Athelstan sat for a while, head in his hands. He picked up his pen, stared round the darkening kitchen and glimpsed a bunch of holly in the far corner. Christmas in a few days, he thought. He got up, warmed his fingers over the brazier and wished Benedicta was with him to share a cup of mulled wine. He recalled Doctor Vincentius’ words about his affection for the widow, and stared into the fire. Was it so obvious? he wondered. Did the other parishioners recognise his feelings as well? He shook his head to clear his mind. No. he must concentrate on the problem in hand. A shutter clattered and Athelstan jumped as a dark shadow pounced on to the rush-strewn floor.
‘Bonaventura!’ he muttered. The cat padded over and brushed majestically against the friar’s leg. ‘Well, Master Cat, you have come for something to eat?’
The cat stretched, arching his back. Athelstan went into the buttery, filled a cracked, pewter bowl full of milk and watched the cat lap it up before going to stretch out in front of the fire. Athelstan went across and fastened the shutters: windows, doors and passageways, he thought, recalling once again Red Hand’s mutterings and Simon the carpenter’s dark warnings. Athelstan looked enviously at the cat. ‘It’s all right for some,’ he grumbled and sat down before his parchments to continue his study. He took each name, building up a line of argument as if he was preparing some theological disputation.
The hours passed. Athelstan rubbed his eyes wearily. Only one path remained open: the one shown by Lady Maude’s innocent remarks which had so abruptly startled him on his journey back to Southwark. Athelstan drew a rough plan of the Tower and continued to pursue the conclusions he had reached. Just before dawn he pronounced himself satisfied. He had found the assassin, though very little else. For that he would need Cranston.
The next morning Sir John rode like a young knight down Cheapside to the Golden Mitre tavern near the Tower. The coroner felt as if he was riding on air. Even the cold morning breeze felt as warm and soft as the caress of a young woman.
Cranston had embraced the Lady Maude most passionately before getting out of bed that morning. She had clung tearfully to his chest and muttered about speaking to him soon. He had murmured sweet nothings, patted her on the head, rose, dressed and, going downstairs, bellowed for a cup of sack whilst a groom saddled his horse. Sir John felt as proud as a peacock to know he would be a father again. He rewarded himself with a swig from his ‘miraculous wineskin’, as Athelstan called it, sucking the robust red juice into his mouth. He beamed around expansively. Oh, it was a fine day to be alive!
Sir John scattered pennies before a group of beggars shivering on the corner of the Mercery. He shouted cheerful abuse at the poulterers who were cleaning and gutting chickens and other fowl in their huge iron vats for the Christmas season. A whore was being led bare-shouldered through the streets, her head shaved close under a conical white cap. A bagpiper went before her whilst a scrawled notice, pinned to her dirty bodice, proclaimed her a public slut Cranston stopped the procession and had her freed.
‘Why, Sir John?’ the rat-mouthed bailiff asked.
‘Because it’s Christmas!’ he roared back. ‘And Christ the beautiful boy of Bethlehem will be with us once again!’
The bailiff was going to object but Cranston’s hand fell to his dagger so the fellow cut the woman’s bonds. She stuck out her tongue at the bailiff, made an obscene gesture at Cranston and scampered off up an alleyway. Sir John rode on into Petty Wales. He arrived at the tavern and, tossing the reins of his horse to a groom, swaggered into the sweet-smelling tap room.
‘Monk, where the hell are you?’ he bellowed, giving the other customers the fright of their lives and bringing a wide-eyed taverner scurrying to attend to him.
‘Sir John, you are happy?’
‘As a fly on a horse’s arse in summer!’ Sir John bawled back. He threw the miraculous wineskin at the taverner. ‘Fill that! The friar told me to meet him here,’ he muttered. He gazed through the smoke and gloom and glimpsed Athelstan, nodding half-asleep over a table.
