‘That it is. It may be that Lütolf kept it as a good luck charm. Such superstition is rife in the mountains, and it does rather openly display the cross, after all. It may be unconnected, and certainly as long as I have known them the family have struggled to maintain themselves, which would be unlikely had they a store of gold.’

  ‘Perhaps the castle has a resident dragon and a ghost, but they protect a huge pile of gold,’ Arnau said, with a wry smile.

  ‘And a murderer,’ threw in Felipe from the corner, his face deadly serious. ‘It has a murderer.’

  ‘Yes,’ Kovacs agreed quietly, ‘despite Dietmar’s hope that the blame can be landed upon passing vagabonds, it seems a given that someone here is capable of the most despicable deeds.’

  ‘Perhaps tomorrow will turn something up,’ Arnau murmured.

  ‘Quite.’ Kovacs handed the coin back and Arnau replaced everything in the cabinet, dropping the key back into his pouch once he had locked it.

  ‘I will speak with Dietmar about what has happened. I shall see you later, master de Vallbona.’

  Arnau nodded and watched as Kovacs unlocked the door once more and left the room.

  ‘I do not like this,’ Felipe said. ‘We should leave.’

  Arnau felt a strange lurch, picturing himself saying just that to Bochard in the imperial palace a few years earlier. This was different, he told himself. This was not something he was about for his own vanity. This was a duty he was performing, and he could hardly leave until the will was found and the comparison made, anyway.

  ‘You might as well attend the services for the rest of the day in my stead,’ Arnau sighed.

  ‘Brother?’

  ‘No shoes,’ he smiled, and sagged down onto his bed.

  * * *

  Arnau sat on his cot, polishing the hilt of his sword carefully and peering at the gleaming iron, when the door reverberated to a knock. He frowned. Who it might be he couldn’t imagine. He had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in their room, mostly alone.

  He had missed services and the evening meal without footwear to brave the courtyard. A serf had brought the meal to him, and had offered to eat some to prove it was safe. Arnau had waved him away. Since what had happened at lunch the kitchen staff would be very much on the alert and no one would have a chance to mess with any other meal now. Consequently, he had eaten without great worry and had not collapsed on the floor coughing up blood.

  Felipe had wanted to stay with him, but he had sent the squire to the hall for food, and to the chapel for all services. Then, during the evening, while the squire had been enthralled with a performance by Kovacs in the main hall, Arnau had had a visit from Bernhard. For a refreshing hour they had talked not of wills and murder, but of Brother Lütolf, during his days as the master of Renfrizhausen, and during his time at the preceptory, of which Arnau could only tell the last year in any detail. Finally Bernhard had retired, having admitted that despite another full search, they had still been unable to locate the missing will, and Arnau had settled in to polishing his sword.

  For a moment he wondered if the knock was Felipe returning, but realised that the squire would be at compline, as the bell for the service had rung only half an hour after Bernhard had left.

  ‘Come,’ he said, sitting up straight.

  He blinked as the door swung in to reveal the looming shape of the hulking red-bearded guard. Arnau’s hand snaked round the hilt of his sword, ready to lift it, but the big man entered with both hands raised in peace.

  Arnau released the hilt and placed his sword on the bed.

  ‘Can I help you?’ he asked, coldly. His jaw still felt painful, as well as his head, and both bore bruise and lump from the assault on the stairs.

  ‘I… be Matthias,’ the man said in thick, German-accented Frankish.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I not like you. You not right here. Verstehe? Understand?’

  Arnau nodded. ‘I had formed that impression, yes. Did you drop by just to hate me, or is there something else?’

  Matthias’ lip wrinkled. ‘I not like you. But I not kill you.’

  ‘Well that’s encouraging.’

  ‘Verstehe. I am warrior. Sword, yes? I want kill you, I kill you. In open. In light. With sword. Not like…’ he made a throat-cutting motion and then mimed being sick. ‘Understand? Verstehe?’

