The King of Thieves:

by Michael Jecks

  A group of men had gathered about the dying woman, and the three, with Pons puffing behind them, had to push them away.

  ‘Dear God!’ Pons muttered under his breath, and crossed himself.

  ‘Do you know her?’ Baldwin demanded.

  ‘She used to be the wench of the King of Thieves,’ Pons said.

  She was still moving, but it was obvious that there was nothing anyone could do for her now. A priest knelt by her, his features pinched and blanched by the reality of the woman’s death, and he was doing the best he could, muttering his prayers, trying to get her to utter the words that would save her soul.

  ‘Did anyone see who did this? Eh? Anyone here see who killed this girl?’ Pons roared.

  ‘He went off up there, with three men chasing after him,’ a voice said from the crowd.

  Pons nodded and set off at a trot. After glancing at each other, Baldwin and the others followed.

  Baldwin called, ‘You seem very angered by this. Was she known to you?’

  ‘You recall we arrested the King of Thieves? It was her took us to him. Looks like he’s had his revenge already.’

  ‘What makes you think he has done this?’ Baldwin asked, puffing slightly.

  ‘Who else would?’

  Baldwin made no answer to that. Already they were past the castle, and now only a few tens of yards away, they could see a huddle of men outside a little house further up the road.

  Pons had seen it too. Now he gave a great roar and redoubled his speed. Clattering and splashing, the three Englishmen raced after him as quickly as they could.

  ‘Leave him alone!’ Pons bellowed.

  Hélias motioned to Bernadette and the young girl went to the thief-taker and took his arm, murmuring in his ear. He nodded, bent and kissed her on the mouth, and then stood back, snapping an order to the two with him.

  In the roadway in front of her little tavern, Jacquot lay rolling in the filth, gripping his belly. His face was already swelling from the beating he had taken, and as she looked over, she saw old Michel preparing to whack him again with his long staff. She gave a hissed order, and he looked around with surprise. Seeing Pons, he stepped back, and soon Jacquot was alone.

  ‘What is this, Hélias? You taken to waylaying men as they pass? You need the business that much?’ Pons demanded. Jacquot tried to shift himself to a sitting position, and Pons nudged him hard with an ungentle foot, knocking him down again, where he remained, groaning gently.

  ‘I want to help the law, Pons. This one, he should have been arrested an age ago.’

  ‘I will be the judge of that. I do know he’s likely to be taken soon anyway. He’s just murdered a young woman.’

  ‘Well, you should listen more carefully to people who know your business, like me.’

  Pons spat. ‘Really? Why?’

  ‘Because this fellow lying at your side is the murderer of Jean le Procureur.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  Hélias looked at him. ‘We have our own means of finding answers.’

  Jacquot held up a hand weakly. ‘Can I have a say in this? I’m innocent!’

  ‘No! Shut up!’ Pons said. ‘Hélias?’

  ‘I had customers ask around. They led me to him.’

  Jacquot tried again. ‘You want to know who really killed le Procureur? Who killed the de Nogarets? Who also killed the man watching the fellow who was taken and murdered by …’

  ‘You mean my watchman, André?’ Pons snapped.

  ‘Yes. All were the result of the scheming bitch back there. I killed her, I confess it! I killed her to save people.’

  Baldwin was shaking his head. ‘What do you know of this, fellow? Who are you?’

  ‘My name is Jacquot, and I have nothing to lose by confessing all. Will you hear me out?’

  Pons scowled at the name. ‘I have heard of you, Jacquot. You are a killer.’

  ‘Only in my own defence. That woman was called Amélie. She was the lover of the King of Thieves, as well as of the castellan in the Louvre. Some weeks ago she met the man de Nogaret and his wife, and she heard them say that they were coming to the Louvre. De Nogaret’s father was a man high in the King’s esteem, and he wanted to plead for a little of the King’s largesse. But he made a terrible mistake. He told her – and Amélie was always in search of money. She decided to kill them both, I think, and take their money when they had some. But then she learned from them that de Nogaret’s father had mentioned a pair of men who stole a large sum from the Pope years ago. Two men called Hugues and Thomas d’Anjou.’

