‘I see.’ I looked at the roof-beam again. ‘What was Michael like, Sally?’
‘Samuel and I used to jest that he lived in a world of his own. Walking about in fine clothes, which isn’t really safe round here. I would have thought he could have afforded better lodgings. But he didn’t seem to care about the dirt or the rats. He seemed lost in thought most of the time.’ She paused, then added, ‘Not happy thoughts. We used to wonder if he was one of those whose minds are perplexed about religion. Samuel and I just worship the way the King commands,’ she added quickly.
‘The constable told me he had some trouble with the corner boys,’ Barak said. ‘Was it the ones outside?’
She shook her head. ‘I didn’t hear that. It can’t have been them. Those boys have only been there these last few days.’
‘One question more,’ I said. It was something no one had mentioned so far. ‘What did Michael Calfhill look like?’
She thought. ‘He was small, thin, with a comely face and brown hair. It was starting to recede though I doubt he was thirty.’
‘Thank you. Here, for your trouble in helping us – ’
She hesitated, but took the coin. She curtsied and left, closing the door behind her. Barak had gone over to the window. ‘Come and look at this,’ he said.
I went over. Directly underneath was the sloping roof of an outhouse, covered with mossy tiles, above a small yard. ‘Someone could have climbed up there easily,’ Barak said. ‘I could get up, even now with all my easy living.’ He patted his stomach.
I looked out. From here I could see the river, busy as ever with barges carrying equipment down to the sea. ‘There are no tiles off the roof,’ I said. ‘They look old, someone climbing up would surely have dislodged a few.’ I turned back to the room, looked up at the beam. ‘If someone climbed up into the room and grabbed him in bed, there would have been a struggle.’
‘Not if they knocked him out as he slept, then strung him up.’
‘That would have left a mark on his head. The jury would have seen it at the viewing of the body.’
‘Not if it was above the hairline, and they didn’t look hard.’
I considered carefully. ‘Remember what this case is about. The management of some lands down in Hampshire, maybe a fee for marrying off Hugh Curteys. In three years the boy will reach his majority and the lands will be his. Would Nicholas Hobbey order Michael killed just to protect that? When he could hang for it? A man with status and a family?’
‘Maybe Michael discovered something Hobbey would hang for anyway.’
‘Like what?’
‘What about the missing knife?’
‘It could have been lost or stolen in that shambles Grice calls the coroner’s office.’ I smiled. ‘Come, have we not become too ready to see murder everywhere after all we have seen these last few years? And remember, the suicide note was in Michael’s hand.’
‘I still think there’s a smell of bad fish here.’
‘There’s certainly a smell of rats. Look at those droppings in the corner.’
‘Why would Michael leave his mother’s house and come to a dog hole like this?’
I considered this. ‘I don’t know. But I see nothing here pointing to murder, except the absence of the knife, and that could easily have been lost. What we must do now is concentrate on Monday’s hearing.’ I took a last look round the miserable room, and the thought crossed my mind that Michael might have been punishing himself in some way by leaving his mother. But for what? My eye went to the strip of cloth again, and I shuddered. ‘Come,’ I said to Barak, ‘let’s get out of here.’
‘Do you mind if I talk to the constable again?’ he asked as we descended the stairs. ‘I know where he’ll be, in the tavern I took him to before. It’s a few streets away. Maybe he will remember about the knife.’
‘Won’t Tamasin be waiting for you?’
‘I shan’t be long.’
WE RETURNED the key to Sally and left the house. It was dusk now; looking down between the houses I saw the river shining red in the setting sun. The corner boys had gone.
‘Can you prepare a draft deposition and take it to Broughton this evening?’ I asked Barak. ‘Then come to chambers tomorrow at nine. Mistress Calfhill is coming in.’
‘All right.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Will you let me know when you get word from Carver?’
‘At once.’
Barak went down towards the river, while I turned for home. As I walked along, I thought again about Michael’s death. Barak had a nose for foul play.