The Canterbury Murders by Maureen Ash

with the rest of the nobility and John would need his support at Oxford.
    Pulling his thoughts away from the untenable conjecture that Marshal might be considering defection, John took another sip from his wine cup and glanced once again at the message he had received that morning. It was a letter from Thomas Berard, master of the London Templar preceptory, and in it Berard informed John that permission had been given for Bascot de Marins to assist in the murder investigation and that as he was at present in the Temple Ewell commandery, he should arrive in Canterbury that very day to take up the task.
    John, pleased that his request had been granted, and also to learn that de Marins would be in the town so soon, made a mental note to direct the clerks of his exchequer to send the promised donation to the Order with all despatch, so as to ensure their continuing cooperation.
    Turning next to the other sheaves of parchment that lay underneath the letter, John perused the pages once again. Sent by Nicolaa de la Haye early that morning, they contained a copy of the information that her household knight and young
secretarius
had gathered from interviewing the townhouse servants and viewing the corpse. The king felt a pang of sorrow as he read the detailed notation of the injuries on Molly’s body, but he agreed with the covering note Nicolaa had appended, that none of the information seemed to give any clue to the identity of the murderer or the motive.
    He rose from his seat and began to pace. It was his hope that this villain had no connection to Arthur and the quarrel John had with his nephew earlier that year. But if it proved otherwise, the murderer must be dealt with quietly and swiftly, for public knowledge of the terrible aftermath of that incident could turn his nobles against him and thereby have a disastrous effect on the forthcoming council at Oxford. He must make every effort to ensure that while the investigation was in progress, any incriminating facts linked to Arthur’s sad fate were kept privily. With de Cornhill, this would have been a simple matter. The sheriff’s vast estates were in John’s gift, and the risk of losing them would have compelled de Cornhill’s cooperation. But de Marins, not bound by the bonds of fealty, and possessed of a rigid moral rectitude, would be impervious to any such coercion. John would have to trust that the risky gambit he had decided upon would overcome this difficulty.
    The king reached for his goblet, took a swallow of wine, and tried to relax. If it was God’s will, he would navigate a safe path through this latest trial. He had not only his own wits to aid him, but also the considerable intelligence of the one man he had taken into his confidence, the wily and formidable Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury and chancellor of England. He prayed that would be enough.
    ***
    It was just after Terce that Gianni and Miles left the Watling Street townhouse to go to the home of Molly’s sister, Maud Cooper, hoping she might have some relevant information about the slain woman. They were not disappointed. Barely an hour had passed before they were on their way back to Watling Street in a buoyant mood, eager to tell Lady Nicolaa what they had discovered.
    â€œMistress Cooper rarely saw her sister—the last time was two years ago,” Miles informed the castellan. “The washerwoman sometimes sent money to the priest at St. Alphege for presents for her brood of nieces and nephews, but beyond that they had little contact. They were only in each other’s company on the rare occasions when the king’s entourage was in Canterbury and Molly had the opportunity to visit. Mistress Cooper also told us that she has no knowledge of anyone who might have borne the dead woman enmity, and was certain that her sister had never been involved in any entanglements of an amorous nature, so it could not have been a jealous lover who