16 - The Three Kings of Cologne Read Online Free Page A

placed it on a small table near the Alderman’s chair.
    ‘Sorry to take so long, Master,’ she said, giving him a fleeting, conspiratorial grin. ‘Trouble in the kitchen.’
    ‘Again?’ he murmured with a rueful smile. ‘All right, my dear, and thank you. You’d better get back and see if there’s anything you can do.’
    She departed with a giggle, leaving me relieved to know that things could go wrong in the most well-run establishment as well as in the chaos of my family kitchen.
    Alderman Foster poured and handed me a beaker of wine, then sipped his own. ‘Now, what was it you were asking me, Master Chapman?’
    ‘I was asking, sir, what efforts were made to find the girl at the time of her disappearance.’
    ‘That I don’t know. The impression I get from the various people I spoke to yesterday – people who were acquainted with Jonathan and Amorette Linkinhorne – is not perhaps as much as one would expect. For the simple reason, I gather, that the idea of Isabella having come to any harm never entered her parents’ heads. They assumed she had run away with one of her many admirers. She was known to have at least three. Anyway, you will be able to find out more when you make your enquiries.’
    ‘When I …?’ At last, we had come to the nub of the matter; the reason for my urgent summons which, I had to admit, had escaped me until now. I should have guessed.
    Alderman Foster lowered his beaker, looking guilty. ‘Forgive me, Master Chapman, but I was hoping that … well, that you could be persuaded to discover the circumstances surrounding Isabella Linkinhorne’s death. Her body has been found on land that now belongs to me and, foolish though it may seem, I feel responsible for uncovering the facts of the crime and bringing the murderer to justice if I can. You’re the only person I know who might be able to do this.’
    Oh, thank you, God! You’ve taken over my life again!
    ‘But … but, Alderman,’ I managed to stammer before he raised a finger, enjoining my silence.
    ‘Master Chapman, believe me, I know what you’re going to say. You have a wife and family to support. I understand that. Therefore you must allow me to be your paymaster during such time as you are working at my behest.’
    He rose and crossed the room to where a small chest, beautifully carved with acanthus leaves, stood on top of another, larger one. The former had a wrought-iron lock that the Alderman opened with a key, taken from the pocket of his velvet gown, and lifted out a leather drawstring purse which he brought back and placed in my lap. As he did so there was a satisfactory chink of coin on coin.
    I made a half-hearted protest. ‘Sir, I have never taken money for any of the mysteries that I’ve solved. I’ve always regarded the ability to do so as a God-given talent; something to be shared freely with other people.’ All the same, I could just imagine Adela’s anger if she learned that I had refused the proffered assistance.
    My companion seemed to read my thoughts and chuckled.
    ‘If your conscience troubles you, Master Chapman, give the purse to your goodwife as a present from me. You needn’t touch a penny of its contents. Well, what do you say? Will you take on this search for me? Will you try to discover what really happened to this poor young woman, even though she was murdered twenty years ago? I feel sure it’s within your powers of deduction.’
    I hesitated, but more for effect than any other reason. I could already feel the prickles of curiosity, the need to know the answer to any problem with which I was presented, nudging me towards acceptance of John Foster’s proposal.
    ‘And if I’m unable to discover the truth?’ I queried.
    ‘I shall still be satisfied that you have done your best.’ Nevertheless, his tone implied that he would be disappointed.
    I sighed. That was my constant fear; that one day someone would present me with a mystery I would find impossible to unravel. My