‘Bring a cup of sack for me,’ Cranston ordered the landlord. ‘Fresh oatcakes, and a strip of dry gammon!’ He smacked his lips. ‘Some eel stew for the Brother and, even though it’s Advent, he’ll take a jug of watered ale!’
The coroner swaggered across and tapped the half-sleeping friar on the shoulder. ‘Arouse yourself. Brother!’ he bawled. ‘For, by the sod, the devil walks, roaring like a lion seeking whom he may devour!’
‘I hope he’s not as heavy-handed as you, Cranston,’ Athelstan grumbled, opening his eyes and gazing wearily up.
Cranston crouched down beside him. ‘Good morrow, monk.’
‘I am a friar.’
‘Good morrow, friar. And why are you not so full of the joys of Yuletide?’
‘Because, Sir John, I am cold, tired and totally dispirited.’ Athelstan was about to continue the litany of his woes when he caught the mischief dancing like devils in Cranston’s eyes. ‘It’s good to see you happy, Sir John. I suppose you have ordered food?’
Cranston nodded, swept his great beaver hat off his head and slumped down on the bench opposite.
They had eaten their fill and Cranston downed two cups of claret before Athelstan had finished his story. The coroner shook his head, asked a few questions and whistled softly under his breath.
‘By the sod, are you sure, Brother? So much from an innocent little remark by the Lady Maude?’
Athelstan shrugged. ‘Lady Maude’s little comments have caused a great deal of consternation in the last few days, Sir John.’
Cranston belched, rose, and bellowed for his wineskin, tossing coins at the taverner. ‘You have carried out my instructions, Sir John?’ Athelstan asked.
‘Yes, friar, I have.’ Sir John stretched and yawned. ‘All our suspects are waiting in the Tower, though Parchmeiner will arrive late. You want to see Colebrooke first?’
‘And Red Hand?’
‘Ah, yes, Red Hand.’
‘You have the warrant, Sir John?’
‘I don’t need any bloody warrants, monk! I am Cranston, the King’s Coroner in the City, and they will either answer the question or face the consequences.’
They made their way out of the tavern where they left their horses, down some alleyways and through the great yawning entrance to the Tower. Colebrooke was waiting for them at the gatehouse. Athelstan noticed he was wearing hauberk, mailed shirt and leggings.
‘You are expecting trouble, Master Lieutenant?’ ‘Sir John’s instructions seem most stringent,’ Colebrooke replied.
‘Where’s Red Hand?’
‘What do you want that mad bugger for?’
‘Because I ordered it,’ Cranston replied.
They crossed the green, the sparse grass now visible beneath the wide swathes of grey slush. Two soldiers trailed behind. Colebrooke sent one across to the small door in the base of the White Tower. Athelstan stared sadly across at the far corner where the great bear had sat, now empty and forlorn but the ground still showed the marks of its occupation and a few pathetic scraps of food still littered the icy cobblestones.
‘God rest the bear’s soul!’ Athelstan murmured.
Cranston turned. ‘Do bears have souls, friar? Do they go to heaven?’
Athelstan grinned. ‘If your heaven needs bears, Sir John, then there will be bears! But, in your case, I suppose heaven will be miles and miles of taverns and spacious ale-houses!’
Cranston slapped his thigh with his gauntlet. ‘Oh, I like you, Brother.’ And he beamed at a surprised Colebrooke.
Suddenly the door of the White Tower was thrown open and the soldier re-emerged, dragging Red Hand by the scruff of the neck.
‘Let him go!’ Athelstan shouted. He went across, crouched and clasped the hunchback’s hand in his. He stared into the madcap’s milky eyes and saw the tear stains on his raddled cheeks. ‘You mourn the bear, Red Hand?’
‘Yes. Red Hand’s friend has gone.’
Athelstan looked at the soldier and indicated he should move away. ‘I know, Red Hand,’ Athelstan whispered. ‘The bear was a magnificent beast, but he will be happy now. His spirit’s free.’
