The guards nodded. ‘That is true, sir,’ one said. Radwinter frowned at him.

‘I can only tell what I saw, sir,’ he said. ‘The cook had no chance to interfere with the prisoner’s food.’

‘And you brought his bowl and cup, maister,’ Youhill said. ‘And his beer was poured from the common barrel as you saw.’

‘Who cleans his bowl and cup?’ I asked.

‘I do that.’ Radwinter stroked his black beard, then lowered the poker slowly towards the cook’s nose. I decided if it came too near his skin I would intervene. Youhill squirmed in his chair, making little mewling sounds of fear.

‘I don’t know how you did it, yet, master cook. But no one else could have. I’ll get it out of you, never fear. You see, I know you servants from the monasteries. You took in the papist ideas that infested those places, then when you were turned out it went to resentment against His Majesty, and if a chance to do ill comes you’ll take it. I’ve had abbey-lubbers brought to me in the Lollards’ Tower. Mostly they’re like you, fat and soft; they break after a little pain.’

‘But I hated the monks!’ Youhill burst out. Radwinter halted the poker, six inches from his nose.

‘What?’

‘I hated them! Hated the way they lived soft and easy while I slept on sacks. I always knew their ceremonies were aimed at nothing more than getting money from gullible folk. I was one of Lord Cromwell’s informers!’

Radwinter’s eyes narrowed. ‘What nonsense is this?’

The cook twisted his face desperately away from the heat. ‘It is true,’ he cried, ‘by God’s holy blood! When Lord Cromwell’s commissioners came in ’35 they questioned all the servants; they found I’d been in trouble for drunkenness, though a man may surely take a drink in the town. They asked if I’d pass any snippets of gossip to Lord Cromwell’s office, promised me a good job if the place closed. And they kept their promise, they got me work at the castle. I’m as loyal to the King as any man in England!’

Radwinter studied Youhill, then shook his head slowly. ‘That is too easy a tale, master cook. I see by your face you are a crafty and devious man. But you poisoned my prisoner, and I will have the truth. I’ll have you brought up to my room. Then we shall have another conversation – there is a brazier there as well.’ He thrust the poker back into the coals. ‘Bring him,’ Radwinter ordered the guards. He looked into my disapproving face. ‘Master Shardlake, you will not be needed.’

Youhill gripped the arms of his chair convulsively. The soldiers looked at each other. Then, to my surprise, Barak stepped forward and addressed the cook. ‘I used to work for Lord Cromwell,’ he said. ‘I did some work with monastery informers back in ’36, learned how the system worked.’

The relief that came into the cook’s face showed that what he had said was true. ‘Then help me, sir!’

‘You would have had to send letters. Can you write?’

‘My brother can. I told him what to put.’

‘To whom did the letters go?’

‘The office of Master Bywater, at the office of the Vicar-General at Westminster,’ he said eagerly. ‘For the attention of Master Wells.’

Barak turned to us. ‘He speaks true. He worked for Lord Cromwell all right.’

‘He could have turned his coat,’ Radwinter said.

Barak shrugged. ‘True, but he looks too scared to me.’

‘And there’s no evidence,’ I added. ‘Also, Master Radwinter, you have no legal authority to torture this man. He may be kept close for now, but he is not to be harmed. I will report to Sir William Maleverer, but I cannot see how this man can have poisoned Broderick.’

‘Perhaps the poison wasn’t in his food at all,’ Barak added.

‘Ay. Consider what other ways there might have been, Master Radwinter, and I shall too. I will return once I have seen Sir William.’

OUTSIDE THE WIND was fiercer, whipping more rain in our faces and sending leaves whirling across the bailey. Radwinter followed us out, his face dark with fury, and grasped my arm.

‘You will not interfere with my enquiries, sir! Your duty is limited to the welfare of the prisoner!’

‘You have no authority to make any enquiries! This must go before Sir William.’

He gripped my arm harder, eyes blazing with anger.

Barak put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Enough, sir,’ he said quietly.

Radwinter paused, then released me with a laugh. ‘It is as I said, you fear to face me without protection.’ He looked at my assistant. ‘Barak, is that your name? A Jewish name, is it not? From the Old Testament.’

Barak smiled. ‘I said you were a twopenny-book man.’

Radwinter pointed to the tower. ‘See yonder, where Aske hangs. I’m told there was a wooden tower there before, and one night hundreds of years ago the citizens of York, bled dry by the Jews, chased them all in there and burned the lot alive. Best thing for cheating heathens!’ He turned and walked away. Barak’s face was white and it was my turn to grasp his arm and hold him.

‘Arsehole!’

‘He is. And he’s out of his depth, this has driven him frantic with worry. He is not capable of solving this, he only knows how to guard men and torment them. His control is starting to break.’ I shook my head. ‘As well it might. How in God’s name could anyone get poison in there, if Radwinter attends to everything?’ I took a deep breath. ‘Come, this belongs on Maleverer’s plate.’

Chapter Fifteen

THIS TIME MALEVERER saw us at once. He sat in his office behind a paper-strewn desk, his big dark head thrust back.

‘God’s body,’ he said heavily. ‘You pair bring nothing but trouble. For Jesu’s sake do not tell me Broderick is going to die.’

I started telling him all that had passed at the castle. There was a big lump of red sealing wax on Maleverer’s desk and he turned it over, squeezing its hard surface with his broad hairy fingers. When I finished he ran his other hand along the edge of his beard, as though trimming it with invisible scissors. ‘If what Radwinter told you is true, how in God’s name could anyone have got to Broderick? Is the physician sure it was poison?’

‘He believed so. He is to conduct some tests and return later.’

‘Tests!’ Maleverer screwed up his face with impatience. ‘Could anyone have got past Radwinter yesterday? Could he have fallen asleep in his room?’

‘I think not, Sir William. He is utterly dedicated to his task.’

He grunted. ‘That was my impression when I met him.’

‘And a poisoner would have had to get past the guardhouse first. Then open two locked doors, then administer the poison.’

Maleverer looked at Barak. ‘You can vouch for what the cook said about being one of Lord Cromwell’s informers?’

‘I recognized the names, Sir William.’

Maleverer looked at the wax, squeezing it as though he could squash the truth from it. ‘How was it done, then?’ He gave me an interrogative stare. ‘Well, lawyer, you’re the investigator of mysteries?’

‘I do not know, sir. But no one could have got to his cell without Radwinter knowing.’

‘Then Radwinter himself must be under suspicion,’ Maleverer said, setting his lips.

I hesitated. ‘He is no friend to me, sir, but I believe he is loyal to Archbishop Cranmer and reform. He would do nothing to help the conspirators.’

Maleverer frowned and bit at a long yellowish fingernail. ‘I will have Broderick and Radwinter brought to St Mary’s,’ he said. ‘Kept under my eye. I’ll have Broderick in the cell where Green was put, see it is guarded twenty-four hours a day. I’ll put young Leacon in charge of security, he seems a good man. Broderick himself has said nothing of how this happened?’

‘No. I believe he knows but will not say. He talks nonsense about the King’s poisoning him. Perhaps he means he has been driven to the extremity of taking poison because of what the authorities have in store for him. In London.’