Tombland

‘It could hardly be more so. Worse than the stirs in May, which the county gentlemen managed to squash. Though I hear the disturbances in Hampshire have been put down, and the Protector has sent them a pardon. Pardon! The old king would have had them executed! What example is this to the commons everywhere?’

‘I doubt commoners elsewhere will know of it.’

Flowerdew looked at me as though I were stupid. ‘Do you not know that deserters from the Scottish war and other stirrers are inciting rebellion across the country?’ He shook his head. ‘Well, at least the Assizes is well protected; many JPs have brought armed retinues to Norwich. Even if those cowards on the city council think it impolitic to hold the usual feast for the judges. Mayor Codd, there is a wet fish indeed.’ With that he bowed briefly and turned away, gown swirling.

‘He’s a choleric fellow,’ Nicholas whispered.

‘I wonder what he and the Boleyn twins will make of each other if he tries to take over their father’s house,’ Toby said with an unpleasant smile. ‘Or do to each other.’

* * *

IT WAS ANOTHER hot day, and I was already tired by the time we had walked down to the castle. My back nagged painfully, and I was beginning to fear the long ride from London to Norwich might have done some permanent damage. Once more we passed from the sunshine into the cool dank interior of the castle, and again the gaoler led us down the clanging iron steps. Pools of water from the recent rainstorm lay in the space below, already starting to smell. I asked the others to wait outside, for the matters I had to raise with John Boleyn were delicate.

He lay on his pallet bed, staring into space. His hair and beard were more tangled than ever and he seemed to have shrunk a little. He brightened a little, though, as I handed over the parcel of food Isabella had given me. He unwrapped it and ran his hands over one of the earthenware pots. ‘Dear Isabella,’ he said gently. ‘I shall miss her most of all, if –’

‘Do not give up hope yet, Master Boleyn, we have a useful new lead.’ I was tempted to tell him that if he was found guilty, I had authorization from the Lady Elizabeth to ask for a pardon, but I must keep that news a close secret until after the verdict, and then make my own judgement as to whether the trial and judgement had been fair. It was a heavy responsibility. I told him instead of my visit to Scambler, and the temporary disappearance of the key. He shook his head. ‘I can believe the twins beat up Sooty, but never that they would have killed their mother.’

‘Nonetheless, sir, we must follow this up.’

‘Yes.’ He sighed. ‘They are my sons. But they have shown me no loyalty. Not even visited me here.’

‘So, have you used this locksmith Snockstobe regularly?’

‘Yes, for years. Though I hardly knew him; Chawry dealt with such people.’

‘You have his address?’

‘I think it is in a lane off Tombland.’

‘Good. We should soon be able to find it. Have you ever used anyone else?’

‘No. Chawry has a list of people he employs for certain jobs.’ He frowned. ‘Sooty could have missed the key when he first went looking. He was good with the horses but otherwise – well – scatterbrained.’

I took a deep breath. ‘There is something else I must ask you, about Edith, and it is personal.’

He smiled sadly. ‘Such considerations weigh little given what else is at stake.’

‘I went to visit Master Gawen Reynolds. Gerald and Barnabas were there.’

‘Ay, they always got on well with their grandfather. They resemble him, you might say.’ He looked at me directly. ‘Reynolds wants me dead, you know.’

‘Yes, I think he does. He was not helpful. Have you ever met his steward, a man called Vowell?’

Boleyn shook his head. ‘I do not recall him. But remember, sir, I have not been to his house since I moved Isabella into Brikewell. The twins have often visited, but I have not been welcome.’

‘Vowell is discontented in his post –’

Boleyn smiled sardonically. ‘With that bad-tempered rogue and his acid-faced wife, I’m not surprised. And now Gerald and Barnabas too –’

I said bluntly, ‘According to what Vowell told me privily, Edith came to her father once, years ago, and complained that you had – well, tried to assert your marital rights by force. Her father sent her packing, saying she had made her bed and must lie on it.’

Boleyn looked away. ‘Do you believe I would do that?’ he said quietly.

‘You must tell me.’

He looked me directly in the face. ‘Even if I had wished to assert my rights, I would never have forced Edith. But I can believe she went and told her father a pack of lies behind my back.’ He shook his head angrily. ‘My wife was mad towards the end, Serjeant Shardlake, quite mad.’

‘I apologize, sir. But I was told the story, so I had to ask.’

Boleyn nodded, and waved a hand. We sat in silence for a moment, then I said quietly, ‘There remains your alibi. Do you still cleave to your story that you were in your study during those two hours, between nine and eleven in the evening?’

He hesitated a moment, then said, ‘Yes. I was there, alone.’