  ‘The Cardinal and the castellan,’ Baldwin said, looking at Pons.

  ‘Yes. And it gave her an idea – to take the money herself. To get the two to pay her to keep her silent about their past.’

  Simon was frowning. ‘Why? What would it matter what they did to the Pope all those years ago?’

  ‘Not much,’ Baldwin responded thoughtfully. ‘Unless the King felt that the money rightfully belonged to him. And that might lead to his taking it for himself.’

  ‘Which is what she reasoned,’ Jacquot agreed. He eased himself up to a sitting position, ruefully eyeing the old man with the staff. ‘That stick has hurt my head, old man.’

  ‘What then? Do you have anything other than speculation to support this tale?’ Pons rasped. ‘I tell you now, I believe little of what you say. You are an assassin, a man who relies on night for your evil.’

  ‘I don’t know who told you all that. I am just a peasant and beggar in this city,’ Jacquot said. ‘All I’m doing is trying to help you!’

  ‘Continue, then,’ Baldwin said. ‘What happened with this woman?’

  Jacquot hawked and spat. ‘The first thing was, she was bumped by the Cardinal. He told her, if she wanted to spread tales about him, he would have her arrested by the Church and imprisoned. Then the castellan told her she would do well to leave them both alone. But he liked her. And he bedded her. And to keep bedding her, he would have to do her bidding. He thought she only wanted money. She didn’t. She wanted power as well. Power over other people. So she killed the de Nogarets to gain power over the Cardinal.’

  ‘A woman did that?’ Pons scoffed. ‘This man’s a fool. Take him to the Temple …’

  ‘Wait a moment,’ Baldwin said. ‘Continue.’

  ‘She killed the first somehow, and when the Cardinal reached the man, he realised he’d be blamed. Worse, he knew that the money which he had taken would be claimed by the King if it was thought he had killed de Nogaret. So he chose to conceal all. And when the Procureur came close to realising there was a link between the Cardinal and the dead man, the Cardinal sought to silence that enquiry too. He paid the King of Thieves to remove this embarrassment.’

  ‘And the girl?’

  Jacquot looked up at Baldwin. ‘She wanted power, as I said. So she was sworn to kill me too and remove another possible obstacle to her authority.’

  ‘So, as you say, you killed in self-defence.’ Pons’s voice was dripping with acid. ‘Take him to the Temple. Have him held there until we know what to do with him.’

  The thief-taker nodded and took Jacquot’s arm. He gave a short nod to Pons, another to Baldwin, and then a brief bow to Hélias. Baldwin was sure that he saw him wink too, which made him frown a moment, but then Pons was chivying them back towards the Louvre. ‘Come! There is little more to be discussed here. We must find a jug of good wine to celebrate the discovery of the murderer and her death at last!’

  Jacquot was a pathetic figure, the thief-taker thought to himself. There was nothing about him to inspire fear or awe. Still, there was the fact that he was worth money. That alone was enough to make him look entirely delightful.

  ‘Slower, friend,’ Jacquot said. ‘I am tired and failing after the way they beat me.’

  ‘Piss on you! Get a move on!’

  ‘Am I a danger to you? Am I a threat? Do you need to hurry me to my death? Let a man enjoy his last walk.’

  ‘I said, get a …’

>   The blade sank in silently, swiftly, and only when he withdrew it did it make a little sound, like a liquid belch. But there was no possibility that anyone would have heard it. Jacquot helped the body to the ground, rolling it over a few times to shove it nearer a wall, before wiping his blade on the man’s back and setting off quickly towards the city’s north gate. He still had much to do.

  Arnaud was nervous as the men appeared in the gateway. He didn’t care about the English, but Pons was a different matter. ‘Master, I …’

  ‘What is the matter with the fellow?’ Sir Richard demanded. Even Wolf appeared surprised. He sat near Arnaud and gazed up, panting with mild reproof, or so Baldwin felt.

  ‘Do you have something to say?’ Pons said. ‘We are in a hurry.’

  ‘It’s the castellan, Sieur. I am not sure, but I think the day that de Nogaret was killed, that woman out there who was slain today – I saw her with the boy, the kitchen knave who died. Little Jehanin.’

