The Death Ship of Dartmouth: (Knights Templar 21)

by Michael Jecks

  ‘So his punishment was to take them to the middle of the sea and kill them there?’

  ‘Afterwards. First they prepared the ship for the sailing, and only when all was ready were they brought back here for a last talk with my master. And then he told them he knew all about their rape and murder.’

  ‘How did they react?’ Baldwin asked.

  ‘They denied it like the cowards they were. Adam and some others worked on them, and they knew what would happen to them when they reached a certain place in the sea. There Beauley was to meet the ship and take off the other crew, and put them ashore farther up the coast.’

  ‘So the two were hanged? Stabbed? What?’

  Moses looked at Simon coolly. ‘They were taken in the ship to a place far from land and thrown into the water with a rope about their necks. They were lifted from the water and then dropped in. I think they lasted several duckings.’

  Simon shuddered. Unable to breathe in the water, they must have wished for a friendly hand to pull them up, but the only help they received was from a rope at their neck. A hideous death.

  ‘You think me little better than a murderer?’ Moses said. ‘I would have seen them die a slower death than that if I could. My brother told me of their crime. They must have realised what he had done, so they killed him too.’

  ‘Your brother?’ Coroner Richard said sharply.

  ‘Yes, Daniel was my brother.’

  ‘And the man in the road? What of him?’ Simon demanded. He walked to the sideboard. Receiving a stern look from Sir Richard, he poured two mazers and took one to the Coroner.

  Moses glanced away. ‘My master and I were looking for Sir Pierre, Master Pyckard’s brother-in-law, when we saw the stranger in the road. He was accosted by that repellent fellow Cynegils, and we overheard him discuss spying on a stranger.’

  ‘Did you hear him mention Sir Pierre by name?’ Baldwin asked.

  ‘No – he only asked about “the foreigner”, but that doesn’t signify. What of it? There was only one foreigner in town that night. My master was unwell already, and he said he wouldn’t see his wife’s brother killed by some foul servant of a thieving reptile like Despenser. So he took a rock and knocked the man down. He fell without a sound, and my master hit him again thrice. It was close to the hole in the road, so I removed the trestles at one side and we rolled him in to make it look as though he had come by an unhappy accident.’

  ‘Do you know who he was?’ Simon asked.

  ‘I didn’t introduce myself before my Master killed him,’ Moses said with a touch of scorn.

  Coroner Richard drained his mazer. ‘He was Guy de Bouville. Sir Andrew knew him. He worked for Despenser.’

  ‘And Despenser wanted Sir Pierre dead because he was French and a friend of the Queen,’ Moses said. ‘That was what Sir Pierre told us.’

  Baldwin frowned. ‘Although Sir Andrew denied knowing of a man here already when he arrived in town. Just as he denied piracy with Pyckard’s ship.’

  ‘Hah! At least that denial was true,’ the Coroner chuckled. ‘He told me that this de Bouville chappie was man-at-arms to a fellow called … what was it? Flok?’

  Baldwin blinked. ‘Flok?’

  ‘You’ve heard of him?’

  ‘Flok was the man whom Hamund Chugge murdered. It was the reason for Hamund being sent here as abjurer,’ Baldwin said.

  ‘Good God!’ Simon said. Then: ‘You said Odo and Vincent killed your brother, but you also say that they were held before sailing. How do you know they killed him?’

  ‘Who else would have done it?’ Moses snapped. ‘They realised who must have told my master about his wife’s murder, and punished him for it.’

  ‘If that was the case, they would have fled, surely,’ Baldwin said.

  ‘Eh?’

  ‘If you were guilty of a woman’s murder, and heard that her husband, the man whom you worked for, knew of your actions, would you wait to sail on his ship, with his men aboard? Or would you flee instantly?’

  ‘I don’t know how evil men like them must think. I don’t pretend to understand them. They were condemned from their own mouths, anyway. They said that Madam Kena was just like the French whore, or somesuch.’

  Baldwin grunted with disgust. ‘They sailed regularly for their master?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘How many French whores do you think they will have used in their lives?’

