Day of Wrath by Iris Collier

Author:Iris Collier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Chapter Fifteen

‘Ah, Lord Nicholas,’ said Richard Landstock, jumping to his feet. ‘I hoped you’d come today. You’ve become damned elusive. You’re too much away at Court, my Lord. We need you here. Sit down, man, you look all in. Too much roistering, I suppose! Let me get you some ale.’

‘Thanks,’ said Nicholas accepting the tankard of ale which Landstock poured out for him from the jug on the table. ‘God, that’s good,’ he said as he drank deeply, wiping away the line of froth along his top lip with the back of his hand. ‘Now let’s get this straight. I haven’t been roistering, as you call it, but witnessing a barbaric interrogation sanctioned by our legal system.’

‘There speaks the Justice of the Peace. I hope you’re not going to turn soft on us, my Lord. Our safety depends on suspects owning up to their crimes. How else can we catch criminals? Or don’t you want them caught? Perhaps you don’t mind your barns raided and your stewards murdered?’

‘Of course I want them caught. It’s just sickening to watch someone under torture.’

‘Teach the others a lesson, though. You’d think twice about raising a hand against the King once you’ve seen what you’ve just seen, wouldn’t you?’

‘I could no more lift my hand against the King than fly to the moon.’

‘There you are, then. It worked. You’ll stay loyal to the end of your life. But now, let me tell you what’s been happening here. Whilst you’ve been away, I’ve been sorting out your affairs.’

‘My affairs?’

‘Concerning your steward, or rather your erstwhile steward, Matthew Hayward, or have you forgotten all about him?’

‘I thought we’d cleared that up.’

‘Not entirely. We know Giles Yelman let the killers in to your house. We’ve now got the killers. We sent Yelman to Lewes for interrogation, but fortunately, he’s no hero. In fact, he named the killers as soon as he saw the manacles in Lewes prison. Now he’s in custody waiting for the Assize judge to come. The hangman’ll be the last man he’ll see.’

‘Who are the killers?’

‘Two labourers who worked for Mortimer. They had a good alibi but we’ve cracked that. They said they were in the ale-house in the cattle market here in Marchester Monday of last week – the night Hayward was killed – but a witness says that he saw them walking along the road to your house. I checked with the ale-house keeper and his cronies, but no one could say for certain that the two men were there that night. Probably they didn’t hand out enough free ale. You’ve got to be generous when you want someone to tell lies for you.’

‘Where are they now?’

‘Here in Marchester, in my prison. No need to send them to Lewes. They’ll come up before you at Quarter Sessions in June.’

‘You’ve done well, Richard. By the way, have you got any further with the investigation into Bess Knowles’s death?’

‘There is no investigation. Coroner was quite sure: death through natural causes. Aren’t you satisfied?’

‘I’ve got an open mind.

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