  And Arnau did. He nodded. ‘It is, in a very odd way, comforting to know that if you suddenly decide to you will attack me in the courtyard with your sword.’ He nodded as the man glared at him. ‘I understand. You might be an unpleasant man, but you are one with principles. You will not use poison or a knife in the dark. And while I cannot say I like you any more than you like me, I find that I believe you.’

  Matthias frowned as he translated and slowly digested this. With a nod of agreement, he turned and opened the door.

  ‘I will see you tomorrow when we interview everyone.’

  The man’s lip twitched once more, but he said nothing as he left.

  Arnau slumped back to his pillow. Perhaps he would try to sleep early. Tomorrow looked like being a busy day.

  Chapter Seven

  Friday morning

  ‘So we know very little, in truth.’

  Bernhard nodded. ‘Respectfully, though, my men and I have had a great deal to do since the discovery, and little chance to delve. The disappearance of the will, your arrival and the various troubles that brought, the graf having largely shut himself away for the first two days, the laying out of the body and searching the castle. You understand.’

  Arnau did. Events had somewhat snowballed since the death of Rüdolf less than four days ago, and Arnau and Felipe appearing had complicated matters and given Bernhard and the rest yet more to do. ‘So you say that this Anna was the one who found the body and that it is believed that Graf Dietmar was the last to see him, with the exception of his killer, that is?’

  Again a nod from Bernhard. ‘The graf is expecting you, but I had Anna brought to the guardroom first. I think that is probably where to begin.’

  ‘I think you’re right.’

  They strode into the room with its roaring fire, grateful to be out of the freezing air. Ever-present clouds were yet to drop today’s deluge on the castle. A young maid was seated close to the flames and rose with a nervous start as they entered.

  ‘Anna,’ Bernhard said soothingly, then spoke in his native tongue, the only word of which Arnau caught being ‘Tempelritter’. The marshal would have to translate here.

  ‘Tell us about finding the body,’ Arnau said, calmly.

  The maid began at Bernhard’s invitation, hesitantly at first, and the marshal kept up well as he translated.

  ‘It was Monday morning when she brought it to our attention, though it was the previous evening when she found the body, in a way.’

  Arnau shook his head in confusion. ‘What?’

  She was still going, though, and Bernhard was translating the explanation. ‘On Sunday eve she went to the well and tried to draw water for the kitchens, but could not raise the bucket. She returned to the kitchen and reported this, but all assumed that the ropes had frozen, which happens from time to time in the winter. It will often take two strong guards to free it then. So they used some of the water stored in ewers in the kitchen range. The next day, in the morning, she was sent to try again and the bucket was still stuck. She called for one of the guards, and Winrich helped haul the bucket up. The body came up with it.’

  Arnau leaned back against the wall. ‘How did he react? How did Anna?’

  Bernhard rattled on once more, and then translated the reply. ‘Anna was terrified. I can concur with this, for I saw her shortly afterwards and she spent the rest of the day in shock, with Father Oswald looking after her. She says that Winrich was so surprised that he let go for a moment and almost dropped the body back down the well.’

  ‘Reactions that do not suggest involvement,’ Arnau murmured.

  ‘Quite.’

  ‘When was it that she first encountered difficulty with the well, then. Do we know exactly?’

  More translation. ‘Mere minutes after the compline bell was rung.’

  ‘Then we have a good approximation of time, given what you said earlier, though I think I need to see the graf to confirm it.’

  ‘Of course,’ Bernhard nodded. ‘Will you require my presence?’

  ‘No, I think not, for now. Can you have the rest of the guards and staff ready, and I’ll update you then? I can’t see we’ll get much more of use from Anna for now. Can anyone speak for where she was before trying the well after compline?’

  ‘She was in the kitchens preparing the evening meal for at least an hour. She will have been seen. Essentially, all the kitchen staff will have been working together.’

  Arnau nodded. It was possible that one might have slipped away for a few minutes in the busyness of preparation, but that would be real trouble to reveal, and he’d already largely written out the guards and serfs from his list of likely killers. They would have so little to gain. Besides, a girl like Anna would be very unlikely to bring down a young knight and cut his throat. That would take strength.

  ‘Very well, I’ll see you back here in around an hour.’

