A Murder Most Literate

by Jefferson Bonar

  So that was what Julian wanted—his vote. Julian never stopped thinking about the elections, and it seemed he would go to any lengths, including paying Lucas’s matriculation fee, to win it for his candidate. Lucas felt disappointed. It was all a trick, in the end.

  Lucas had to keep his wits about him. This was his chance to get Julian to trust him. But he still felt let down. Why couldn’t all those things Julian said be true? Why was it that everything in his world seemed to boil down to corruption, to people just wanting to serve themselves? Armada had warned him it was a danger of the job, that it was easy to despair about the lack of principles that seemed to rule the human beast. He’d warned Lucas never to lose sight that there were truly good, saintly people in this world as well. But they were rarely the ones who committed murder, and therefore never the ones they encountered.

  “Yes. Let’s do it tomorrow,” Lucas said, holding his glass up. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Suddenly, the prospect of being inebriated appealed to him.

  “Great! Now let’s finish off this brandy. I’m far too sober to go to sleep yet,” Julian said, gulping down what was left in his glass in one go.

  Lucas finished off his glass as well and let Julian pour him another one.

  Chapter Ten

  Armada sat alone in his room, hoping Lucas was all right. They had agreed that Lucas would visit at ten o’clock most nights, so they could discuss the case and Armada could check in with how Lucas was getting on with the boys of San Bartolomé.

  But it was well past eleven now, and there had been no sign of the boy. He was sure Ambrosio would have come if anything truly grisly had happened, so Armada had no choice but to assume all was well and that perhaps Lucas fell asleep after having spent the day running around doing all the things Ambrosio asked. Lucas could be a bit too meticulous in that way. He always had been. The boy had probably tired himself out.

  Yet Armada still worried. He had never been quite sure of his decision to put Lucas at their mercy. Armada had never been to university himself, but he knew what they could be like from his own experience in the army. Soldiers had a tight bond, just as students did. It was what got you through difficult times. It brought you closer together, sometimes to the point where you usurp your own moral conscience for the good of the group. It was a dangerous aspect of the human mind, one that Armada had only realised was being exploited many years later.

  Lucas had grown up without ever having experienced this. Armada had always assumed this was a good thing, for Lucas had only his own wits to guide him through life. But this meant he’d never been tempted by such close friends and therefore probably didn’t have the tools to resist the worst of their influence.

  Yet it was the only way Armada could think of getting what he needed from Julian. And the case was the most important thing. It had to be, for if it wasn’t for the case, what was anything worth in this life? Even if it meant putting Lucas in danger, it had to be done. And Armada would have to make his peace with that.

  Armada was broken from his thoughts by an argument in the corridor outside his room.

  “It’s much too late, sir. You must come back tomorrow!” Armada heard the innkeeper yell.

  “Get out of my way!” a man’s rough voice barked.

  A moment later, there was a pounding on Armada’s door.

  Armada rose and walked to the door, being careful to pull the tarp back over his sherry barrel as he passed.

  He opened the door to find a man standing in his doorway that he could not see, as the candle was behind him, held by the shaky hand of the innkeeper in his night clothes. The innkeeper looked annoyed.

  “I’m sorry, Constable. I tried to stop him, but he refused to wait until morning.”

  The man smelled vaguely of mule dung, which told Armada all he needed to know.

  “It’s all right,” Armada said, holding up his hand. “I’ve actually been expecting this man. Come in.”

  The man stepped into Armada’s room, much to the chagrin of the innkeeper, who was obviously worried about their meeting ending in a noisy argument that would keep up his other guests.

  Armada closed the door as Teo stepped into the middle of the room and into the reach of Armada’s candle.

  “You must be Teo, the one who hassled the family of the deceased recently,” Armada said.

  “I had nothing to do with his murder. I only came for what I was owed. They said you had it. So, I’ll take my money now and be on my way.”

  “I have your money,” Armada lied. “But before you get it, I want answers.”

  Armada picked up the candle and held it close so Teo could see the green of his sleeves. As expected, Teo was startled to be in the presence of a law officer. But he squinted to quash the look of fear and lowered his voice to make it sound more menacing.

  “I don’t have any answers for you,” Teo sneered.

  “Oh, I think you do. You see, I know what Gregorio Cordoba was making, and I know you were transporting it for him and where. All of which is more than enough evidence to have you arrested tonight and hanged by morning.”

  Teo stared back at Armada, not moving. Armada was ready for a fight, as Teo didn’t seem the type to him to give up so easily.

  “You don’t know anything.”

  “I know that Gregorio blackmailed one of his students into collecting saltpetre for him in the dead of night. There’s only one thing you can make with saltpetre, and that’s serpentine. Gunpowder. Which means the only reason he would need you would be to transport it to a buyer. And I want to know who that buyer is.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Teo grumbled. “I was just helping him move a bit of furniture, that’s all.”

  Armada smiled. He was surprised Teo was still attempting to evade his questions. This man was either far more courageous than Armada had thought, or far more foolish.

  “Tell me, where is that accent of yours from? It’s very unusual.”

