‘Reck’n.’
‘Ned, what do you know about him?’ Augerus demanded. In his exasperation his voice had risen, and now Peter could imagine the long, steady stare that the horseman gave him over the back of the great mount.
‘None of my bus’ness. Ask abbot.’
Augerus spun on his heel and stormed away, passing Peter with a face as twisted as that of a man who has bitten into a blackberry, only to find that it was a sloe. The almoner chuckled to himself, his hand up at his mouth and touching his old wound like a man reaching for a talisman. Once Augerus had disappeared, he sniffed, eased his shoulders, and walked around the wall.
‘Hello, Ned.’
‘Almoner.’
‘That looks a fine animal.’
‘’Tis that.’
‘Has the abbot bought it? It’s another of his own, is it?’
‘No. Guests.’
‘I see. It’s the coroner’s, is it? I saw that he had arrived.’
‘No. It’s a knight’s. Friend of c’roner’s.’
‘Oh, someone who’s here to help the coroner, I suppose. Another dull-witted clod of a city-dweller who thinks he knows all about moors, livestock and horses. They see a few animals in their markets and think they know enough to tell farmers how to raise them; show them a good Arab horse and they’d use it in a plough.’ He gave a dry laugh.
‘Most of ’em are daft enough to put a mount like this to a cart,’ Ned agreed, a gleam of amusement in his eyes at Peter’s sally – but then Peter had often brought him wine when the weather was cold over winter and had never commanded him to do anything. By comparison, Augerus had always been keen to let the servants know his own importance.
‘Let’s hope this daft fellow won’t cause too much trouble, then, eh?’
‘This ’un’s not here just for the murder. Abbot asked ’un ’bout the theft.’
Peter feigned astonishment. ‘The theft? Which?’
‘Which do you think? The wine, of course. You want to know how I know?’ The ostler lowered his voice. ‘That overblown bag of wind Augerus was told to clear out of the abbot’s room, right? So he couldn’t stand and eavesdrop like he’s wont. That means it must affect him. So, Brother – what’s happened that affects him? The stealing of the wine, that’s what! I reckon the abbot thinks his steward has a taste for strong red wine.’ Ned guffawed.
‘My friend, I think you have a most perspicacious mind,’ Peter said with genuine respect. Ned’s argument did indeed make sense, and the almoner wondered whether the abbot had heard evidence against Augerus. It was possible. For his own part, Peter was convinced that Augerus was a malign influence on the boy. It was for that reason that he had spoken to Gerard, trying to warn him to stop thieving.
‘Not just that,’ the groom said. He sniffed loudly, hawked and spat. ‘Reckon Augerus has his hose in a tangle.’
‘Why?’
‘That Gerard. He’s disappeared.’
‘Oh?’ said Peter. ‘Really?’ Although he tried to feign surprise, he gave Gerard the thief little thought. There were more important matters for him to consider. After all, he knew what had happened to Gerard.
Cissy was relieved to close up that night. Nob had kept away from her, sensing her mood, and had remained behind the trestle, cooking with an urgency she had never seen before. Now that all the customers had gone, he could avoid her no longer.
‘Well? Come on, Nob, you great lump!’
‘It wasn’t my fault.’
‘That’ll make a nice change for you.’
Nob scowled. ‘What would you have done? Left him to his fate?’
‘It’s none of our business, that’s all.’
‘Oh, wonderful! So we just leave him to get killed because it’s nothing to do with us?’
‘He wouldn’t have been killed.’
‘How do you know, Cissy? He certainly thought he would, and that’s what matters.’
Cissy sniffed. ‘If only that fool Walwynus hadn’t gone and died.’
‘Well, I doubt he wanted to.’
‘Don’t you snap at me, Nob Bakere! I won’t have that in my own shop.’
‘It’s our shop, woman. And I’ll talk how I bloody want in it.’
‘All I meant was, if only he hadn’t been so stupid. Bloody Wally. Well, he lived up to his name, didn’t he? He was a right Wallydingle.’
‘Was he the man Sara said had got her with pup?’
‘No, she said nothing about the man. Wouldn’t talk.’
Nob nodded morosely. He walked out to the back of the shop and fetched a jug of wine. Taking a good swig, he passed it to Cissy and sat at her side.
‘Poor old Wally,’ Cissy sighed.
‘Not so poor, though, was he?’ Nob tapped the side of his nose.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Well, he had the money after all, didn’t he?’
‘He had some, but maybe that was just from selling some veg.’
‘Cissy, he was drinking all day and much of the night. That’s more than the price of a bunch of carrots and a turnip, and then he gave all that to Hamelin. You saw how much.’
‘What are we going to do?’ she said quietly after a pause.
‘Where could he have got that money from?’
‘Who cares about the money?’
Nob looked at her. ‘Probably the man who killed him.’
‘But if Ellis killed him because of Sara, then he wouldn’t have been interested in stealing from him, would he?’
‘I don’t reckon Ellis had anything to do with it. Wally had money, Cissy. Think! How would anyone know that he had cash on him? If someone bought something from him, then just maybe that same someone decided he’d prefer to keep the thing and the money both.’
‘Any idea who that could be?’
Nob shrugged. ‘Not a single one.’
‘So we’re back where we started. All we know is that we’ve committed a mortal sin.’
He sighed along with her. ‘Yes. Still, if that young lad wasn’t suited to the convent, surely God will forgive us?’
Cissy sniffed. All at once the tears were close again. ‘We’ve been happy here, haven’t we? And now we’re going against the abbot’s own wishes. He’ll not look kindly on us, not when he learns we’ve helped one of his novices to commit apostasy.’
Nob shook his head