  Moses shook his head in confusion. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean, they were not guilty of the murder,’ Baldwin said more confidently. ‘Your master heard of the story your brother told, but that was entirely wrong. Just as the murder of the man in the road was wrong.’

  ‘He was asking about a foreigner,’ Moses began.

  ‘He was asking about a short fellow by the name of Hamund Chugge, who killed his master. De Bouville was here to avenge him. An abjurer will be told in public by which roads he must go to a port. I think this de Bouville was looking for Hamund to kill him. Instead your master killed him.’

  ‘Oh, dear heaven.’

  ‘And in the same way, I do not think your brother died because of Odo and Vincent. Another man killed Danny.’

  ‘Why do you think that?’

  ‘The only man who could tell the truth about Mistress Pyckard’s death was your brother. Perhaps if he had noticed one more detail, he would have been aware of another man who could have killed her.’

  ‘Who else was in the crew of the Saint Rumon, fifteen years ago? And were any of them on the Saint John as well as Odo and Vincent?’ Simon urged. His head was hurting again, and he touched the lump where the hammer had struck.

  Moses thought about it.

  ‘Most of them were strangers. Master Pyckard wanted as few men as possible from about Dartmouth, because it would be hard to have them reappear when their families had thought them dead, so he hired strangers from another town.’

  ‘But there were two men on the Saint John from here?’ Baldwin insisted.

  ‘Two, yes. Ed and Adam. But Ed was too young to have been working on the Saint Rumon.’

  ‘But Adam was on her, wasn’t he?’ Baldwin demanded.

  ‘Well, yes.’

  ‘And Adam was keen to help torture Odo and Vincent, wasn’t he?’ the Coroner rumbled. He had returned to the sideboard, and now he waved a full mazer. ‘I don’t know about these two, but I think you killed the wrong men.’

  ‘No … that’s not possible,’ Moses said, but he had taken a step back as though struck by a physical blow.

  Baldwin was pensive. ‘I still don’t understand. When the Saint John sailed, your master had given instructions for her to be fired as though she had been raided?’

  ‘Yes. It was always his plan.’

  Baldwin frowned. ‘And Adam knew of that?’

  ‘He knew the ship must be afire when Master Beauley arrived, yes. Although he didn’t realise that he was only to make a poor job of it. I know that the day they sailed, my master was keen to send me to explain that the ship was not to be burned to the waterline.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Oh, I think Adam said something to Odo and Vincent about leaving them in the ship to burn to nothing, and my master thought he didn’t appreciate that the two were to be thrown into the sea. The ship wasn’t to be harmed, after all. Perhaps he thought he was to destroy the whole thing, now I think of it.’

  ‘Where is Adam now?’ Baldwin demanded. ‘He is the final link in the chain.’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Moses declared. He had paled under the onslaught, but he stood with an attitude of defiance, a hand stroking the wooden chair’s back.

  ‘Essay a guess,’ Sir Richard said. He drained his mazer, peered into the jug and when he saw it was empty, set it down with a sigh. Taking hold of his sword, he walked over to Moses. ‘But be quick, eh?’

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The house he directed them to was another not far from Cynegils’s own in the street at Hardness. It was a shabby
building, much like the other, but there was no sense of misery about the place. This was not a home filled with hunger, but one where the master was regularly employed.

  ‘Think he’s in?’ Sir Richard asked Baldwin in what he fondly imagined to be a discreet whisper.

  Baldwin rolled his eyes at Simon, and then nodded his head once; Simon returned the nod, and then they nodded a second time, a third, and both launched themselves forward.

  ‘I expect he’s out, wouldn’t—’

  Hearing the splintering crunch as the two men hit the door together and burst through it, the Coroner was quiet for a moment. Then he sniffed disdainfully and stepped forward to the doorway. ‘Proud of yourselves?’

  ‘He’s not here,’ Simon declared, coming back from the rear of the house. ‘He could have got away over the fence.’

  ‘We shall have to seek him in the town, then,’ Baldwin said. ‘We could fetch Ivo, I suppose, but he’s as much use as a kettle made of ice.’

  ‘You two are so impatient all the time,’ the Coroner stated, eyeing them reprovingly. ‘Why don’t we just go to where he’s bound to be?’

