‘There was a noose around his neck, Brother. He had been hanged.’
Michael regarded him askance. ‘Are you saying you were mistaken twenty years ago, when you saw him run away?
They exhumed him and brought his bones here for some odd reason?’
‘I am saying he was hanged in the last few weeks. He is older and greyer – like all of us – but it is him without question. His face has been etched into my mind ever since he “died” the first time.’
‘And you are sure he is dead? He will not leap up and run away again?’
‘No, Brother. He is beginning to rot.’
Michael sipped his wine. ‘So, let us assume he stayed low after escaping from Cambridge, living the life of a travelling thief. Eventually, he arrived in Lincoln, perhaps by chance, but perhaps because he heard Miller and his cronies are now influential citizens. Once here, he demanded money for his silence about their past. You seem sure they were guilty of the charges he levelled against them, so perhaps he felt they owed him something.’
‘Yes, but in Cambridge, he tried to save himself by exposing their roles in his crimes. Even a stupid man will know that sort of behaviour will not see him welcomed with open arms.’
‘How long did you say he has been dead? Exactly?’
‘I did not say – I cannot, not after the merest of glimpses. The smell suggests weeks, though.’
‘So, his death could coincide with the first appearance of the Hugh Chalice, about a month ago?’
‘It could.’ Bartholomew drank more wine, and his thoughts wandered to another matter. ‘Those symbols on Chapman, Herl, Aylmer and Flaxfleete are significant: you do not make permanent marks on yourself for something inconsequential. The only one of the four still alive is Chapman, and he keeps telling us how important the Hugh Chalice is. Those signs must represent that cup, Brother.’
Michael agreed. ‘However, Miller could not dispose of it as long as Shirlok was alive and waiting to accuse him again, and its public appearance would certainly have attracted Shirlok’s attention. I think it – along with the rest of Shirlok’s goods – has been languishing somewhere, all but forgotten.’
‘That assumes Miller knew Shirlok’s execution was unsuccessful.’
‘He did. Langar had a friend who was witness to his escape, if you recall.’
‘But Cynric overheard him tell Langar that Shirlok was definitely executed.’
‘And when did Cynric hear this? Two days ago – and you have just said Shirlok has been dead weeks. Of course Miller knows Shirlok is dead now, because the corpse is in his cellar.’
‘All right,’ acknowledged Bartholomew. ‘So, Shirlok arrived in Lincoln unexpectedly, Miller hanged him properly, and he and Chapman were free to sell the goods at last. Chapman has a special interest in the chalice, because I think he really does believe it is sacred. He sold it to Flaxfleete – another man who carries the mark of the cup.’
‘Then it was stolen, perhaps by Aylmer, although nothing was ever proved.’ Michael snapped his fingers suddenly. ‘I see what happened! The bishop found the chalice in the crypt. And who has access to the cathedral vaults and owns a penchant for the belongings of others? Besides Aylmer?’
Bartholomew sighed. ‘The dean! I saw him steal a goblet from Miller myself, and everyone at the cathedral seems aware of his “illness”. It is obvious now: the dean took the cup from Flaxfleete, and Gynewell returned it on the understanding that the matter would be quietly forgotten.’
‘Aylmer had been unjustly accused, and perhaps being blamed when he was innocent shocked him into wanting to turn to a new page in his life. Then what? Did Flaxfleete sell it to Simon?’
‘I think he probably gave it back to Chapman, although I doubt we will ever know why. And Chapman sold it to Simon, knowing he would donate it to the cathedral, where he thinks it should be.’
Michael rubbed his chin. ‘We can make a few assumptions about Herl now, though. He became disenchanted with the “chalice fraternity” and scraped off his mark, suggesting he no longer believed in it. Then he crafted copies of the cup and sold them to Tetford – and probably to others, too.’
‘I do not think Chapman had anything to do with that, because he was horrified when he learned there were replicas. He reveres the thing too much for skulduggery.’
‘I agree. So, I suspect Herl was killed by another member of the fraternity – for his sacrilege.’ Michael finished his wine and stood. ‘We should return to the Gilbertines, and see if they have news of Simon. He may be able to answer some of our questions, and I would like to see his shoulders.’
‘He denied having a mark when you asked him about it.’
‘And I stopped him before he could remove his habit to prove it. Perhaps I should not have done.’