  ‘And you said nothing?’

  ‘What could I say?’

  ‘Anything else?’ Baldwin snapped angrily. If this man had spoken earlier, much of his work in the last few days could have been reduced.

  ‘I did not think of it at the time, but some days after the murder, I spoke with her. She mentioned that she had met de Nogaret in a tavern or wine shop.’

  ‘Who did you tell?’ Pons demanded.

  ‘No one. She was speaking about the Cardinal, saying how the boy had told her he was coming to the castle to get money from the Cardinal and would soon be rich, because the Cardinal had stolen some and—’

  ‘What of the castellan?’ Baldwin interrupted sharply. ‘What of him?’

  ‘He told me to tell you. He was her lover, and he was very upset to learn that she had been with the lad.’

  ‘Why?’ Pons wondered.

  ‘I think we should speak to him,’ Baldwin said urgently. ‘Come!’

  But it was too late. The body of the castellan swung gently from the rope about his neck, the hemp creaking with the regular pendulum swing.

  ‘Cut him down,’ Pons said quietly.

  ‘Why did he do that?’ Arnaud said. He was standing in the doorway behind them as Simon clambered on to the desk and ran his dagger’s edge along the rope while Sir Richard gripped the body in a hug. It was soon lying on the floor, a disjointed huddle of clothing.

  ‘He knew his position here was soon to end,’ Baldwin said, and sighed. ‘This man and his comrade, the Cardinal, both knew that once their past offences were bruited about, they would be ruined. The King would demand their money, and would almost certainly punish them for stealing treasure that should have come to the King himself.’

  ‘The money from the Pope?’ Simon objected. ‘That was no more the King’s than it was theirs.’

  ‘No more it was. But Kings have a habit of ignoring little details of that nature,’ Baldwin said with a dry smile. ‘The King would remember that his father sent Guillaume de Nogaret with his little force to capture the Pope, and were any man to make a profit, he would expect it to be himself. I have no doubt that Sieur Hugues would have been punished. The Cardinal, of course, would probably survive owing to his religious position. That would give him immunity.’

  ‘Then why would he bother to kill de Nogaret?’ Simon asked.

  ‘How do you think the present Pope would react to learning that one of his Cardinals had a part in the capture, ill-treatment, robbery and subsequent death of his predecessor?’ Baldwin asked.

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘And the ironic thing is, he didn’t harm de Nogaret.’

  Pons frowned. ‘What?’

  ‘That is what this man died for, I think,’ Baldwin said, eyeing Hugues’s body. ‘He introduced his whore to his past. He let the girl know how he got his money, I expect. And in return she threatened to blackmail him and his friend the Cardinal. And when they proved less than susceptible, she killed the young de Nogaret herself, and sent a little boy to find a messenger to go to the Cardinal to ask him to visit the room where she had done it. Then she killed the boy, the kitchen knave, so that no one would be able to show that she had any connection with the dead man. She was adept at covering her tracks. I admit that.’

  ‘And the Cardinal paid to have Jean killed because he could see how all pointed to him,’ Pons agreed.

  ‘Yes. And this same Amélie, I expect, likely also killed the wife of de Nogaret.’

  ‘How so?’

  Baldwin jerked his head towards the other side of the castle. ‘You told me that the de Nogaret boy died with a knife in his back, yes? He turned his back on the woman because he knew full well that a woman was less of a threat. Especially a woman he already knew from drinking with her. Just as his wife knew her too, and perhaps made no complaint when Amélie asked her to walk with her. But a woman walking with another is less likely to be entirely trusting. Men are more innocent, I have often observed.’

  ‘So was this Amélie guilty of all the murders here?’ Pons said.

  ‘I think so. And this man killed himself because the idea of losing all was so hateful to him.’

  ‘His money and position, you mean?’ Pons said, looking down at Hugues too.

  It was Arnaud who tentatively added what Baldwin was thinking. ‘And his woman, mon Sieur. He loved her, in despite of all.’

  Epilogue

  Second Wednesday following the Feast of the Archangel Michael*

  Queen Isabella’s chamber, Louvre

  ‘I hear you wish to leave us,’ the Queen said flatly.

