Grey could stop him.