The Outcast Dove: A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery (38 page)

Everyone paused to stare at him.

“Yes, this is from Brother Victor,” Solomon held up the bag. “But it wasn’t stolen. He gave it freely to Arnald and Belide to help rescue Aaron’s betrothed. I never saw the man, alive or dead. Tell him, Arnald.”

There was no answer. Solomon scanned the faces in the room.

“Where did Arnald go?” he asked.

Aaron was coming down the ladder from the sleeping loft, drawn by the commotion.

“Aaron, is Arnald up there with you?”

“No, I haven’t seen him,” Aaron answered. “What’s going on here? Is Mayah all right?”

Jehan made another attempt to reach Solomon.

“It seems there’s no one to vouch for you this time,” he said.

“Just a moment.” James raised his hand for attention. “Aaron, when did you last see Arnald?”

“This afternoon, just after I spoke with Solomon,” Aaron said. “I was very upset. He gave me a sleeping draught to help me rest. The noise woke me only a few moments ago. What’s the hour?”

James didn’t answer. He signaled Jehan to hold off restraining Solomon.

“Damledux!”
Jehan said. “I was so close.”

Guy had been trying to follow all the revelations of the past few minutes. He didn’t understand what had happened to Berengar but he knew there was one point he could clear up.

“You think Arnald set a trap for Berengar because of the fight they had this afternoon?” he asked. He licked his lips nervously. “That’s nonsense.”

“They had a fight?” James asked.

“It was nothing,” Guy said. “Just a jest, really.”

“Then where is he?” Solomon asked.

“The man with the fuzzy brown hair?” the stable boy asked. “He went out the back door not long ago. Probably to the latrine.”

“Go after him!” Solomon insisted. “At once!”

“Wait.” James pushed through the crowded room to stand next to Solomon. “Guy, go look for Arnald. But don’t think his word will free you from suspicion.”

Solomon gave an exasperated sigh. “Look, Victor gave this bag to Arnald and Bonysach’s daughter, Belide, for the purpose of freeing Mayah from the clutches of your righteous brethren. She and Bonysach’s wife, Josta, will confirm this. Or are you so deep in your revulsion for us that you think they would lie?”

“They might well do so to protect you and themselves,” James said absently.

Something was hammering in his mind, demanding him to attend. “Wait. You say that Victor gave Arnald one bag. Just one?”

He pointed to the leather sack in Solomon’s hand.

“That’s right,” Solomon said. “Neither Aaron nor I wanted to take it but I brought it anyway, in case we needed to pay more than we thought for Mayah.”

“Victor only gave them
one
bag,” James repeated.

“Yes, I told you.”

“But there were two bags missing,” James said. “If you are so innocent, then where is the rest of the gold?”

“Gold?” The word arrested the attention of the room. Even the woman carefully applying a thick paste to Berengar’s ravaged back paused at the sound of it.

“We know nothing of another bag. Perhaps someone saw Victor give it to Belide and attacked him afterwards,” Aaron suggested.

Solomon liked the idea but the logic didn’t work. Brother James saw the same problem.

“If he saw Arnald receive a bag of gold, then any sensible thief would follow Arnald, not the monk who gave it to him,” he said. “But also, if Victor intended to give Arnald one of the bags of ransom money, then why did he take two with him?”

Solomon looked at Aaron. “The man is your friend. What do you think? Could he have killed the monk for the rest of the money?”

“Of course not!” Aaron was indignant. “Arnald’s a bit thoughtless and inclined to pranks but, at base, he’s a loyal good-hearted friend. Why would he steal from Victor? Victor was his friend, too. And everyone knows that Arnald’s father is one of the richest men in the Cité.”

“He’s taking a long time in the privy,” Solomon commented.

He was becoming worried. What if Arnald didn’t return to vouch for him? Perhaps he and Guy had some scheme of their own. What would he do if they didn’t return?

“Senhor
Aaron.” James had another thought. “Arnald told us he was sitting at your bedside all afternoon; was he?”

“I have no idea,” Aaron said. “I slept like the dead. But, if he says so, then I believe him. Arnald is my friend.”

“Thank you, Aaron.” Arnald came in from the back of the inn, followed by Guy.

Solomon relaxed. He wouldn’t have to fight his way out after all. “There you are!” Aaron exclaimed in satisfaction. “I knew it. You didn’t kill Brother Victor, did you?”

