The Grim Reaper Read online

  Contents

  Cover

  By Bernard Knight

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Acknowledgements

  Historical Foreword

  Maps

  Glossary

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Footnotes

  By Bernard Knight

  The Crowner John Series

  CROWNER’S CRUSADE

  THE SANCTUARY SEEKER

  THE POISONED CHALICE

  CROWNER’S QUEST

  THE AWFUL SECRET

  THE TINNER’S CORPSE

  THE GRIM REAPER

  FEAR IN THE FOREST

  THE WITCH HUNTER

  FIGURE OF HATE

  THE ELIXIR OF DEATH

  THE NOBLE OUTLAW

  THE MANOR OF DEATH

  CROWNER ROYAL

  A PLAGUE OF HERETICS

  The Richard Pryor Forensic Mysteries

  WHERE DEATH DELIGHTS

  ACCORDING TO THE EVIDENCE

  GROUNDS FOR APPEAL

  The Tom Howden Mysteries

  DEAD IN THE DOG

  THE GRIM REAPER

  A Crowner John Mystery

  Bernard Knight

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2002

  A Viacom Company

  Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

  Africa House

  64-78 Kingsway

  London WC2B 6AH

  This eBook first published in 2014 by Severn House Digital

  an imprint of Severn House Publishers Ltd.

  Copyright © 2002 Bernard Knight

  The right of Bernard Knight to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.

  A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-4483-0138-6 (ePub)

  Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.

  This eBook produced by

  Palimpsest Book Production Limited,

  Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank the many people who have given me historical information for both this and the five previous Crowner John books, especially the staff of the West Country Studies Centre at Exeter Public Library, Professor Nicholas Orme, University of Exeter, and Mrs Angela Doughty, Exeter Cathedral Archivist. Mr Frank Gent, of the Exeter Synagogue, was kind enough to refer me to Professor Adler’s article, which gives what little is known about the Jewish community at that period.

  Dr John Morgan-Guy, University of Wales College, Lampeter, and Mr Thomas Watkin, Cardiff Law School, University of Wales, have been particularly helpful in clarifying some of the complexities of religious and legal life in the twelfth century, though any errors of interpretation are mine alone.

  Fellow mystery-writer on fourteenth-century Devon Michael Jecks, author of the Sir Baldwin Furnshill series, kindly sent me a copy of the ‘Crown Pleas of the Devon Eyre of 1238’ (Devon & Cornwall Record Society, vol. 28, 1985) which was invaluable, as well as fascinating, and can be recommended to anyone who wants to read an actual account of medieval justice in Devon.

  Finally, my thanks to Gillian Holmes and to the editorial staff of Simon & Schuster, especially Kate Lyall Grant, for their encouragement and efficiency.

  Historical Foreword

  As the Crowner John Mysteries always strive for historical accuracy, a few matters should be mentioned, especially as much of this story concerns the priests of Exeter. First, although in 1195 that small city had at least twenty-seven churches, parish boundaries were not drawn until 1220–22. However, for convenience, the term ‘parish priest’ is occasionally used.

  The period was, of course, centuries before the advent of paper or printing, and ‘Bibles’ were handwritten volumes on parchment. Most were the Latin ‘Vulgate’ version, often incomplete, though some vernacular copies existed. These scriptures were continuous, not divided into ‘chapters’ until after the work of Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died in 1228. Chapters were not subdivided into ‘verses’ until much later, when printing began in the fifteenth century. However, the term ‘chapter’ for the ruling body of canons in a cathedral like Exeter existed from an early date, as a ‘chapter’ of the Scriptures was read before each meeting – but this is a translational twist, as ‘chapter’ in that sense meant a capitulum or ‘passage’. Though this might sound academic, it has some relevance to this story!

  There was a Jewish community in Devon before 1177: in that year it was allowed its own cemetery outside the wall of Exeter. In 1188, the Jews had to pay a fine for resorting to the Beth Din or Jewish Court in the city. In 1290, they, with all of England’s sixteen thousand Jews, were expelled from the country.

  Any attempt in novels to give modern dialogue an ‘olde worlde’ flavour is as inaccurate as it is futile, for in late twelfth-century Devon, most people would have spoken Early Middle English, which would be unintelligible to us today. Many others would have spoken western Welsh, later called Cornish, and the ruling classes would have used Norman French, while the language of the Church and all official writing was Latin.

  Many of the churches mentioned in the book, as well as the gatehouse of Rougemont Castle, survived Hitler’s blitzes on Exeter and can still be visited.

  GLOSSARY

  ALB

  A long tunic worn by a priest during Mass

  ALE

  A brewed drink, before the advent of hops – derived from an ‘ale’, a village celebration where much drinking took place.

  APPEAL

  Unlike the modern legal meaning, an appeal was an accusation by an aggrieved person, often a relative of a victim, against another for a felonious crime. Historically it preceded (and competed with) the Crown’s right to prosecute and demanded either financial compensation or trial by combat or the Ordeal.