  “Galicia.”

  “You’re no gallego. I know that accent well. In fact, there is another accent I know well: Portuguese. Which is what yours is. Confirmed by this….” Armada held up the book of figures he’d stolen from Teo’s room.

  Teo eyes went wide.

  “Ladron! You were the one who stole my book!”

  “You are hardly in a position to accuse me of crimes. I have all the evidence I need to prove you are helping the Portuguese in their war effort. That makes it a crime of treason against the Crown and will mean your head.”

  For a moment, the only sound in the room was the wheezing of Teo as he breathed.

  “And don’t think you can flee. I’m sure you know the roads between here and Portugal quite well, but so does the Brotherhood chapter in Valladolid. Their trackers won’t rest until they hunt you down, no matter how long it takes. And we’ll make sure everyone you do business with knows we’re looking for you. How long do you think you’d last like that?”

  Teo sneered back at Armada. “What do you want, Constable?”

  “I want to meet Gregorio’s buyer.”

  Teo smiled. “Then I’m a dead man, either way. You know what they would do to me if I brought the Brotherhood to their door? It would be worse than a hanging.”

  “Then just tell me how long you’ve been working for Gregorio.”

  “About a year,” Teodoro said.

  “Any disputes between you and him? Did he ever not pay?”

  “Gregorio always paid, except for that last shipment a few weeks ago. He promised he would pay me as soon as the buyer paid him. Gregorio got his money but never showed to give me mine.”

  “Did he ever threaten to fire you? Or use someone else?”

  “I didn’t kill him,” Teo said.

  “Then you have nothing to fear in answering my question.”

  “He only ever did one shipment without me. I don’t know who, but it didn’t work out. No one knows these roads better than me.”

  “So, you’re sayin
g he was paid for the next shipment, but he died before he could deliver?”

  “That’s right.”

  “How much was the payment?”

  “Three hundred ducats. It’s always three hundred ducats.”

  That was curious, Armada thought. What happened to the money Gregorio Cordoba received? It certainly didn’t go to his family. And if Teo didn’t have it….

  Armada thought of Aurelio. Could that have been what this was all about? Money? Could Aurelio have killed Gregorio after seeing him receive the payment? Going by how gruesome the crime scene was described, it wasn’t likely. There was anger there, not greed. Greedy killers usually only did the bare minimum to kill their victims, for their minds were on other things. Killing someone for the sake of it required more motivation than that.

  “I have to meet the buyer.”

  “I told you. No.”

  “Fine, then just tell me who they are and where I can find them. I’ll go myself.”

  Teo chuckled. It was a wet chuckle, full of phlegm from the back of his throat that it took him a moment to clear. Years spent breathing the dust of the road could do that.

  “They’ll kill you before you get anywhere near their hideout. And then they’ll come looking for me. I’m the only one in town who knows where they are. It won’t be hard to work out.”

  “Hideout? So, they’re in Spain then. And I’m guessing not too far away. In a small pueblo perhaps? One that is on a road leading to the Portuguese border. A road, I’m guessing, that isn’t watched too closely by Spanish sentries.”

  “I’m not telling you anything.”

  “You will if you want your money.”

  The smile faded from Teo’s face.

  “How much is it worth to you, Teo?”

  “It’s not worth my life.”

  Teo made a move toward the door. A surprising move. Armada didn’t see Teo so easily walking away from the money he was owed. Was he really prepared to leave a debt unpaid?

  “It won’t be your life,” Armada said, catching Teo at the door. “I’ll tell them nothing.”

  “They’ll torture it out of you.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I’ve been trained to keep my mouth shut under torture.”

  Teo looked at Armada with a confused look. “You served?”

  “Nine years stationed in Peru. You learn a few things after that long in the jungle. Like how to withstand pain. A lot of pain.”

  “Yes…I know….”

  Teo’s expression softened into one that resembled respect. Armada hadn’t thought he might have also served in His Majesty’s army. It explained a lot about Teo. Ex-soldiers usually had trouble integrating back into normal life after returning home from war. It would explain why Teo preferred a solitary life on the road, far from the pressures and difficulties that a normal life of relationships would bring. It could also be why he had little fear of encountering sentries or bandits while traversing such a dangerous border. He most likely had little fear of death. In fact, the thought of it probably provided some degree of relief for someone so plagued by the horrors of his past and who felt so cut off from the rest of humanity.

  “Where did you serve?” Armada asked softly.

  Teo stared back at Armada with wide eyes. Armada knew that look. The worst of the memories from his time were threatening to be unleashed upon his mind. It would mean a long night, and a lot of drinking before his mind was calm again. Teo still wasn’t sure he could trust Armada, who didn’t have the time it would have taken to get there. The case just couldn’t wait that long.

  “Cabeza de Diego Gomez.”

  “You were stationed in…?”

  “It’s a small pueblo half a league to the northwest. There is a road leading between two cattle ranches that leads off the Puerta de Villamayor gate to the city. No one uses it except the ranchers, but it heads straight there.”