“Me?” Arnald stared at him. “Where would you get such a bizarre idea?”

“If you didn’t,” James said. “Then what did you do with the second bag of gold that Victor was carrying that night?”

“Didn’t know he had one,” Arnald answered, eyes wide with surprise.

“Would you mind if we looked through your pack and your purse,” Brother James asked. “Just to be sure you didn’t forget he gave it to you?”

“Anything for the Church.” Arnald took the purse from around his neck and handed it to James. “My pack is up above with the others.”

“Brother Martin, will you go up and search?” James asked.

Martin eyed the ladder nervously but started the climb. The rungs creaked with each step, but held.

James emptied out the purse. There were a few small coins, a medallion from a local shrine, a twist of dark hair wrapped in oilskin, nothing more.

“You see?”

“Brother James?” Martin’s head appeared at the opening in the ceiling. “I’m sorry. I think I found the other bag.” He held it out for them to see. “It’s full of
marbottins
. I’ve never seen so many in one place. It was in this pack. Is that Arnald’s?”

“Now wait up here!” Guy said. “That’s my pack!”

“Oh, Guy! How could you?” Arnald turned on him. “Why? What did Brother Victor ever do to you?”

“Nothing! No!” Guy stepped back, his hands outstretched to ward off the accusations. “I didn’t!”

“Where were you this afternoon?” Arnald continued. “I didn’t see you here while I was with Aaron.”

“I…I was out losing my hauberk at dice, if you must know.” Guy looked away from Brother James. “And Berengar’s. He’s going to kill me when he wakes and finds I lost it to a Saracen.”

“You needn’t worry on that score.” The woman who was tending to Berengar spoke up. “He isn’t going to wake.”

Most of the people in the room crossed themselves and muttered a prayer.

“Poor Berengar,” Arnald said, shaking his head at Guy. “I’m sorry now I mocked him. So you took his armor and then attacked him? Guy, that’s not how a knight behaves.”

“No, I didn’t!” Guy cried in panic.

Brother James put a hand on his arm. “It’s all right, Guy. Let me take care of this.”

Arnald stood with his arms crossed, his expression the picture of a friend betrayed. Brother James moved closer to him.

“Arnald,” James said quietly. “I am so grieved. I had faith in you. But now, you just made your third mistake.”

“What?” Arnald’s expression changed to confusion.

“The first was when you decided to keep half the gold for yourself,” James explained.

Aaron gasped and would have spoken, but Jehan hushed him with a gesture.

Even though the room was crowded, a circle was beginning to open around the young man. Arnald noticed the change in atmosphere. His eyes went back and forth, searching for the best way out.

“You had to make sure Victor didn’t tell anyone that there were originally two bags, didn’t you?” James moved closer.

“You’re mad.” Arnald smiled at Aaron. “Totally insane, isn’t he? Must be all that chastity.”

“I don’t understand why Samuel had to die,” James went on. “Did he discover what you had done?”

“Solomon!” Arnald appealed to him.

With a thrill of horror Solomon knew. Suddenly all the pieces tumbled into place.

“You killed that poor boy because he wanted to marry Belide!” he said. “She’s the one you really want, isn’t she? You have dreams of owning your own vineyard. Your father is rich, but you can’t have the use of even your own funds until you turn twenty-five. You planned on convincing Belide to convert and marry you, didn’t you? But you knew it would be impossible if she were already married to Samuel. Arnald, you’re a fool. She never would have turned to you, no matter how much wealth you offered.”

“That’s nonsense,” Arnald hissed. He was backing away from them now, but there was only a wall behind him.

“Your second mistake”—James acted as if Solomon hadn’t spoken—“was to hide the bag in Guy’s pack. You must have done it this afternoon, after Guy left. That was incredibly stupid. We all know that if Guy had been carrying a fortune with him since Toulouse, he would have been gambling at every stop. And he certainly wouldn’t have been driven to wager his chain mail.”

Arnald’s mouth opened and closed as he tried to think of an answer to this.

“Which leads to your third and, I hope, final misjudgment.” James was within arm’s length of him now. “You knew that Guy had taken Berengar’s hauberk. You left after he did. Was that how you got Berengar out of town? Did you tell him that he needed to get to the game before Guy had bet and lost?”