  Baldwin and Simon stood before her, Sir Richard a pace or two behind. She was sitting in a pleasant little chair with decorative cushions that looked more comfortable than the down pillow on the bed behind her, Baldwin thought. She was a picture of regal authority, sitting there so serious, rather like a judge.

  It was Simon who answered. His voice was a little choked. ‘My Lady, I came here to protect your son on the orders of the Bishop Walter, and I would not leave your service if I thought that there was aught I could do to keep him safe. But the truth is, there is nothing for me to do here. I would remain at your command if there was anything I felt I could add, but you know full well that you have many men to guard you here.’

  ‘And you, Sir Baldwin?’

  ‘My Lady, I have been away from my wife and little children too long. You can surely understand a parent’s need to see them. You have suffered from being removed from your own.’

  ‘You do not need to remind me,’ she hissed, eyes blazing. ‘But you would leave me and return like that mediocre cleric Stapledon, wouldn’t you? Bishop Walter de Stapledon has fled and left me here in dire need, all because he refused to pass to me the money that my husband had already allocated for my use. It is because of him that I am forced to remain here. I could scarcely leave France while my debts were still outstanding, could I?’

  So that, Baldwin considered, was to be her excuse. Now that Bishop Walter had run from the city with the letter from the King providing funds, she was forced to remain. It was the Bishop’s fault.

  She looked them over. ‘You have other matters which concern you?’

  ‘What could there be?’

  In answer the Queen stood. She waved her hands and all her servants walked from the chamber, leaving only herself and her son with them. ‘You know all the stories. The Despenser’s most implacable enemy is here in France.’

  ‘Yes. We had heard that the threats issued against the Bishop were probably made by him,’ Simon said bluntly. This was no time for prevarication.

  ‘You believe that? You believe Sir Roger Mortimer is here?’

  ‘We do,’ Baldwin said. ‘My Lady, this is none of our affair.’

  ‘And yet you refuse to aid me. You will remain a man of the King’s?’

  ‘The King’s, yes. Not Sir Hugh le Despenser’s. And I am not your enemy, Lady, merely a man who seeks not to break his oath of allegiance. Do not think the worse of me for that. Sir Roger Mortimer hims
elf refused to raise his standard against that of the King. If he had, the King would have been defeated by him and his host, I am sure. But Sir Roger chose the path of honour and lowered his standard, surrendering himself.’

  It was no more than the truth. Sir Roger had been the King’s most successful General. When he rose with the other Lords Marcher from the Welsh borders, they could easily have squashed the force sent against them, and yet Sir Roger Mortimer and the others would not fight the King. They were not traitors or rebels, but honourable men protecting what was theirs against an intolerably avaricious man – Sir Hugh le Despenser. So Sir Roger surrendered to the King’s standard and was imprisoned. Escaping when his death warrant was signed, he had no choice but to take the path of flight. And now open rebellion, perhaps.

  ‘You think to suggest you are the same as he?’

  ‘I think to persuade you that I am a mere rural knight who has been caught up in affairs which are nothing to do with me, which are not of my making, which are of no interest to me. I have done my duty to you and to your son this year, and all I seek is an opportunity to return to my home. Simon and I both fear for our estates.’

  ‘So you will return to your homes, not to the King?’

  ‘We shall perhaps report that you are both safe, but no more.’

  ‘You say so, too, Bailiff?’

  Simon swallowed. ‘Majesty, my wife and my home are threatened by the same man who threatens you. I have a duty to get back home to protect them.’

  ‘Despenser threatens you?’

  ‘He threatens both of us,’ Baldwin explained, ‘but he has bought Simon’s house. Our fear is that he may try to evict Simon’s family while he is abroad. His covetousness does not know any limit.’

  ‘That is true enough,’ the Queen said. ‘Very well. Sir Richard, you have been most unnaturally silent today. What will you do?’

  ‘Me Lady, I’m a simple knight from the King’s own manor. I can’t think to oppose him. So if the truth be told, I’ll ride back, report, and then go home. And damn glad I’ll be to see it!’

  His bluff manner satisfied her, plainly. She smiled and sat again. ‘You are all released from my son’s service, if he agrees.’