Read Online The Body in the Thames by Susanna Gregory - Free Book Online

said Kun, coming to lay a hastily soothing hand on the captain’s shoulder. ‘We cannot afford to be seen as
     ruffians, no matter what the provocation.’
    ‘I would not be itching to punch him if he had spoken more gently,’ said Ruyven between clenched teeth.
    ‘Unfortunately, there
is
no gentle way to impart such terrible tidings,’ said Kun quietly. ‘And I am sure he did not mean to be unkind.’ He turned
     to Chaloner. ‘Where is he?’
    ‘In the Westminster charnel house. I will arrange for him to be brought here later.’
    ‘How did he die?’ demanded Ruyven, white-faced. ‘He was fit and healthy, so his death cannot have been natural.’
    ‘He drowned,’ replied Chaloner. ‘In the river, apparently.’
    ‘You mean he fell in?’ asked a man with a sharp, pointed face, small teeth and russet hair. The combination made him look
     like a fox, and Chaloner recalled Hanse saying his name was Gerbrand Zas, one of the ambassador’s most talented lawyers. ‘How
     in God’s name did that happen?’
    ‘He would not have
fallen in
,’ spat Ruyven scathingly. ‘He was not stupid! Someone must have pushed him. He was
murdered
!’
    Chaloner kept his voice and expression neutral, knowing the peace talks would be doomed for certain if the Dutch delegation
     accused England of assassinating one of its number. And that was the last thing Hanse would have wanted.
    ‘It is unclear what happened,’ he replied truthfully.
    ‘It is not unclear to me,’ snarled Ruyven. Chaloner was surprised to see tears glinting in his eyes – he did not remember
     the captain as a sentimental man. ‘It is obvious! He was pushed in the Thames in the expectation that his body would be washed
     away and never seen again. And why? Because of this rumour that says he stole Clarendon’s papers! Someone wants
him
blamed for the theft, even though we all know the tale is nothing but a slanderous lie!’
    Kun raised his hand to prevent him from saying more. ‘Before jumping to wild conclusions, let us review what we know of his
     movements that last day,’ he said with quiet reason. ‘He went with Heer van Goch to Worcester House on Friday morning. He
     worked here all afternoon, and left a few minutes before six o’clock for his rendezvous in the Westminster tavern with Chaloner.’
    ‘It is a pity you enticed him there,’ said Ruyven accusingly.
    ‘It was his idea,’ countered Chaloner, recalling how he had tried to postpone the occasion to a time when he might not have
     been so tired. Hanse had chosen the Sun, too, whereas
he
would have picked somewhere quieter. ‘He mentioned stomach ache, but was not otherwise anxious or uneasy.’
    ‘In other words, he did not look like a man who had made off with a great stack of sensitive papers,’ concluded Zas.
    ‘He did not,’ agreed Chaloner. ‘We arrived at the Sun at about six o’clock, and stayed until half past eight, during which
     time he did not stop talking. I am afraid I fell asleep.’
    ‘He did enjoy holding forth,’ acknowledged Kun with a fond smile. ‘And a weary companion would have been an irresistible temptation:
     tired men are less likely to interrupt with their own opinions. His behaviour with you sounds reassuringly familiar.’
    ‘He woke me as the daylight began to fade,’ Chaloner continued. ‘He said Jacoba would be worried about him, so we left the
     tavern—’
    ‘And you abandoned him, despite the fact that London is full of men who would relish the opportunity to shove a Dutchman in
     the river,’ concluded Ruyven coldly.
    ‘He would not let me in the carriage,’ said Chaloner, trying to keep the guilt from his voice. He did not need Ruyven to tell
     him he should have insisted.
    ‘You should be ashamed of yourself,’ declared Ruyven. ‘It was unthinkable to let an unarmed diplomat travel alone. Especially
     with darkness approaching.’
    ‘Yes,’ acknowledged Chaloner bleakly. ‘And I shall regret it for the rest of my