Tombland

‘But what motive would anyone, other than possibly Southwell and Witherington, have for murdering Edith and incriminating Boleyn?’ Nicholas asked.

‘None that I can see. Before we left London I was warned by both Copuldyke and Cecil that Southwell is untouchable, because of his local political power and his links to the Lady Mary. And there is no evidence against him. We have many suspects and no evidence.’ I turned to Barak. ‘Have you any idea who the jurymen might be the day after tomorrow?’

‘Tomorrow, you mean,’ he answered, nodding at the window. The early summer dawn was breaking, the birds starting to sing in the tree in the churchyard opposite. ‘It’s Wednesday already. The jurors are drawn from the yeoman farmers and gentry landlords of the countryside, and the better sort of citizens from the towns. As you know, the local gentry don’t like Boleyn.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘This time it was mostly countrymen on the grand jury, and the trial jurymen will likely be from the same pot.’

‘Let’s get some sleep,’ I said wearily. ‘Toby, you can bunk up with Nicholas. Do you want to share with me, Jack? It’s some way back to the Blue Boar.’

He shook his head. ‘A walk may clear my head. I’ve got to go to work in a few hours.’

‘All right. We have one more lead to follow; we’ll visit Grace Bone’s brother later, though it’s a frail reed.’ I sighed. ‘And then I must visit John Boleyn in prison, and brief him for the trial. And Jack, I want you to get subpoenas for Daniel Chawry and Simon Scambler.’

‘You said you didn’t think Scambler would be any good as a witness,’ Toby reminded me. ‘And what can Daniel Chawry add?’

‘We’re at the stage where we need to try everything. It’s worth taking the risk to get in the evidence from Scambler that the key was stolen, and Chawry can at least attest that Boleyn was a good master.’

‘I wonder why he was spending so much time drinking on his own in an inn away from Brikewell?’ Nicholas said thoughtfully.

‘Perhaps mooning over Isabella,’ Barak suggested.

‘Will you be able to get those subpoenas so close to trial?’ I asked him.

‘I should think so, though eyebrows will be raised in the court offices.’

I rose painfully. ‘Come on, I’ll see you down.’ There were a couple of things I wanted to say to Barak alone.

We descended the broad wooden staircase in the dawn light. Everyone was abed apart from the watchman seated on his chair by the door, who looked at us curiously.

‘You’ll be the talk of this place,’ Barak observed.

We reached the stone-flagged hall. Barak looked at me sadly. ‘I realized last night, I’m past being a fighting man. Maybe not much use to anyone any more.’

I laid a hand on his arm. ‘That’s just not true. You may have overestimated your fighting powers last night, but the help you have given us in this quest has been invaluable. The information about the judges, getting the warrants, and your ideas – they are more helpful than you can imagine, they always have been, and I still miss them at work.’ My voice almost broke.

He was silent a moment. ‘When we worked at the Court of Requests, I used to feel we were doing something useful, helping the powerless against crooked landlords and the like. And before then – when I worked for Lord Cromwell, I had faith in him. Maybe partly misplaced, but I did. But now –’ he shook his head wearily –‘my work in London, helping the solicitors gather evidence, it’s all like rats fighting in a sack. As for the Assize work, I see every day how the legal system only helps those with power. Three days devoted to civil cases, rich litigants spitting against each other, and one day to hear all the criminal cases before hanging day. I’m sick of it.’

‘I understand. But it is work, and you have Tamasin and the children.’

‘The children, yes. But Tammy – somehow it’s turned out she rules the roost, and she seems to have no respect for me these days.’ He met my gaze. ‘I don’t look forward to going back.’

‘Marriages go through stormy passages, Tamasin loves you, and I think you still love her. I’m sure you could mend things.’ He inclined his head and made a grimace. ‘Jack,’ I said quietly, ‘there was something I wished to ask your advice on, alone.’

‘Oh, yes?’

I told him what I had overheard Edward Brown, Vowell and the man called Miles discussing at the Blue Boar. ‘It sounded seditious. By law, I should report them.’

Barak looked at me keenly. ‘Probably just rebellious gossip. There’s plenty of that about.’

‘I think it was more. Those men were talking seriously.’

Barak frowned. ‘And if they were? Would you have Josephine’s husband, and Vowell, who helped you find the twins, called in for hard questioning?’ He shook his head vigorously. ‘No, you didn’t hear anything, and you didn’t tell me anything. Besides, if there is a rising among the peasantry in these parts, don’t they have every reason?’

‘I fear violence, and bloodshed.’

‘You don’t know what they had in mind.’

‘No, that’s true.’

‘Then say nothing. Not one word.’

I was silent for a moment, then answered, ‘All right.’