When the final episode aired, Shardlake was able to piece everything together and confirm that Brother Edwig was the one behind most of the killings and shady acts that happened throughout the entire story. The first wrongdoing Edwig committed was killing Orphan Stonegarden, a young girl living in the monastery.
She had turned him down when he made sexual advances towards her. Edwig later admitted that he couldn’t control his lust, so he killed her and dumped her body in the waters near the monastery. The only reason Shardlake and Jack even found out about this was because, while searching, they stumbled on the same waters.
A sword in the water reveals more than one murder (Photo: Shardlake/The Forge and Runaway Fridge Productions)And discovered the sword that had been used to murder Robin Singleton. After the arrival of Shardlake and Jack and the beginning of their investigation, Edwig continued his evil by poisoning Simon Whelplay. Simon had been close to the orphan and had kept an eye on her – he also saw when her body was thrown away.
Because of this, Edwig saw him as a risk that might reveal the truth, so he decided to silence him for good. Brother Gabriel became his third victim. Edwig killed him out of fear that Gabriel might also speak up about his secrets.
But as it turned out, Gabriel didn’t actually know what had happened – it was just Edwig’s paranoia that led him to that fatal decision.
Was the monastery shut down?
Yes, the monastery was eventually closed. However, it had nothing to do with the murders that took place. What led to its closure was Shardlake’s discovery that Brother Edwig, after killing Orphan Stonegarden, had begun selling parts of the monastery’s land without permission and keeping the taxes that were meant to be paid to the crown.
Because of that, several pounds meant for the monarchy were diverted into Edwig’s accounts. During a confrontation, Edwig practically shouted out his guilt, ranting that the monastery had abandoned true religion and followed King Henry VIII, whom he called a liar and immoral man.
After confessing, he didn’t wait to be captured. He ran away while other monks tried to chase him. Still, one unanswered puzzle remained – who exactly was behind Robin Singleton’s death, which was the initial reason Shardlake and Jack travelled to St Donatus in the first place?
That revelation was made privately by Shardlake in a conversation he had only with Jack and Alice. He informed them that it was Alice who had killed Singleton. Alice was related to Mark Smeaton – both his cousin and the woman he was meant to marry.
Mark had earlier been accused and executed for allegedly being involved with Anne Boleyn. Cromwell, though speaking in uncertain terms, admitted that Singleton had been the one who suggested Mark for the false adultery charge. This gave Henry VIII a reason to get rid of Anne Boleyn and find a new wife.
As a result, Mark was forced to lie about the relationship, which led to both his own and Anne’s executions. Out of pain and anger, Alice decided to kill Singleton, using a sword that had been crafted by Mark’s father, John.
This was heartbreaking for Jack, who had grown close to Alice and even wanted to marry her. Shardlake agreed that the justice system might not be fair to her, especially after what happened to Mark, but he still insisted that she had to be taken to London to face trial.
What became of Alice, Edwig, and Jack?
After she owned up to her crime, Alice stayed quietly in her room. Jack made sure he kept watch outside her door, fully aware that there was a hidden path inside which she could use to make her way out. She eventually escaped and was last seen waiting at the shore for a boat to take her away.
While all this was going on, Edwig took advantage of the night and tried to murder Shardlake in his sleep. But Shardlake fought back and overpowered him, ending his life during the struggle.
One twisted monk leaves a trail of silence and fear (Photo: Shardlake/The Forge and Runaway Fridge Productions)Before leaving St Donatus for good, Shardlake informed Jack that he would tell Cromwell that Alice died while trying to escape and that her body couldn’t be recovered. Jack expressed his gratitude for this decision, knowing it gave Alice a chance at freedom.
Shardlake didn’t stop there. He also let Jack know that he was aware of the incident where Jack had killed Doctor Goodhap in episode 2. The death happened during a heated struggle, with Jack trying to stop the doctor from leaving and informing Cromwell about their failure.
But Shardlake had also found out that the monks, after stumbling on the body, panicked and hid it, which allowed him to shift the blame to Edwig. This meant Jack wouldn’t face any punishment. Both of them then set off on their return journey to London.
During the final moments of the series, one more secret came to light. The missing religious relic – the withered hand of the penitent thief who, according to belief, was crucified next to Jesus – hadn’t been lost in the chaos.
Brother Jerome had taken it and hidden it, just to make sure Cromwell never got his hands on it. His actions had no connection to any of the killings. He simply used the confusion as a cover.