  ‘What are you on about?’ Simon asked a trifle wearily.

  ‘Good God, man! He was brother to Danny’s wife, wasn’t he? And he was friend to this man Ed, whom we were told was also saved from the ship. Is this Ed in the town?’

  ‘He lives with Widecombe Will’s family,’ Simon said.

  ‘Well, I should check both houses. Adam is going to be hiding himself, isn’t he? So let’s flush him out!’

  He had left Ed with his wife. The lad was gormless, thick as the oak of a keel. All he saw was that he was alive. He didn’t care about anything else. Even though Adam had tried to persuade him to lie low, remain hidden, disguise himself as Adam had, shaving, washing, changing his hair, wearing different clothes, the fool could think of nothing but dipping his wick in his woman.

  Adam was content that he had survived. It hadn’t been easy to think of a story to save himself. When the Saint Rumon had foundered, he’d thought it was a miracle of good luck when he found a spar and floated away, washing up safely on the sand. Only one or two men could have witnessed what had happened, and he was sure that they were dead. Later, when he’d seen Odo, there had been only praise from the latter for managing to survive, and from Vincent too. No one had spotted him with Pyckard’s strumpet.

  She’d been good. He had wanted her for months, ever since he first saw her, but he couldn’t do anything about it, except take the occasional whore from the stews to slake his desire. Then Pyckard had sent him to escort her over to France. And he had done what he’d wanted for ages.

  It’d been easy. She was weak from vomiting, and hardly even noticed when he walked in. He’d thought she might even want him, as when he’d put a hand on her back, she hadn’t recoiled or anything, just stayed there, kneeling over the basin. He rubbed her, his hand going lower and lower, and when she finally realised what was happening, she tried to jump up and away. Only his hand clenched over her skirts, and he pulled her back, slapping a hand over her mouth when she tried to break free. He kept his hand there while he lifted her skirts and forced his other hand up. Her eyes widened in horror, and they stayed like that all the time until he had finished. Just staring at him. And all the while there was that moaning, low in her throat, like a dog with a broken back. A keening sound that made him ashamed.

  That was when he knew he couldn’t let her live. Master Pyckard would see him hang for this. He took his knife and stabbed once, carefully, in her breast. She’d thrashed, her body spasming in death. But still her eyes were on him. Accusing.

  He’d been going to throw her over the side when it was dark, but the squall flew up and he’d had to leave her body there and go to help the others. And then the wave came, and the wreck, and that would have been the end of it, had Danny not remembered something crucial, years later.

  Pyckard had never suspected Adam. Why should he? Adam was his best sailor. The old skinflint never guessed how much the jealousy tore at him. Adam should have been a merchant. At the least he should have been granted more the profits from the sailings he made, risking his life, his health, so that Pyckard could make money. And he made tons of it. Without his wealth, he couldn’t have afforded to win Amandine, either. It was only fair that the man who helped Pyckard get the money that won him his bride should share in the spoils. And since Pyckard wouldn’t share his money fairly, Adam took his wife. Simple as that.

  Danny’s tale had made sense to everyone, especially when told by that tub of lard Strete, and Adam had volunteered to look into it. First of all, though, he’d made sure that Strete understood that Pyckard and Adam knew it was Odo and Vincent. Then he went with two others and snatched the pair of them from outside a tavern. It took some effort to make them confess, but first Vincent and then Odo admitted killing her, just to stop the pain. They’d been held for a day and then brought to the ship. Meanwhile, Adam had Danny taken there too, and while he was aboard, Adam sought him out. It was easy to kill him. Danny was the only remaining person who could accuse him. And he died quietly.

  The damned fool, Pyckard. He had agreed to let the ship be burned, and Adam thought hiding Daniel there in the hold would be safe enough, but no! His master had to try to save the ship so that his profit wouldn’t be lost, didn’t he! So the ship returned home under Hawley’s crew, and the body was soon discovered. If not for that, Adam might have been able to return and live happily enough, but now he had only danger at every step.

  For the first time, Adam wondered whether he would ever escape. He sipped ale moodily, and tried to smile when his sister returned.