  AMERCEMENT

  An arbitrary fine imposed on a person or community by a law officer, for some breach of the complex regulations of the law. Where imposed by a coroner, he would record the amercement, but the collection of the money would normally be ordered by the royal justices when they visited at the Eyre of Assize.

  ATTACHMENT

  An order made by a law officer, including a coroner, to ensure that a person, whether suspect or witness, appeared at a court hearing. It resembled a bail bond or surety, distraining upon a person’s money or goods, which would be forfeit if he failed to appear.

  BAILEY

  Originally the defended areas, sometimes concentric, around a castle keep (‘motte and bailey’) but later also applied to
the yard of a dwelling.

  BAILIFF

  Overseer of a manor or estate, directing the farming and other work. He would have manor reeves under him and be responsible either directly to his lord or to the steward or seneschal.

  BOTTLER

  A servant responsible for providing drink in a household – the origin of ‘butler’.

  BURGESS

  A freeman of substance in a town or borough, usually a merchant. A group of burgesses ran the town administration and in Exeter elected two Portreeves (later a Mayor) as their leaders.

  CANON

  A priestly member of the chapter of a cathedral, also called a prebendary (qv). Exeter had twenty-four canons, most of whom lived near the cathedral. Many employed junior priests (vicars) to carry out their duties for them.

  CHAPTER

  The administrative body of a cathedral, composed of the canons (prebendaries). They met daily to conduct business in the Chapter House, so-called because a chapter of the Gospels was read before each session.

  COIF

  A close-fitting cap or helmet, usually of linen, covering the ears and tied under the chin; worn by men and women.

  CONSTABLE

  Has several meanings, but could refer to a senior commander, usually the custodian of a castle, which in Exeter belonged to the King – or a watchman who patrolled the streets to keep order.

  CORONER

  A senior law officer in each county, second only to the sheriff. First formally established in September 1194, though there is a mention of the coroner in Saxon times. Three knights and one clerk were recruited in each county, to carry out a wide range of legal and financial duties. The name comes from custos placitorum coronas, meaning ‘Keeper of the Pleas of the Crown’, as he recorded all serious crimes, deaths and legal events for the King’s judges.

  COVER-CHIEF

  More correctly ‘couvre-chef’, a linen headcover, worn by women, held in place by a band around the head, and flowing down the back and front of the chest. Termed ‘head-rail’ in Saxon times.

  CURFEW

  The prohibition of open fires in towns after dark, for fear of starting conflagrations. Derived from ‘couvre-feu’, from the extinguishing or banking-down of fires at night. During the curfew, the city gates were closed from dusk to dawn – one thirteenth-century mayor of Exeter was hanged for failing to ensure this.

  DEODAND

  Literally ‘a gift from God’, it was the forfeiture of anything that had caused a death, such as a sword, a cart or even a mill-wheel. It was confiscated by the coroner for the king, but was sometimes given as compensation to the victim’s family.

  DESTRIER

  A large war-horse able to carry the weight of an armoured knight. When firearms made armour redundant, destriers became shirehorses, replacing oxen as draught animals.

  EYRE

  A sitting of the King’s justices, introduced by Henry II in 1166, which moved around the country in circuits. There were two types, the ‘Justices in Eyre’ or ‘Eyre of Assize’ which was the forerunner of the later Assize Courts, which was supposed to visit each county town regularly to try serious cases; and the General Eyre, which came at long intervals to scrutinise the administration of each county.

  FARM

  The taxation from a county, collected in coin on behalf of the sheriff and taken by him personally every six months to the royal treasury at London or Winchester. The sum was fixed annually by the king or his ministers; if the sheriff could extract more from the county, he could retain the excess, which made the office of sheriff much sought after.

  FLETCHER

  A maker of arrows

  FRANKPLEDGE

  A system of law enforcement introduced by the Normans, where groups or ‘tithings’ of ten households were formed to enforce mutual good behaviour amongst the group.

  HAUBERK

  A chain-mail tunic with long sleeves to protect the wearer from neck to calf; usually slit for riding a horse.

  HUNDRED

  An administrative division of a county, originally named for a hundred hides of land or a hundred families.

  JUSTICES

  The king’s judges, originally from his royal court, but later chosen from barons, senior priests and administrators. They sat in the various law courts, such as the Eyre of Assize or as Commissioners of Gaol Delivery. From 1195 onwards, ‘justices of the peace’ recruited from knights and local worthies, dealt with lesser offences.

  LEAT

  An artificial channel for water, leading it into an ore-washing system

  MATINS

  The first service of the religious day, originally at midnight

  MARK

  A measure of money, though not an actual coin, as only pennies existed. A mark was two-thirds of a pound i.e thirteen shillings and fourpence (sixty-six decimal pence)

  MUTILATION

  A common punishment as an alternative to hanging. A hand, foot or genitals were amputated or blinding carried out.