  Leaving the guardroom and the marshal, he strode back out into the cold, wrapping his cloak about him. Felipe was waiting by the far door, and fell in at his heel as they entered the main range. Up the staircase, they made their way to the graf’s chamber, where Arnau knocked. He’d not sought an audience as such this time, but Bernhard had already spoken to the castle’s master and Dietmar had agreed.

  ‘Come,’ called the graf’s voice, and Arnau entered the cold chamber with his squire at heel. He bowed as he entered. ‘I must apologise for this, my lord, but in order to do all I can to help find the killer, I need to know everything I can about the hours before and after Rüdolf’s death.’

  A look of pain crossed the older man’s face, but he nodded in a resigned manner. He had set Arnau on this course, after all.

  ‘I was in the hall downstairs on the eve of Sunday, and then in my room. I was speaking to Rüdolf in the hall, first. In fact, we were arguing. Things had become a little heated.’

  ‘Might I ask what the argument was about?’

  ‘Of course. The castle is undergoing something of a restoration. You cannot see much evidence of it at the moment, partially because it has only just begun, and partly because we simply cannot afford to do much. There had been a tremor in the earth a few years ago, and parts of the castle suffered minor damage. I have been living with it, and intended to continue doing so, but Rüdolf was insistent that work begin. He set Bernhard and his men to beginning work and had plans to bring in an architect from Sülz. I told him that we could not afford all of this, and we argued. He was adamant that the will would bring us back funds that had been given to your Order and that those funds would cover the work. He even waved the will at me angrily. I wish now I had snatched it from him. It might not have disappeared, and if it is the cause of all this, Rüdolf might still be with us.’

  ‘So you argued over money and the will, but not enough surely to drive a wedge between you?’

  Dietmar shook his head. ‘No. We argue such on occasion. What father and son do not? But that was the last time I saw him, as he stomped from the room in fury. And I gather that was the last anyone saw of him.’

  Arnau nodded. ‘Might I ask if you have any idea what time this was?’

  ‘I can say with certainty, for the compline bell tolled just as Rüdolf and I were at the height of our argument. The echoes still rang as he stormed out.’

  Arnau chewed his lip. ‘Then we know when the murder occurred, my lord. Rüdolf left you at the compline bell and Anna found the body just after it. It seems that we can rule out anyone who was at compline, which might save us some time.’

  Dietmar shook his head. ‘It will save you little. The only attendance Father Oswald ever gets for compline is Bernhard, and indeed it is Bernhard who tolls the bell. The evening meal is served shortly thereafter, and so the castle’s staff are entirely busy preparing. My family habitually attend only one daily service, and it is never too early or too late in the day. The guards, of course, are busy much of the time.’

  Arnau turned to Felipe. The squire had been to both compline services in the castle thus far. Felipe nodded. ‘I have only seen Bernhard at the services.’

  ‘Then that is little help. As long as Bernhard and Father Oswald can vouch for each other, I can rule them out. And if compline was imminent, neither would have time for the nefarious deed before the service. I presume you remained in the hall, my lord?’

  ‘For a few moments only, once Bernhard visited me. I then returned here to my room where I raged, since the staff would be preparing the hall for the meal shortly after that. I left my room once more only in time for dinner, once I was sufficiently calm. I thought nothing of the fact that Rüdolf was not at dinner. I presumed him still in a rage, locked in his room.’

  Arnau straightened. Likely someone would be able to vouch for Dietmar, and his grief spoke to Arnau of his innocence in any regard. It seemed that speaking to the castle’s inhabitants was simply ruling people out. With luck he could rule enough out to be left with a clear culprit.

  Thanking the lord, he bade farewell and withdrew from the room.

  ‘Who next?’ Felipe asked.

  ‘Lady Gerdrut, I think. I am not looking forward to speaking to her mother.’

  ‘Quite, brother.’

