A Murder of Convenience (The Chronicles of Brother Hermitage Book 22) by Howard of Warwick

Author:Howard of Warwick [of Warwick, Howard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Funny Book Company
Published: 2021-06-27T14:00:00+00:00

Caput XV: There He Is

‘This is Nigel of Lincoln?’ Hermitage asked. He couldn’t really take the idea in. If people went missing and were searched for as part of a wider investigation, you didn’t find them in a sack in a cave. Much less did you poke them. There should be days of speculation and searching before coming to discovery slowly and with painstaking care. A poke in the sack was simply ridiculous.

‘It is,’ Gilbert confirmed. ‘Have you been here all the time?’ he demanded of the man who sat forlornly in the middle of the cave.

Nigel himself was looking round with obvious shock and fear.

Hermitage thought that getting in the sack in the first place must have been an experience for Nigel. He couldn’t imagine that any of the man’s largely minor titles required time in a dirty sack.

‘We mean you no harm,’ Hermitage said gently. He concluded that coming to harm was probably one of the major motivations for climbing into the sack in the first place.

Nigel’s wild eyes seemed to recognise Gilbert and he relaxed a little. He then noticed that Hermitage was a monk and started to look worried again.

‘We have been looking for you,’ Hermitage explained. ‘Your daughter, Alyssa..,’

‘You know Alyssa?’ Nigel croaked out.

‘We do. In fact, she’s up in the keep at this very moment. Also looking for you.’

Nigel sagged with relief at this news and started to untangle himself from the sack.

‘How did you get in there?’ the victualler demanded.

‘I just climbed in,’ Nigel explained rather sheepishly.

‘I mean how did you get in there, in here.’ The victualler indicated the cavern in general.

Nigel worked his way out of the sack and up to his feet. ‘I came in through a cave in the hillside.’ He waved back in the direction he had come, behind most of the boxes and stores.

The victualler gave a fearsome scowl. ‘And who helped you get in the sack?’

‘Oh, no one,’ Nigel said nonchalantly.

‘Really?’ The victualler was sceptical. ‘You managed to get in a sack and then tie it from the outside, eh?’

Hermitage was impressed by that reasoning and thought it was probably the sort of thing an investigator should have noticed.

‘Someone helped you,’ the victualler accused. ‘And I think I know who. Ingolf!’ He called a man’s name. ‘Where are you? I want a word with you. Letting people into my stores and putting them in sacks. It’s not right.’

He turned to the soldier who had accompanied Hermitage and Wat and who appeared to be making the best of not being noticed and had stopped doing anything. ‘Come with me,’ the victualler ordered. ‘If Ingolf is up to his usual, I may need a man with a sword.’

Lord Gilbert watched them go and then turned to Nigel. He clearly thought the practicalities were less important than the motivation. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

‘Hiding,’ Nigel confirmed.

‘Hiding? Hiding from what?’

‘Not a what, a who.

‘All right, who?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘All makes perfect sense,’ Wat shook his head looking amused by the whole scene.

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