Tombland

Gerald laughed. ‘He’s been taking the piss out of these shitbags.’ He looked at me. ‘Did he tell you we were going back early because he wants to go over our evidence tomorrow morning? We’re all appearing for the prosecution against our father.’

‘We know. But we have a couple of questions of our own we thought you might help us with. Particularly concerning a missing key.’

The twins looked at each other. Clearly they knew what we were talking about. Their expressions changed from mocking to threatening. ‘Right, then,’ Gerald said, ‘let’s get back into that yard you were hiding in, and hear what you have to say. Go on.’ He pointed his sword at my chest. ‘You, Lockswood and the carrot-head, and you, one-arm, keep your swords sheathed, or the hunchback gets run straight through.’

We looked at each other, then backed into the darkening courtyard. Our plan had gone badly wrong. Grinning confidently, the twins advanced on us. It was Barak who saved the situation, together with the twins’ overconfidence in underestimating him. He suddenly lunged forward and brought the full weight of his metal forearm on Gerald’s sword, unbalancing him and causing him to drop it, then he pulled the sheath from the knife on his artificial hand, and put it to the boy’s throat. At the same moment, Toby drew his sword and brought it down with a clang on Barnabas’s weapon, while Nicholas put his to Barnabas’s throat.

‘Drop that sword, you ratsbane,’ Toby said, ‘or we’ll have your livers out!’ His tone was savage, and I realized the full depth of his hatred for the twins.

The boys’ faces twisted with fury, and Barnabas dropped his sword. Nicholas and Toby held their weapons steady to their throats.

‘Got you,’ Toby said with satisfaction. ‘Now, young masters , as Master Shardlake here said, he’d like some questions answered. We tried the civil way, but we should have known better with you.’

‘We’ve fuck-all to say to you, fen-suckled churl,’ Gerald answered in a low, furious voice.

‘Mammering serf!’ Barnabas added. Whatever else, the twins did not lack courage.

‘Then we’ll kill you here,’ Toby answered, ‘and chuck you in the Wensum like you did the locksmith!’

I looked at Toby, worried. He sounded as though he meant every word.

‘You mean Snockstobe, that fell off Bishopsgate Bridge and drowned last night?’ Barnabas asked, with what sounded like genuine puzzlement.

‘Like you don’t know,’ Toby said. ‘Answer to our satisfaction and we’ll let you go.’

Gerald laughed. ‘Why should we believe that?’

‘You haven’t much choice,’ Barak said cheerfully. ‘Better get ready to talk.’

‘Sure you know how to use that sword, fatty one-arm?’

For answer Barak went behind Gerald and put his right arm round his neck, holding his sword to the boy’s side as well as the knife to his throat. ‘I can use it, matey, and this knife, too.’ Gerald winced, and for a single second seemed like a frightened boy, but he gathered himself and looked at me, his cold blue eyes glinting.

‘We’ll have you all, one way or another, after this,’ he said quietly. ‘You’ll never be safe again, Lockswood. Look out for a quiet knife in the guts from us or our friends one fine afternoon. You three too, so long as you’re in Norfolk.’

‘Give us a rest, arsehole,’ Barak said. ‘Are you going to answer our questions, or shall I cut your throat now?’ He pressed the knife a little further into Gerald’s neck, and a bead of blood glistened. Gerald looked at his brother. Barnabas set his lips, then glared at Toby, who moved his sword a half-inch closer to his chest, smiling coldly. Barak, I knew, was bluffing, but I wondered about Toby.

‘What’s your fucking questions, then?’ Gerald spat out the words.

‘That’s better,’ Barak said, withdrawing the knife. Toby pulled his sword back a little reluctantly. It was getting dark in the yard now, and I fetched the lamp from behind the water barrel. In its glow the square, solid faces of the twins were set, the expression in the two pairs of narrow blue eyes, fixed unflinchingly on mine, still threatening. As he moved his head slightly, the long scar on Barnabas’s face seemed to twist like a snake in the lamplight. I looked anxiously up at the blank windows facing us, and said, ‘What if some of the tenants hear us and come out? It won’t look good for us.’

‘That won’t happen,’ Toby said. ‘If some of the quarrelsome Norfolk gentlemen come to town for tomorrow’s market are fighting in their yard they’ll be happy to let them get on with it.’

‘Very well,’ I said evenly, looking at the twins. ‘Now, I have some things to ask you concerning your father’s case.’

‘We guessed that, bent-back,’ Gerald spat.

‘First, about your alibi for the night your mother was killed.’

Gerald frowned, and clenched his hands. ‘Are you saying we had something to do with the death of our mother, you bent bag of shit?’ he said thickly.

‘We just want to know the details. We know you said you were at the cockfighting, and had witnesses.’