'Who knows what anyone deserves?' Mark said with sudden wildness. 'There is no justice or order in this world, as you would see if you were not so blind. After what Alice has told me, I know that for certain. I go with Alice, I decided that four days ago.' And yet as he spoke I saw his face waver, I saw shame and that the affection he had had for me was not quite gone.
'Have you become a papist, then? I am not as blind as you think, Mark, I sometimes wondered what you truly believed. What then do you think of this woman's desecration of a church? That was you, Alice, wasn't it? You laid that slain cock on the altar after you had killed Singleton, to confuse the trail?'
'Yes,' she said, 'I did. But if you think Mark or I are papists you are wrong. You are both the same, reformers and papists, you fashion beliefs which you force the people to follow on pain of death, while you struggle for power and lands and money, which are all any of you truly want.
'That is not what I want.'
'Perhaps not. You have a kind heart and I did not enjoy lying to you. But when it comes to what is happening in England now you are as blind as a newborn kitten.' Pity mingled with anger in her voice. 'You should see things through the eyes of common people, but your kind never will. Do you think I would care for any Church after what I have seen of it all? I felt more sorrow at having to kill that cock than at what I did at the altar.'
'And what now?' I asked. 'Is this my death?'
Mark swallowed. 'I would not do that. Not unless you make me.' He turned to Alice. 'We can tie him up and gag him, put him in your cupboard. They'll be looking for him, but they won't think of looking here. When will Brother Guy find you are missing?'
'I told him I was going to bed early. He won't notice I'm gone till I don't appear in the dispensary at seven. By then we will be at sea.
I struggled to collect my thoughts. 'Mark, please listen to me. You are forgetting Brother Gabriel, Simon Whelplay, Orphan Stonegarden.'
'I had nothing to do with their deaths!' Alice said hotly.
'I know. I had considered whether there might be two killers working in league, but I never thought of two separate killers. Mark, think of what you have seen. Orphan Stonegarden pulled from the fish pond, Gabriel crushed like an insect, Simon driven mad by poison. You have helped me, you have been with me. Would you let the killer loose?'
'We were going to leave you a note, tell you Alice killed Singleton.'
'Please listen to me. Brother Edwig. Is he taken?'
Mark shook his head. 'No. I followed you to the refectory door and heard Bugge say there was a message. Then I followed you to the gatehouse and saw you go back to the infirmary. But Prior Mortimus came up to me and said Brother Edwig was not in his counting house, nor in his cell. He seems to have fled. That is why I took so much time, Alice.'
'He must not escape,' I said urgently. 'He has sold lands, I believe without the abbot's knowledge, he has a thousand pounds hidden somewhere. That boat, it's for his escape. Of course, he has been buying time until it arrived. That was why he killed Novice Whelplay, because he feared he would tell me about Orphan Stonegarden and I might have him arrested.'
He lowered his dagger, his expression astonished. I had his attention now.
'It was Brother Edwig who killed her?'
'Yes! Then he tried to kill me in the church. In the snow it would be days or weeks before anyone came from London to replace me and by that time he would be away. You will be sharing that boat with a murderer.'
'Are you sure of this?' Mark asked.
'Yes. I built a false pattern around Brother Gabriel, but this is the truth. What you tell me about the boat seals matters. Edwig is a great murderer and thief. In all conscience you cannot let him escape.'
For a second I saw him waver. 'You are certain Brother Edwig killed the girl?' Alice asked.
'Certain. It had to be one of the obedentiaries who visited Simon Whelplay. Prior Mortimus and Edwig had a history of troubling women; Mortimus bothered you, but Brother Edwig did not — because he feared he might lose control of himself as he had done with Orphan.'
Mark bit his lip. 'Alice, we cannot allow him to
go free.'