  Teo had decided. There would be no discussion of the past tonight.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll take my money now.”

  “You’ll get it after I return, having confirmed what you’ve told me is true.”

  Teo snorted, his face returning to the scowl, an expression that was much more comfortable for him.

  “Buenas noches, Teo.”

  Armada moved to the door and opened it, gesturing for Teo to leave.

  Teo said nothing, but he made his way to the door. As he passed Armada, his scowl disappeared for a brief moment, replaced with a look of understanding. For a moment, Armada could picture what Teo must have looked like all those years ago, when he was still a fresh-faced, innocent young man with little idea of how his time in battle would forever scar him. What had Teo been like so long ago? Did he have dreams of a family? Of friends? Of a normal life?

  Armada would not find out tonight, as Teo nodded and walked silently back down the corridor and out of Armada’s view.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lucas couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “We’ll show those Arzobispo tontos which colegio is best! Their hands will be shaking so bad from fear they won’t be able to vote! Ha!”

  All the boys laughed, and Lucas did, too. Although, he wasn’t sure why. He was grateful to Julian for inviting him along to this meeting and wanted to show he could be part of the group. It was striking how easily the other boys had seemed to forget the violence of their first meeting.

  Lucas sat behind the group and had intended to sulk about this. He reminded himself he was only there for the case. He wasn’t anything like these boys. Then, Julian introduced him to the other boys and they looked at him differently this time. There was no cruelty in their eyes, only a relaxed daze, one you would get at a party. Lucas knew he wasn’t quite an equal, but it was official that he would be at least tolerated in the room.

  The sun had just risen, but already the boys were searching the bottles on the floor, gulping down whatever last dregs they could find, hoping to keep the party going just a bit longer. Most of them had lectures that morning, which none were looking forward to. Plans were made for that night, to meet up at the tavern since one of them had just received a payment of money intended for Ambrosio for rent. The boys thought this was hilarious, for some reason, and had no intention of giving it to the man. Apparently, the fact he was so vile made it acceptable for them to ignore his pleas for the rent money.

  That’s when Julian proposed a different plan. He’d heard the boys from the Arzobispo colegio were going to be there later that evening and had suggested they wait to enter the tavern. This way, they could trap the other boys inside and taunt them, or worse. Julian was vague about what might be done to the other boys, but the other boys seemed to understand full well.

  Lucas wondered if he should tell someone. There was every chance someone would get hurt in such a heated, confrontational situation.

  But he soon realised he wouldn’t. There was an instinct that told Lucas not to. He couldn’t quite articulate it, but it had something to do with the fact the boys were not being cruel to him anymore. In fact, he’d been invited to this clandestine meeting, where they were obviously discussing things they didn’t want anyone else to hear.

  Lucas was here. And the boys didn’t seem concerned about whether he could be trusted. They were all older than him by at least a few years. They knew so much more of the world and looked so confident about everything. They were fearless in a way Lucas couldn’t imagine. And they knew how to enjoy themselves.

  It was all so different from the life Lucas knew. He wondered just how far away a life like this was from him. Was it even possible he could go to university? He knew he couldn’t afford it now, but if he saved his money, could he someday be one of these boys? It all seemed like such a fantasy. And yet, here he was, about to join in the fun.

  There was a man in the corner whom Lucas didn’t recognise. He was older and drifting dutifully around the room, picking up bottles and clothes that had been strewn about, beginning the monumental ta
sk of returning the room to some kind of organised state. Julian never gave him a second glance.

  This man, Lucas figured, must be Federigo. And the boys had few qualms about speaking their minds around him, even if it meant detailing the violence they were about to commit.

  “I’ve heard they’ll be in the tavern about seven this evening,” Julian said. “We’ll wait until they’re all inside, then surprise them. They’ll be like rats caught in a cage. They’ll all scurry about screaming but won’t be able to get out. And that’s when we’ll hit them!”

  The boys laughed in approval and Lucas laughed along with them. For a moment, just a moment, he was one of them. For the first time he could remember, he suddenly felt he could be normal. Since his parents were murdered, he’d always felt so far removed from normal life. The life that other boys his age led, one where their parents guided them through school and into marriage or careers, just wasn’t possible for him. So, he always felt as though he were peeking in through the windows of a normal life, without ever being able to go inside.

  But here, with these boys now, he felt just normal enough to be like them. And it felt wonderful.

  As the sun rose and began to pierce through the windows with a harsh, white-hot light, the boys began to reluctantly climb to their feet and shuffle out of the room. Julian made the decision not to attend his lecture that morning, claiming his hangover as justification enough, and proposed that he and the two other boys who didn’t have class that morning go to a café they knew had a beautiful barmaid they were all lusting after ,who would sometimes let them steal tapas. They hustled out the door, leaving Lucas feeling hesitant.

  His cover was that he was supposed to be working as a cleaner for Ambrosio. He had a long list of cleaning duties for that day and had no time for shenanigans like the rest of the boys.

  When Julian saw him looking unsure, just a tiny wave was all it took to convince Lucas that nothing was as important as being with these boys, right now.