‘First, Master Shardlake, may we go over the other developments? My uncle has told me, but I would like to hear first-hand from you.’

‘Quickly,’ her uncle murmured.

Rapidly, I summarized everything that had happened since we last met: Elias’s murder, the disappearance of Greening’s three friends, Bealknap’s strange last words, my suspicion that all was not quite right with Barwic the carpenter. I added that the mysterious name Bertano was Italian in origin, and suggested that perhaps we could find out whether the name was known among the Italian merchants in the city.

‘I will arrange that,’ Lord Parr said. ‘Discreetly. First, though, let us see what these guards have to say. And if after that there remains any question of the carpenter’s involvement, I will come with you to Baynard’s Castle and speak to the man myself.’

‘But Lord Parr, I thought you wanted to keep your involvement in the enquiries to a minimum.’

‘I do. But those at Baynard’s Castle are household staff, responsible to me, and therefore frightened of me.’ He smiled tightly. ‘As for the docks, Cecil has persuaded one of the customs house officials to inform us if any of Greening’s three friends are spotted and try to flee on a ship. All goods and persons entering or leaving the country have to go through there. And Cecil has also got one of the dockers to keep an eye on everything that happens on the waterfront. With a promise of a goodly sum in gold if these jewel thieves are captured.’ He smiled wryly.

‘That poor apprentice boy,’ the Queen said. ‘I cannot understand why he should say he was killed for Anne Askew. I made sure she and I never met.’ She looked sadly at her uncle. ‘At least there I was properly careful.’

Lord Parr nodded. ‘I have spoken to my old friend Sir Edmund Walsingham,’ he said. ‘I am going to the Tower tomorrow. I have invented a piece of household business to justify the visit.’ He turned to me. ‘You will come too. We shall see what we can dig out about the news of Mistress Askew’s torture being leaked. But now – the guard.’

The Queen, however, seemed reluctant to let me go. ‘This man Bealknap?’ she asked. ‘Which side did he follow in religion?’

‘Neither. But he was associated with Richard Rich.’

‘Those words of his. Did they sound like a warning, or a threat?’

‘Neither, your majesty. Merely a last gloating, a hope to see me charged with heresy, and you.’

Lord Parr said firmly, ‘That’s surely what it was.’

‘Bealknap could not have been involved with the theft,’ I said. ‘He has been ill in his room for many weeks.’