River of Sins by Sarah Hawkswood

Author:Sarah Hawkswood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

They retraced their steps to the manor at Bevere without speaking, each man cogitating upon those aspects of what they had learnt that stuck out the most to him. When they reached it they were offered beer, for the day was hot, and went to the hall, where they sat upon a bench with their beakers. Catchpoll gazed into his as if it might give him inspiration.

‘Well, we have confirmed what we hardly doubted and already suspected,’ sighed Bradecote. ‘Ricolde spoke truth to Father Anselm, and her mother was drowned by her father. The father was violent and found out she was playing him false. They are all deeds so long ago committed that only God can judge, as the priest said.’

‘Yes, my lord, but there is the chance we may find something in Hallow. If Ranild, the drowned woman, had kin there, then someone would remember her, and her lover … Hallow is close enough to be his likely origin, and we have a description.’ Walkelin looked eager.

‘My height and thin. Not many men like that about, to be sure,’ said Catchpoll, sarcastically. ‘Even if we could find the man, and who would choose to hold up his hand and cry that he was an adulterer, we do not learn anything that helps with finding the killer we seek in the here and now.’

‘All we have is that it is more likely that Wilferth or his son killed Ricolde, assuming as we do that Ranild was drowned at Bevere Island, or her husband assumed she had sinned with her lover there.’ Bradecote ran his hand through his hair. ‘There is no other reason why a man would have brought Ricolde to the island to kill her.’

‘No reason we know of, my lord, but there might yet be a man who had a reason that does not link to anything we have discovered.’ Walkelin gave voice to caution.

‘If that was meant to be encouraging, Walkelin, think again. It would mean you are saying we have not even narrowed down the number of men who might be the guilty bastard.’

‘We have to work with what we possess, my lord, and I am with you.’ Catchpoll scratched his ear, thinking. ‘Sense says Ricolde’s place of death had meaning to the man who killed her, and he had a reason in his head to kill her. Which means we are looking for an old man who still has strength in his body, or a man in his late thirties. That means the son has to be more likely, and with either one, where did they disappear to after they did the deed?’

‘And that brings us to the idea you and Walkelin share about Thurstan Shippmann, or rather some member of the crew of his boat, and they could be anywhere up or down the river, or even down the sea coast from Bristow.’ Bradecote was gloomy.

‘So, do we go back to Worcester, now, my lord?’ Walkelin enquired.

There was a pause.

‘No, not yet. We can ask along the river about Thurstan Shippmann, who went upstream in the last few days.

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