  ‘Still feeling miserable?’ Alice said. ‘You couldn’t do anything to save them. You did your best, Adam.’

  ‘I tried.’

  ‘It’s just a miracle that you escaped the pirates and made it back home.’

  Adam smiled sadly. She was as stupid as her dead husband.

  Simon saw young Humphrey at the street corner, and beckoned to the lad. He came reluctantly, eyeing the Coroner as though he expected to be punched at any moment for molesting another woman. ‘I’ve done nothing!’ he said sulkily.

  ‘Right now, I don’t care,’ Simon said. ‘I need you to run a message.’ Quickly he explained that he needed Humphrey to run to the gaol, rouse Ivo and have him collect some men, and go to Will’s house to see if Ed was there. ‘And tell them to be careful. If Adam’s there, he may be dangerous. All right?’

  ‘What’s in it for me?’

  Coroner Richard took two steps forward, and Humphrey turned and fled.

  ‘How do you do that?’ Simon asked.

  ‘Years of practice, young Bailiff. Years of practice,’ the Coroner asserted smugly.

  They took the short cut to Danny’s home. Simon strode to the door and struck it with the hilt of his sword.

  ‘Yes?’ came a woman’s voice from within.

  ‘It’s the Bailiff, mistress. Can we speak to you for a moment?’

  The door opened, and Alice stepped out warily. There was still that sadness in her that spoke of her loss, but it was moderated now. ‘Well?’

  ‘Where is your brother?’

  ‘In the sea, isn’t he?’ she responded swiftly, but her face flushed with guilt.

  ‘Madam,’ Baldwin smiled, ‘we know he’s alive. He’s been seen. And we have heard how he protected his master and had the two sailors shown to be dishonourable and treacherous. May we speak to him?’

  ‘He’s not here. I don’t know where—’

  Simon shook his head. ‘Alice, it was he killed your man. He murdered Danny.’

  She gaped. ‘What? You’re mad! You tell me my own brother would orphan his nieces and nephew? He’d make me a widow? Why would he do that to us?’

  ‘It is true. The men, Odo and Vincent, were not guilty of the rape of Mistress Amandine. It was Adam did that. He tortured them to make them confess, and then, when all was done, he had to silence the one wi
tness who could denounce him – your brother. Danny saw something that night, that he only recalled very recently. Adam killed him to silence him.’

  ‘No! Tell me it isn’t true, in God’s name!’ The woman’s face was deathly white now.

  ‘Danny was killed on the night before the Saint John sailed. You saw him earlier that day, didn’t you? So he was alive then.’

  ‘Yes,’ she sobbed.

  ‘Odo and Vincent had been tortured and were being held in Master Pyckard’s house by then, so they couldn’t have killed Danny. The man who did it thought the ship was to be destroyed, so he would get away with it, as Danny’s body would never be found. Only Adam thought that. No one else could have murdered your husband, woman. Now tell us where is he?’

  ‘I …’

  There was a faint clatter from behind her, and Baldwin saw a figure darting out through the rear of the house – a big man, beardless, and with the rolling gait of a man well used to the sea.

  Simon jumped to his feet, but his head thundered with pain, and he swore, suddenly pale and giddy.

  Baldwin and the Coroner sprang to the doorway, and Baldwin was marginally faster through the screens, urged on by the screams of Alice. As he came into the daylight again, Baldwin threw a quick look all around. There up at the far side of the garden was Adam, and Baldwin set off in pursuit even as the blundering figure of the Coroner reached him.

  ‘Where is he? Ach! This is work for younger men. Still, never let it be said … that a Coroner … ever let a mere Keeper … catch a man when … ach, damn it!’

  Baldwin grinned to himself, but conserved his energy instead of talking.

  The ground here sloped steeply upwards, and all three must labour to climb the hill. They had left the last of the cottages behind them now, and were toiling through scrub and thick grasses, with sprinklings of furze and heather. Baldwin felt his leggings catch on the spikes, and thorns scratched him as he pushed himself onwards. It was ever harder, and as he went, he felt the air searing his lungs; his mouth was dry and his throat sore. But the man would not give up, and Baldwin must follow him until one of them could go no further.