The Body in the Thames by Susanna Gregory Page B

diplomat?’
    ‘Willem Hanse. He left a message mentioning Sinon, along with an instruction telling the recipient to visit Newgate.’
    ‘Did he?’ Compton was aghast. ‘But the only people who are supposed to know about Sinon are the perpetrators, the Privy Council,
     Spymaster Williamson, and me.’
    ‘And the gaolers at Newgate,’ added Chaloner, thinking it a substantial list. The Privy Council comprised a dozen men, few
     of whom were noted for their discretion.
    Compton gave a humourless bark of laughter. ‘Hardly! Williamson has an arrangement with Newgate’s Keeper. One wing, deep underground,
     is for his exclusive use, and his wardens never go anywhere near it. That is where the would-be perpetrators of the Sinon
     Plot are being held.’
    ‘Did they have a trial?’ said Chaloner uneasily. ‘In a court of law?’
    ‘The Privy Council did not want the affair made public. The culprits were quietly incarcerated, and there they will remain
     until they die.’
    Chaloner could not help but shudder. The notion that such a place existed was bad enough, but the admission that its inhabitants
     comprised people who had been denied an opportunity to prove their innocence was appalling.
    ‘I really cannot talk about this,’ warned Compton. ‘I took a vow.’
    ‘I appreciate that, but Hanse is dead, and it seems he thought the Sinon Plot was important – he left several messages about
     it. He was a good man, and I would like to bring his killer to justice. But I cannot, unless I know more about this business.’
    Compton looked troubled. ‘Then ask your questions. Perhaps I shall be able to answer without breaking my oath.’
    ‘Why does the Privy Council want the matter kept quiet? It is only the theft of a few jewels.’
    ‘A few jewels?’ echoed Compton, shocked. ‘These are the
crown
jewels, man! They cost more than twelve thousand pounds. Cromwell sold off the old ones, if you recall, so we had to commission
     a new set. Have you ever seen them?’
    ‘No. I was out of the country when the King was invested.’
    Compton smiled. ‘Actually, I was asking whether you had visited them in the Tower. You can buy a viewing for a few pennies,
     and it is well worth the expense.
I
think they are magnificent.’
    ‘How far had the plot gone before you discovered it?’ asked Chaloner, hoping he could avoid the experience. The Tower was
     a prison, as well as a repository for the King’s baubles.
    ‘The culprits had befriended the Assistant Keeper of the Jewels, drawn up plans of the Tower, and hired a carriage in which
     to escape. Unfortunately for them, I overheard their discussion in the Feathers tavern on Cheapside. I reported it to your
     Earl, and we went together to the Spymaster. Williamson spent several days investigating, then gave the order for the culprits’
     arrest.’
    ‘Did he investigate thoroughly?’ asked Chaloner, thinking it would not be the first time a busy spymaster had ordered the
     detention of suspects based on poor, erroneous or partial evidence.
    ‘I believe so – I accompanied him on some of his fact-finding missions. Then, when we were both satisfied that these plotters
     posed a genuine threat, I took four of my men and arrested them.’
    ‘
You
did? Why? It should have been Williamson’s doing, not the Master of Ordnance’s.’
    ‘That is what I said. But Williamson and his creatures are unpopular in London, and the last time they tried to arrest a party
     of villains, they were attacked by a mob – and their suspects got away. The Sinon plotters could not be allowed to escape,
     so I agreed to apprehend them for him.’
    ‘What are their names?’ asked Chaloner. Compton was right: Williamson and his henchmen
were
unpopular among the people.
    ‘Swan, Swallow and Falcon.’
    Chaloner raised his eyebrows in disbelief. ‘And they met in the Feathers?’
    ‘Yes,’ replied Compton. ‘I know it does not sound very likely, but those
are
their real