The House of Shadows

whispered, ‘double that, and half as much again.’
    Cranston whistled under his breath.
    ‘There are dreadful murders at the tavern the Night in Jerusalem ,’ Athelstan declared.
    ‘I have heard of them.’ Gaunt looked at Cranston . ‘Is it not time, my Lord Coroner, that you arrested someone?’
    ‘The treasure,’ Athelstan insisted, ‘how was it composed? What happened to it? I mean, before it was stolen?’
    ‘I have brought a list.’ Tonnelli’s English had only a tinge of an accent. ‘You may study it, you may keep it.’ He pulled a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Athelstan, who unrolled it. The jewellery was very carefully listed.

    Item 1 A pelican brooch: the pelican stands on a scroll, on the breast of the golden pelican lies a ruby and on the scroll a glowing amethyst.
    Item 2 The Swan Jewel: the swan is of gold and studded with precious gems.
    Item 3 A silver Cross studded with rubies and amethyst...

    Athelstan moved the document so that Cranston could also study it. A hundred items were listed there, as well as pouches of silver and gold minted in Genoa , Pavia and Milan . The jewellery was of every type imaginable: rings, crosses, brooches, chains, pendants, bracelets and even precious buttons taken from robes of gold.
    ‘I collected this jewellery,’ Tonnelli explained, ‘from our banking houses in England , France , Italy and the cities of the Rhine . It was supposed to be part of the Crusaders’ war chest to buy weapons, supplies and animals, as well as bribe officials. The treasure was placed in a chest, what I called a chest of steel, protected by bands of iron with three different locks. Twenty years ago I brought the chest down to the Tower whilst I sent the keys to the Admiral of the Fleet. He in turn shared these with trusted officers.’
    ‘This was a loan?’ Cranston asked.
    ‘Yes,’ Tonnelli agreed. ‘The Crusader leaders had agreed to pay it back at a fixed term of interest and give my banking house a percentage of whatever profits they earned. We considered it a sensible venture.’ Tonnelli allowed himself a smile. ‘The cities of North Africa are fabulously wealthy; the plunder from even one would settle such a debt ten times over.’
    ‘And why did you take it to the Tower?’ Athelstan asked. ‘Why not hand it over to the Admiral of the Fleet immediately?’
    ‘Oh, little friar,’ teased the Regent, ‘do not act the innocent! London is full of thieves at the best of times, and many of them live in Southwark. The war with France was over. There was no plunder to be had, or profits to be made from fat ransoms. The city was swollen with desperate soldiers, camped along both banks of the Thames , men of every kind, from a dozen kingdoms, whilst the sailors of the fleet were the riffraff from every port in Christendom. They’d all heard about the treasure, so Master Tonnelli approached me. The chest of steel would be hidden in the Tower and secretly conveyed to the Fleet at night shortly before it sailed. Once it was aboard, the Admiral, who didn’t trust his own crews, would have the chest opened and the contents distributed amongst captains and masters he could trust.’
    Gaunt tapped Athelstan on the knee.
    ‘I understand you have been to see Master Hubert in the Tower? Go back there and search amongst the records. Did you know that every gang of outlaws in London , and beyond, had an interest in that treasure? Take a walk along the quayside near London Bridge ; you’ll see the river pirates hanging from their gibbets for three turns of the tide. London was full of such men who feared neither God or the law.’
    Athelstan nodded in agreement. The Regent’s reasoning was logical, yet he detected a glibness like the patter of some subtle lawyer presenting his case.
    ‘Why didn’t you have the treasure conveyed by your own armed retainers, or even the garrison in the Tower?’
    ‘I didn’t trust them. Once they knew the secret, they would know everything, wouldn’t they? When and where and to whom it was to be given. Once people know the times and seasons, Brother Athelstan, it is easy for them to plot. I wanted as few people as possible — so did the Admiral, not to mention Signor Tonnelli — to know about the treasure’s whereabouts, even when it came aboard ship.’ He shrugged. ‘Even my captain of the guard, who took the treasure to Culpepper, was told the chest was empty, a diversion to distract certain people I couldn’t name.’