  They found one of the servants and had him lead them to the room of Dietmar and Lütolf’s sister. The serf knocked for them, secured admittance and opened the door. Arnau’s spirits sank as the room came into view. It was a warm, bright and homely chamber, decorated with tapestries and hangings, with a fire blazing. The only chilling element was the Grand Dame, Ute, seated beside her daughter as the pair worked at embroidery hoops. Perhaps it was for the best, he decided. At least the younger woman might supply a little moral support against the old dame.

  ‘I apologise for the intrusion, ladies. Has Bernhard spoken to you?’

  Ute von Ehingen glared at him with her customary ice. Gerdrut nodded, however. ‘You are here to find out about the evening Rüdolf died.’

  ‘Yes. We have narrowed the time down to the compline service. I understand that neither of you attended?’

  ‘No. No one does, in fact. Not from the family, anyway. If you are seeking to determine our whereabouts, though, I can speak for myself. I had bathed earlier in the day.’ She gave an oddly embarrassed smile. ‘I suffer rather from a stiffening of the joints, in winter especially, and a warm bath in camomile, breweswort and brown fennel once a week does somewhat alleviate my aches. It can be a lengthy business, and I was still plaiting my hair and dressing throughout compline and almost to dinner. If you speak to Katherine, my lady’s maid, she will confirm all of this.’

  Arnau felt an odd sense of relief. He’d greatly hoped there would be no reason to suspect the lady, and for a number of reasons, some of which were very un-monastic and he would have to do appropriate penance for in due course.

  ‘And you, my lady?’ he said quietly, turning to the dame and trying not to wince.

  ‘If it is any of your business…’

  ‘It is, Mother,’ Gerdrut put in. ‘My brother has tasked him with it.’

  Ute harrumphed. She resumed in her scratchy voice, cold and hard. ‘I was in the kitchens during the preparations for the evening meal. There has been a great deal of slovenly conduct of late among the servants. I have noted crockery and cutlery that have not been properly clean, the rushes on the floor not changed, fires unbanked and the like. I have taken, over the past few weeks, to overseeing activity and chastising those responsible for mess. You may ask any of the kitchen staff. I am certain that each and every one felt the lash of my tongue over the time of which you speak. And my own maid, Jutte, was with me too. So now you have the answers to your impertinent question. You should leave.’

  Smiling at the apologetic look from Gerdrut, Arnau bowed, said farewell and departed.

  ‘We are running low on suspects, Felipe,’ he said out in the corridor. ‘Dietmar might have had the opportunity, unless someone can vouch for him being in his room, though I cannot see why the lord might do such a thing. Ute was in the kitchens, and it seems likely that will be confirmed. The maid Katherine should clear Gerdrut. I am starting to become vexed by this. Come.’

  It took directions from a serf to find the room of the Hungarian minstrel, Karolus Kovacs, which turned out to be the apartment next door to the graf, bringing them full circle. A brief knock and they were hailed in. The minstrel sat at a window, wrapped in a red and green shawl, peering at a paper covered in tiny writing. He put it down on the table as he looked up, placing a dragon-shaped paperweight atop it to stop it blowing away in the cold breeze from the opening.

  ‘You are here to seek my whereabouts during Sunday evening, I presume?’

  ‘If that is acceptable?’

  The minstrel laughed. ‘In actual fact, I was alone, but I think I can supply you with an alibi regardless. I am currently composing a ballad of a grand sort, telling the tale of the founding of this great fortress, Henry the Lion’s dragon and Dietmar’s family’s part in it all. It is becoming troublesome, but it is progressing. Any time I am alone, you will hear me practicing and working. Sunday night I was obsessing over a refrain on my lute. I must have played a particularly vexing part of the air a thousand times that eve in a hundred different ways. I am certain that numerous folk would have heard me, including Dietmar.’

  ‘You knew the graf was next door?’

  Kovacs chuckled. ‘Dietmar was angry. When he gets angry he throws things. Between every few bars of my melody I was given the percussion of a shouted curse or a thrown chair. Yes, Dietmar was in his room. And between his bouts of bellowed rage, I am sure he will have heard me in here.’

  Arnau sagged. Again, like the lady, he had been hoping for some reason that Kovacs would prove innocent, but every confirmation he received ruled out more and more possibilities.

 

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