Suddenly, Arnald grinned.

“Stupid,
orgoillos
pig. He didn’t even take his sword. Anyone that arrogant deserves what he gets.”

Aaron gave a deep moan. “Arnald, you don’t mean that! Listen to yourself! He thinks you’re admitting that you attacked Berengar.”

Arnald’s grin grew wider. “And so I did. Didn’t think I had it in me, did you? No one guessed. I was just foolish old Arnald, always getting into trouble, embarrassing my friends and family. No one suspected what wonderful plans I had. I am sorry about Victor. He was trying to help. But then, he was so good, he’s probably already in heaven. So I really did him a favor, sending him to God, don’t you see?”

“Arnald, stop!” Aaron pleaded.

“And Samuel was an infidel so that wasn’t a sin.” Arnald seemed unperturbed by the growing horror directed toward him. “He’d have made Belide a terrible husband. He didn’t even have the sense to stay out of the rain. The idiot saw Babylonia pass by the inn and followed her. He ran right into me. It was too good a chance to ignore.”

“My son, you must realize what you are confessing to.” James tried to remember that his first duty was to save souls. He longed to run a knife into Arnald’s heart for what he had done to Victor. How many times would God test his resolve? “These are all mortal sins of the deepest hue. You took the lives of three people.”

“But that’s what a brave knight does,” Arnald insisted. His arms were still crossed over his chest. He now began rubbing his left wrist nervously. “He has to win the lady. All those who come between him and the fulfillment of his destiny must be crushed. No one can stand in the way. Belide will be proud of me.”

His right hand vanished into his left sleeve.

Solomon saw it coming before James did.

“STOP!” he screamed as he threw himself toward the monk.

It was too late. The knife strapped to Arnald’s arm slid out like warm butter. He lunged forward, thrusting the blade deep into James gut.

James looked down in astonishment. The hilt protruded from his robes. A wet stain was spreading across the dark cloth.

“Brother James!” Martin dropped from the hole in the ceiling with a thump and reached out to catch James as he slowly crumpled to the floor.

Arnald made a leap for the doorway. As he flew past, Solomon caught his right arm and bent it back, causing Arnald to drop the knife with a cry of pain.

The rest of the people in the room were on him at once. In a few moments Arnald emerged from the crush, battered and bound.

“Why did you stop me, Solomon?” he asked in a voice filled with betrayal. “You hate Brother James. You said so all the time. You should be helping me defeat him.”

“My feelings toward him make no difference, you monster.” Solomon lifted him by the cords wound around his arms and chest. “He was an unarmed man. And, no matter how much I loathe him, he is still my father.”

He dropped Arnald like a sack of table leavings and went to see to Brother James.

“Your father?” Jehan scratched his head in amazement. His face lit with pleasure. “A monk! That’s priceless.”

Aaron shook his head and sank slowly to the floor.

“This is all a nightmare,” he whispered. “I don’t understand any of it. I’m going to sit here quietly in the corner until someone wakes me up.”

Brother Martin was praying over James, but made room for Solomon.

“Did he tell you who I was?” Solomon asked.

“No, I knew Brother James was a convert and I saw how similar you were in appearance,” Martin said. “You have the same eyes, you know. But I said nothing. It wasn’t my place. Your anger against him is obvious and perhaps you have good reason. But can’t you try to make peace? You won’t have another chance.”

Solomon looked down on the face of the man who had abandoned him. Years of struggle and self-deprivation had lined it deeply. Solomon could barely remember his father, but he had an image of someone tall and strong with a thick black beard. This man was a stranger.

James’s eyes were closed and his lips moving in prayer. His skin was pale as life drained away. Solomon felt Brother Martin watching him. He wanted to protest that James didn’t deserve absolution. He wanted to keep his hatred pure.

Just once, he wanted his father to say his name with love.

“Father.” Solomon forced the words out. “I don’t understand what you did. But I will try to forgive you.”

James opened his amazing green eyes. They looked directly into Solomon’s.

“The last test,” he murmured. “He tempts me to the end. No forgiveness from you; I had to follow my Lord. I was right. Tell my brothers, no
kaddish
. I want only Masses for my soul.”

Solomon jerked away as if slapped.

James eyes closed again and his head rolled back. Martin’s prayers grew louder. Around the room, others joined him.