Read Online The Sudbury School Murders by Ashley Gardner - Free Book Online

Middleton
left the stables at about ten o'clock," the coroner went on. "Said
he was heading for the public house in Sudbury. At a little past
ten, you yourself left the stables, according to the other lads.
Where did you go?"
    Sebastian wet his lips. His black hair
glistened in the chunk of sunlight that slanted through a tall
window. "I went for a walk. Along the canal."
    "Along the canal. In which direction?"
    "South. Toward Great Bedwyn."
    "And you returned, according to your
statement, at two o'clock?"
    "Yes."
    "A long walk, Mr. . . . er . . . D'Arby,
wouldn't you say?"
    "I visited my family."
    "Yes, so you said. Interesting that the
constable has not been able to find a trace of your family, on the
canal or off it."
    Sebastian's eyes flickered. "They move all
the time. They could be in Bath by now."
    "Be assured, we are still looking. Now, did
anyone see you on this walk? Did you speak to anyone who would
remember you walking about between the hours of ten and two?"
    Sebastian glanced once at me. I kept my
expression neutral. "I saw no one."
    The coroner looked pleased. "And so you
walked back to the stables and went to bed."
    "Yes. And rose in the morning as usual."
    "Whereupon you learned of the death--yes, you
told the constable." He shuffled papers again. "When you walked
along the canal, did you go anywhere near Lower Sudbury Lock?"
    Sebastian looked startled. "Of course. I had
to walk past it to reach the stables."
    "And you saw nothing amiss?"
    "No."
    "Very well, Mr. D'Arby, you may sit
down."
    The room rustled as listeners stirred and
whispered to their neighbors. The coroner took his time about
calling the next witness, giving everyone, including the jury,
plenty of time to speculate.
    The next witness proved to be the stable
hands called Thomas Adams, who claimed he'd heard an argument
between Sebastian and Middleton. "Tell us, in your own time, Mr.
Adams, what you heard when the gypsy and Mr. Middleton argued," the
coroner said smoothly.
    The stable hand was about fifty years old
with iron-gray hair. He looked uncomfortable standing up in front
of the coroner and magistrate as well as the rest of the men
crowded into the hall. "I was just going up the stairs to me bed,
in the loft," he said, carefully pronouncing each word. "I heard
Middleton down in the stable yard, shouting. He said, 'I don't care
what you do, I'm quit of you.' Then the other fellow said, 'Where
are you going?' Middleton, he says, 'Down pub. Where I can drink
with real men.'" Thomas cleared his throat, looked nervously at the
magistrate. "Then the Romany man, he says, 'No, you're going to
hell.'"
    The coroner perked up. "And what did Mr.
Middleton say to that?"
    Thomas looked apologetic. "Mr. Middleton
said, in so many words, that Sebastian should fornicate himself. A
might more vulgar than that, you understand, sir."
    The coroner nodded. "And then?"
    "Middleton stormed across the yard and out of
the gate to the lane. A few minutes later, I see Sebastian also let
himself out the gate. I figured they would shout at each other all
the way to Sudbury, and I went to bed."
    The coroner nodded and dismissed him. As the
man shuffled back to his bench, Sebastian sprang to his feet. "He
is lying. I never said these things to Mr. Middleton. I never
shouted at him."
    "Mr. D'Arby, you have had time to tell your
story. Sit down."
    Sebastian remained standing, quivering.
Several of the jury looked alarmed. I caught his eye, made a sit
down, for God's sake motion with my hand. Sebastian saw me,
lowered himself reluctantly to the bench once again.
    The coroner turned to the jury. "Now,
gentleman," he began.
    He was finished. No more witnesses. The
coroner, I could see, had made up his mind. I rose to my feet. "May
I speak?"
    The coroner looked at me, surprised and
slightly irritated. "Yes, Mr. . . . " he peered at me
shortsightedly, then realized he did not know me.
    "Captain," I said. "Captain Lacey."
    "Yes, Captain Lacey?"
    "I would like to point out that