  ORDEAL

  A test of guilt or innocence, such as walking over nine red-hot plough-shares or picking a stone from a barrel of boiling water or molten lead; if burns appeared, the person was judged guilty. For women, submersion in water was the ordeal, the guilty floating!

  PREBENDARY

  A canon of a cathedral, deriving an income from his ‘prebend’, a tract of land granted to him (see CANON)

  PYX

  A box or container for the wafers used during the Mass

  RULE OF ST CHRODEGANG

  A strict regime of a simple communal life, devised by an eighth-century bishop of Metz. It was adopted by Bishop Leofric, who founded Exeter Cathedral in 1050, but did not long survive his death. The canons soon adopted a more comfortable, even luxurious, lifestyle.

  SECONDARIES

  Young men aspiring to become priests, thus under twenty-four years of age. They assisted canons and vicars in their duties in the cathedral.

  SURPLICE

  Derived from ‘super-pelisse’, a white outer garment worn by a priest during services.

  TERCE

  The fourth of the nine services of the cathedral day, usually around nine in the morning.

  TRIAL BY BATTLE

  An ancient right to settle a dispute by fighting to the death. Usually, an appealer (qv) would demand financial compensation from the alleged perpetrator or be challenged to battle. Women and unfit persons could employ a champion to fight for them.

  VICAR

  A priest employed by a more senior cleric, such as a canon, to carry out some of his religious duties, especially the many daily services in a cathedral. Often called a ‘vicar-choral’ from his participation in chanted services.

  PROLOGUE

  Exeter, May 1195

  The cathedral Close was never totally silent, even after midnight. There was the scrabble of a stray dog rooting in a pile of butcher’s offal and the rustle of rats in the garbage that was strewn along the muddy paths that crossed this episcopal heart of the city. The wind moaned between the two great towers that reached to the sky, where thin clouds raced across a haloed moon. Its pale light made the shadows cast by the huge building all the blacker and the flickering light of a flare stuck on a wall near Beargate did little to penetrate the gloom along the cathedral’s west front. From beyond the great doors came faint chanting: Matins, the first Office of the new day, was being celebrated in the distant quire.

  A cross the precinct, from the direction of little St Martin’s church, came a new sound, the slap of leather soles on the wet soil, as a figure threaded its way through the tomb mounds and piles of earth from newly opened graves. As the walker came out of the shadows, the moonlight shone on the long black cloak and cowl of a priest. However, the devotions of the early hours were not his target, for he walked purposefully past the west front and the cloisters that lay on his left.

  The pitch-soaked brand burning at Beargate threw its yellow light down on him as he strode beneath, but it failed to reveal the
grim intent on the face hidden by the deep hood.

  CHAPTER ONE

  In which Crowner John visits a moneylender

  A thunderous knocking on the street door dimly penetrated Sir John de Wolfe’s consciousness and triggered a throbbing headache that told of too much wine the previous evening. He groaned and turned over, pulling the sheepskin coverlet over his ears. Angrily his wife jerked the coverings back over herself.

  ‘See who’s making that noise, John!’ Though she was half-asleep, Matilda’s voice held its usual belligerent rasp.

  De Wolfe sighed and levered himself up against the faded tapestry nailed to the wooden wall behind the bed. The movement jarred his brain, which felt as if it was swinging around loose inside his skull. He rubbed his bleary eyes and saw the dawn light peeping through the cracks in the shutters. The knocking stopped and he heard distant voices through the slit that penetrated the wall of their solar into the main hall of the house.

  ‘Mary’s answered them,’ he grunted, closing his eyes again and running a hand through the long black hair that covered his aching skull. The previous evening, he had been dragged, at Matilda’s insistence, to the Spring Feast of the Guild of Cordwainers. It was part of her campaign to get him to associate more with the great and good of the city and county. An enthusiastic social climber, it galled Matilda that, as sister of the sheriff and wife of the coroner, she missed out on many of the upper-class events because her husband did all he could to avoid them. Last night, he had sat glumly at the top table in the Guildhall, doing his best to drown the idle chatter of the burgesses, barons and clergy with a considerable excess of ale, cider and Anjou wine. He had managed to totter the short distance to their house in Martin’s Lane, oblivious of the tight-lipped disapproval of his grim-faced wife, but this morning he was paying the price.

  ‘Get up and see who’s there, I said,’ she snapped, jerking the bedclothes even further, leaving him partly naked in the cold morning air. Gingerly, he climbed out of the low bed – a thick feather mattress set on a plinth on the floor – and stumbled to a wooden chest against the opposite wall. He sat down heavily and pulled on the long black hose he had worn the previous evening. Then he hauled his long, stooping frame up again and searched in the chest for a clean undershirt and a dark grey tunic that came just below his knees, slit at the sides for sitting a horse. He stood up and cautiously opened a shutter, then squinted at the early-morning sky. Though spring was well advanced, it was cool and, as an afterthought, de Wolfe groped in the chest again for a pair of worsted breeches, which he hauled on and tied with a drawstring around his waist.