The Bloody Tower by Carola Dunn

Author:Carola Dunn
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780312363062
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

12

So Rumford did it,” Tom Tring rumbled. “He lived here. He probably knows a hundred places to hide—secret dungeons and who knows what.”

“He probably knows ways to get out without being seen,” said Alec. “There have been numerous successful escapes from the Tower by those who were locked up and closely guarded. It must be even easier since the moat was drained. But the only motive we’re aware of for Rumford is the desire to step into Crabtree’s shoes.”

“By hiding or escaping, he’s shot himself in the foot as far as that’s concerned,” said DC Ross, keen to contribute.

“Exactly. There could be another motive. Or Rumford could be another victim.”

Piper groaned. “If no one’s seen him, alive or dead, I s’pose we’re going to have to search the whole bloody Tower. At least we have plenty of searchers, and they know the place.”

Tom shook his head. “I dunno about that. If there’s ways out, there’s ways in. As you say, all your Special Constables know the place, and they’re all active men, or have been. You don’t get to be a sergeant in the army by sitting on your backside. That cuts the searchers to those with real alibis, not all those who live in the Outer Ward, or bailey, or whatever it’s called, and didn’t go in or out the inner gates.”

“A search will be the last resort,” said Alec. “Ross, go and present my compliments to Colonel Duggan and say I want soldiers patrolling the moat. It may be locking the stable door after the horse has been stolen, but I’d hate someone to get away over the walls while I’m in charge.”

Ross departed, reluctantly.

“In order to avoid searching the place for secret dungeons,” said Alec, “we’re going to have to use our brains. I, for one, don’t know much about Rumford. He lived next door to Crabtree. He is, or was—but I’ll use the present tense until we find a body—Yeoman Gaoler, second in command of the Yeoman Warders. Daisy seems to believe he is generally disliked, but I don’t think she mentioned why.”

“He’s a snooper,” Piper declared. “I didn’t ask about him, seeing it was Crabtree we were interested in, but I got an earful anyways. Rumford has to know everybody’s business, always poking and prying about. If anyone knows about secret dungeons, he will.”

“Ah,” said Tom. “We all know where sticking your nose into other people’s business leads, if you’re not too particular, don’t we.”

“Blackmail,” said Piper with relish.

“Blackmailers are more likely to be murdered than to murder,” Alec pointed out. “I wonder if Crabtree could have tried to kill him and had the tables turned on him.”

“Or maybe he saw someone else do Rumford in, Chief,” Piper suggested.

“Why would the murderer hide one body and not the other?” Tom pondered aloud. “He had half the night to do it, a nice foggy night. You know what, Chief, if I was you, I’d ring up Mrs. Fletcher and see what she can tell you about our missing Yeoman Gaoler.

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