Murderous Matrimony(40)

Before I’d reached the encampment, one of the Merry Men jumped out in front of me. He was new. I recognized his face under the little green hat, but I didn’t know his name.

“Welcome to Sherwood Forest, my lady. You must know the password to get any further, and you must pay the toll.”

“I want to see Robin. The password is—take me there now. You’ll pay the toll if you don’t.”

He laughed. It was that over the top, stage laugh that Robin encourages. His head was thrown back, and the laugh went on for several minutes. “You don’t scare me.” He laughed again, but not as long.

By that time, I’d slipped an arrow out of my quiver. It was aimed at him.

“My lady.” His voice was a little squeaky, and there was real fear in his eyes.

When you’re new to the Village, you don’t know what to expect next.

“Take me to Robin now.”

“I knew I should’ve been a Templar Knight,” he muttered as he walked in front of me down the path to the camp.

“You’re not tough enough,” I told him. “Maybe you should consider being a squire.”

The twelve treehouses overlooked the central park area where a huge fire burned most of the time. The Merry Men frequently cooked their daily meals on the fire and hung out here. Whittling, and practicing their archery, were their most popular amusements as they waited for new groups of visitors.

Several men and women dressed in forest green dropped down and took out their bows when they saw me. I put my bow away and they calmed down. The new man ran for the woods when he had the chance.

“What’s going on?” My brother, Tony, yelled down from the treehouse where he lived. Tony did PR work, mostly online, for Robin Hood. “Jessie!”

He dropped down gracefully with one hand on a rope.

“Nice move!” I gave him a hug.

“Thanks! What brings you here? You hate Sherwood Forest.”

“I don’t hate it. It’s more a been-there, done-that kind of thing. Where’s Robin?”

“He’s still sleeping. He had a late night.”

The rest of the Merry Men had joined us by then. They stood around listening and watching, their swords sheathed and peace-tied, bows on their backs.

“Fine. I’ll talk to you then.” I explained about the unidentified archer I was seeking. “Madman Bob saw him, or her, the night Dave was killed at the museum. Any ideas?”

They kind of muttered between themselves, but no one was forthcoming with information.

“You think one of us killed Madman Dave?” Alex joined us. He was Robin’s second in command. “Why us?”

I knew Alex really well. He’d been my boyfriend when I’d spent time in Sherwood Forest. Now he was married to a woman named Sally, who was an English professor at Auburn. I knew what that life was like, and how hard it was to live apart, so I had some sympathy for him.

Alex was also a handsome, charming rogue who could be Robin Hood if Toby Gates, who played the master of the forest, ever left.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You have most of the archers in the Village. Sherwood Forest is right across the cobblestones from the museum. I need to know if one of you was there so I can cross you off the suspect list.”

“Just go ahead and cross us off now, my lady.” Robin Hood himself jumped down from his treehouse and did an elaborate bow. “Welcome to Sherwood, Lady Jessie. How may I serve you?”

“I think you already heard my story.” I returned a deep bow since I was dressed like a man. “I need some names and confessions. Did any of your Merry Men come to the museum after it was closed?”

A tall, large woman stepped forward. She was dressed in forest green, and had long, strawberry blond hair. She was older for a Merry Man, or Woman, and very pretty. She pinned her green eyes on me. “I was there. I didn’t kill anyone.”

Robin and Alex looked at her. She was taller than both of them, and had broader shoulders.

“Why were you at the museum, Sofie?” Robin asked her.

“I was there on a personal matter.” Her voice was hard and tough, but the faint blush in her cheeks told its own story.

“You were there to meet Shakespeare, weren’t you?” I guessed.

“What if I was? We’re consenting adults. He said we couldn’t meet at his place anymore because of that witch of a ghost he used to be married to. We sure couldn’t meet here. The museum was safe, and he had a way in.”

Lady Marion, Robin’s girlfriend, supported Sofie’s position. “I knew she was going. I don’t blame her. Trying to find any private time out here, living with all of you, is impossible. I was thinking about borrowing the museum myself.”