‘Do you know the soldier?’
‘Yes, sir. It was Sergeant Bindoe.’
Mulgrave had gone immediately to Galliott, requesting men to arrest Bindoe. ‘I need to question her myself,’ said Galliott. ‘It could be that she is mistaken.’
This further questioning had taken an inordinate time, as Galliott took her through her story half a dozen times. ‘Have you ever had dealings with Sergeant Bindoe?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Has he ever arrested any member of your family?’
‘No, sir,’ she said indignantly.
‘Friends, perhaps?’
‘He once cautioned my husband’s brother for being drunk.’
‘Ah, I see.’
‘What do you see?’ demanded the woman. ‘I’m telling you the man came from the woods and he had blood on his face. What is it you think you see? My husband is an Eldacre councillor, and if you are implying that I would lie I’ll seek redress from the Moidart himself.’
‘I am not implying anything of the kind,’ said Galliott smoothly. ‘But we must be sure that any evidence we receive is properly examined.’
‘Indeed we must,’ said Mulgrave. ‘We must also ensure that the suspects are not given time to escape the jurisdiction of the court. It is my belief that the balance between the two objectives is now seriously in jeopardy. Do you concur, Galliott?’
The Borderer looked into Mulgrave’s grey eyes. ‘We will go to the barracks and question Sergeant Bindoe,’ he said. ‘I believe the man is about to take compassionate leave. I would imagine he is packing.’
Bindoe had packed and gone by the time Mulgrave and Galliott arrived.
Now, with a squad of beetlebacks in tow, Mulgrave rode from Eldacre and out onto the Scardyke road. He had no wish to speak to Galliott, nor indeed was he happy to have the man’s company.
They pushed the horses hard for several miles, and it was during a pause to rest them with a slow walk that Mulgrave heard the soldiers talking of the ‘fixed’ fight. Some were recalling how Chain Shada had stormed down to the circle, forcing the Keeper of the Sands to allow the highlander extra time to recover from a blow. Mulgrave’s anger grew. He was tempted to point out to them that the extra time was given because Gorain had thundered an illegal punch to Grymauch’s head. Hardly the act of a man trying to throw a fight. He stayed silent. Men would believe what they wanted to believe. Mulgrave did not believe for a moment that Gorain had hanged himself. The Moidart had been coldly furious at the outcome of the fight. That alone had told Mulgrave that someone would have to die.
The ride continued for another hour, and then Galliott finally spoke. ‘We are almost at the borders of the Finance’s territory,’ he said. ‘It would appear that we have lost them.’
Mulgrave did not reply. Once they reached the log bridge he would allow Galliott and his men to return to Eldacre. Mulgrave, however, planned to ride on. He would find Bindoe, arrest him and bring him back, no matter what the distance.
Galliott seemed to read his mind. ‘We have no jurisdiction beyond the bridge,’ he pointed out.
‘I have some friends in Scardyke,’ said Mulgrave. ‘And I am also owed leave time.’
Galliott’s handsome face darkened. ‘The rule of law should always be maintained, captain. It is not helped by individuals who flout its principles.’
‘Indeed it is not, sir. Those who flout its principles should be brought to justice.’ His voice became cold as he struggled with his anger. He fixed Galliott with a hard look. ‘I am not a great believer in the value of the rack and the screw. However, when Bindoe is brought back I shall question him myself. When I am finished he will have told me every vile thing he has ever done. He will also have told me who has aided him in his iniquities. I shall then see that every person so named is hanged, for, like you, I have no tolerance for those who flout the law.’
Without waiting for a response, he touched heels to his mount and cantered up the short rise. Some fifty feet ahead was the log bridge. Suddenly, Mulgrave reined in. When the other horsemen rode up they too pulled up their mounts and gazed in shock at the bloody scene below. Two heads had been wedged on the bridge posts. Beyond the heads lay the mutilated bodies. Blood had spread across the timbers, and was still dripping through to the river below.