stopping to stare were being moved on with curt gestures from Treasurer Rowland. I saw the sun had melted most of the snow now. I wondered wearily where Barak was.
Rowland gestured to me. 'This is Brother Matthew Shardlake,' he told Browne. 'He had the constable roused.'
'I hope I 'll get more sense out of him than those two lads.' Coroner Browne grunted. He turned bleary eyes on me. 'You've spoken with the widow?'
'Yes, sir.'
'How is she?'
'Weeping,' I said shortly.
'I'll have to question her. You can come with me if you know her. Now, tell me what in Jesu's name has happened.'
I told him about finding Roger's body, about Barak following the footprints and what Dorothy had told me about the strange client.
'Nantwich?' Treasurer Rowland frowned. 'I 've never heard of him. I thought I knew most of the solicitors.'
Browne's eyes narrowed as he studied me. 'Shardlake, I know that name.' He grinned. 'You're the Lincoln's Inn man the King made mock of at York a couple of years ago, aren't you? I recognize the description.'
Of a hunchback, I thought. That story would haunt me, I knew, till I died. 'We need to find out who Roger was meeting,' I said coldly.
Browne looked down at Roger's face, then he stirred the awful head with his toe. I clenched my hands with anger. 'This is a dreadful business,' he went on. 'Putting him in the fountain. He looks very calm. Couldn't have cut his own throat, could he?'
'No. He was a happy man.'
'Then it's a strange one.' He shook his head. 'A fountain turned to blood.' He addressed the Treasurer. 'You should get that drained.'
I frowned. That phrase, a fountain turned to blood. I had heard it before somewhere, I was sure.
'Where's this man of yours who went to follow the prints?' Browne asked.
'I don't know. He set off half an hour ago.'
'Well, have him report to me when he comes back. I shall have to visit the King's coroner before impanelling a jury.' I recalled that the King was at Whitehall now, and cursed the fact. Any murder within twelve miles of the royal residence and outside the City of London boundary — even just outside, like Lincoln's Inn — came under the authority of the King's coroner. He would have to be involved along with Browne.
'That will cause delay,' I said.
Browne shrugged. 'Can't be helped.'
'How long will it take to impanel a jury?'
'Depends if the King's coroner agrees to impanel a jury of lawyers. And it's Easter Sunday. Doubt we'll get an inquest before the middle of the week.'
I set my lips. It was vital in any murder to investigate at once, before the trail went cold. As Barak had said, most murders were solved quickly or not at all.
'I think the lawyers of the Inn will want the inquest to be held as soon as possible,' I said. 'As one of their own is involved.'
Treasurer Rowland nodded in agreement. 'Yes, we shall want an inquest soon.'
'We need to hunt this solicitor Nantwich. Could you do that, sir — just a general query under the Treasurer's authority?'
Rowland nodded. 'Yes. That must be done.'
And if I may suggest something else,' I said to the coroner, pressing home my advantage. 'The manner of his death is so strange, apparently knocked unconscious and kept that way till he was put in the fountain, it might be good to have the body opened.' It was a grim thought, but Guy might find something that would help us. 'I know Dr Malton, who does that duty for the London coroner. His fees are low. I could send him to you.'
'Oh, that old Moor.' Browne grunted. 'And who's to pay?'
'I will, if need be. Roger Elliard was my friend. And could I please ask' — my voice rising — 'to have him covered up?'
All right.' The coroner casually pulled my coat back over Roger's face, then turned to me, rubbing his pudgy hands together.
'What was the deceased's name again?'
'Roger Elliard.'
'Right. I'll see the widow. That body can be taken away now. Master treasurer, have a cart take it to my shed.'
Dorothy had somewhat recovered her composure
Rowland gestured to me. 'This is Brother Matthew Shardlake,' he told Browne. 'He had the constable roused.'
'I hope I 'll get more sense out of him than those two lads.' Coroner Browne grunted. He turned bleary eyes on me. 'You've spoken with the widow?'
'Yes, sir.'
'How is she?'
'Weeping,' I said shortly.
'I'll have to question her. You can come with me if you know her. Now, tell me what in Jesu's name has happened.'
I told him about finding Roger's body, about Barak following the footprints and what Dorothy had told me about the strange client.
'Nantwich?' Treasurer Rowland frowned. 'I 've never heard of him. I thought I knew most of the solicitors.'
Browne's eyes narrowed as he studied me. 'Shardlake, I know that name.' He grinned. 'You're the Lincoln's Inn man the King made mock of at York a couple of years ago, aren't you? I recognize the description.'
Of a hunchback, I thought. That story would haunt me, I knew, till I died. 'We need to find out who Roger was meeting,' I said coldly.
Browne looked down at Roger's face, then he stirred the awful head with his toe. I clenched my hands with anger. 'This is a dreadful business,' he went on. 'Putting him in the fountain. He looks very calm. Couldn't have cut his own throat, could he?'
'No. He was a happy man.'
'Then it's a strange one.' He shook his head. 'A fountain turned to blood.' He addressed the Treasurer. 'You should get that drained.'
I frowned. That phrase, a fountain turned to blood. I had heard it before somewhere, I was sure.
'Where's this man of yours who went to follow the prints?' Browne asked.
'I don't know. He set off half an hour ago.'
'Well, have him report to me when he comes back. I shall have to visit the King's coroner before impanelling a jury.' I recalled that the King was at Whitehall now, and cursed the fact. Any murder within twelve miles of the royal residence and outside the City of London boundary — even just outside, like Lincoln's Inn — came under the authority of the King's coroner. He would have to be involved along with Browne.
'That will cause delay,' I said.
Browne shrugged. 'Can't be helped.'
'How long will it take to impanel a jury?'
'Depends if the King's coroner agrees to impanel a jury of lawyers. And it's Easter Sunday. Doubt we'll get an inquest before the middle of the week.'
I set my lips. It was vital in any murder to investigate at once, before the trail went cold. As Barak had said, most murders were solved quickly or not at all.
'I think the lawyers of the Inn will want the inquest to be held as soon as possible,' I said. 'As one of their own is involved.'
Treasurer Rowland nodded in agreement. 'Yes, we shall want an inquest soon.'
'We need to hunt this solicitor Nantwich. Could you do that, sir — just a general query under the Treasurer's authority?'
Rowland nodded. 'Yes. That must be done.'
And if I may suggest something else,' I said to the coroner, pressing home my advantage. 'The manner of his death is so strange, apparently knocked unconscious and kept that way till he was put in the fountain, it might be good to have the body opened.' It was a grim thought, but Guy might find something that would help us. 'I know Dr Malton, who does that duty for the London coroner. His fees are low. I could send him to you.'
'Oh, that old Moor.' Browne grunted. 'And who's to pay?'
'I will, if need be. Roger Elliard was my friend. And could I please ask' — my voice rising — 'to have him covered up?'
All right.' The coroner casually pulled my coat back over Roger's face, then turned to me, rubbing his pudgy hands together.
'What was the deceased's name again?'
'Roger Elliard.'
'Right. I'll see the widow. That body can be taken away now. Master treasurer, have a cart take it to my shed.'
Dorothy had somewhat recovered her composure
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