Shroud for the Archbishop (12 page)

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Authors: Peter Tremayne

Tags: #_NB_Fixed, #_rt_yes, #Church History, #Clerical Sleuth, #Fiction, #Historical, #Mystery, #tpl, #Medieval Ireland

BOOK: Shroud for the Archbishop
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Ine frowned and gave a furtive glance at Eadulf before dropping his eyes. He seemed to have difficulty framing his words.
‘Wighard was an advocate of Roman Rule and, as such, encountered much hostility …’
When he did not finish, Fidelma smiled tiredly.
‘You were going to say from those who advocate the Rule of Colmcille, such as myself?’
Brother Ine shrugged helplessly.
‘No other enemies?’ pressed Fidelma.
The gloomy monk raised his dark eyes and shrugged.
‘None who would resort to murder.’
She ignored the implication and continued, ‘Let us go to the night of that murder, Brother Ine. As personal servant to Wighard, would you normally help the archbishop-designate prepare for bed?’
‘I would.’
‘But not that night?’
Brother Ine frowned, a hint of suspicion spreading over his features.
‘How did … ?’ he began.
Fidelma made an impatient gesture with her hand.
‘The bed chamber was unprepared, the coverlets not turned back. An elementary deduction. Tell me, when did you last see Wighard alive?’
Brother Ine sat back and sighed, gathering his thoughts together.
‘I went to Wighard’s chambers at two hours before the midnight Angelus tolled.’
‘And where was your own chamber?’ asked Fidelma.
‘Next to Brother Eadulf’s chamber which was directly opposite the archbishop-designate’s rooms.’
This confirmed what Eadulf had told her but it was best to leave nothing to hearsay.
‘So you had merely to cross the corridor to Wighard’s chamber?’
‘Yes, that is so.’
‘Continue.’ Fidelma sat back watching the Saxon monk carefully.
Brother Ine hesitated again.
‘I went to Wighard’s chambers as I normally did at that hour. As you suggest, it was part of my duties to prepare the bed and see whether the archbishop-designate had everything he wanted for his night’s repose.’
‘Two hours before the midnight Angelus is surely an early hour to retire? Did Wighard always go to bed so early?’
‘He found the climate uncomfortable and would prefer to rise early before the sun came up and work then. It has been his custom, since coming to this land, to go to bed early and rise early.’
Fidelma glanced to Eadulf who, having been Wighard’s secretary, nodded confirmation of what Ine said.
‘And so you went to prepare his bed?’ prompted Fidelma.
‘The archbishop-designate seemed …’ Brother Ine hesitated and thought about the word he was to use, ‘ … preoccupied. He told me that he would dispense with my services for that evening.’
‘Did he offer an explanation?’
‘Only that …’ Ine hesitated again and he blinked rapidly for a moment, as some distant memory was recalled. ‘He said that he had things to do, someone to see. He would turn down his own bed when the time came.’
Sister Fidelma raised her eyes interrogatively.
‘Someone to see? Did you find this odd, if, as you say, he was in the habit of retiring early?’
‘No. I simply presumed that he had some extra work to do with his secretary, Brother Eadulf here, in preparation for today’s audience with His Holiness. Wighard was a man of simplicity and he would often perform menial tasks for himself.’
‘So, what you are saying, is that Wighard was expecting a visitor in spite of the lateness of the hour? In spite of his usual routine of retiring early?’
Brother Ine again looked to Eadulf.
‘Surely he spoke of this to you, brother?’
Eadulf shook his head negatively.
‘I knew nothing of Wighard’s expected visitor. It was certainly not I. That evening I did not return to the palace until after Wighard was found dead.’
‘And after Wighard had informed you that you were not needed, you then returned to your own chamber?’ went on Fidelma, addressing Ine.
‘I did. I left Wighard, closing his chamber door and returned to my own. It was after midnight that I was awakened by a commotion to find the palace
custodes
thronging the corridor and learn that Wighard had been killed.’
‘You went to sleep immediately after you left Wighard?’ Eadulf asked.
‘I did. And soundly.’
‘It would seem that you were the last person to see and
speak to Wighard before his death,’ Eadulf observed thoughtfully.
Brother Ine’s chin raised sharply.
‘Apart from his killer,’ he said with emphasis.
Fidelma gave a placatory smile.
‘Of course. Apart from Wighard’s killer. And we have no idea as to who this late-night caller was?’
Brother Ine raised his shoulders in an expressive shrug.
‘I have said as much,’ he grunted. Then he frowned and looked from one to the other in bewilderment. ‘But I thought the
custodes
had arrested an Irishman who was seen leaving Wighard’s chambers? So it would follow that it was this Irish religious who was the visitor that he expected.’
‘Tell me, Ine,’ Fidelma went on, ignoring his point, ‘as servant to Wighard, was it your job to look after the valuable gifts from the Saxon kingdoms which he had brought to give to His Holiness?’
Again the fleeting look of suspicion crossed Ine’s face.
‘It was. Why?’
‘When did you last see those treasures?’
Ine frowned and gently chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment.
‘Earlier that day. Wighard asked me to ensure that everything was polished and cleaned in readiness for the presentation to His Holiness today.’
‘Ah!’ Fidelma breathed quickly. ‘So Wighard’s audience with His Holiness was to present him with the gifts which he had brought?’
‘And also to get His Holiness to bless the chalices from the seven kingdoms,’ Eadulf pointed out in intervention. ‘That was known by a great many.’
Fidelma turned to Eadulf.
‘So if robbery were a motive in this, many people would know that the valuables would be handed over to His Holiness’ treasury today and from which it would be hard to extricate them?’
‘Also,’ Eadulf was diffident, ‘it was known that the chalices would be blessed and returned to Wighard for restoring to Canterbury.’
‘But the main part of the treasure would be gone? It would be in the safe keeping of the palace treasury?’
‘That is true,’ agreed Eadulf.
Brother Ine was looking at them with a slight frown of bewilderment.
‘Are you saying that the treasure is gone?’ he asked.
‘You have not heard?’ Fidelma was interested. The expression of surprise on Ine’s face was absolutely genuine.
‘No. No one has told me this.’
The melancholy Saxon monk looked unusually outraged. Fidelma thought the news had come as a blow to his pride, since he regarded himself as confidant to Wighard. The outrage left his face quickly and once more the woeful countenance formed.
‘Is that all?’ he asked.
‘No,’ answered Fidelma. ‘You cleaned or made sure the treasure was in Wighard’s trunk … at what hour?’
‘Just before the evening meal.’
‘And everything was there then?’
The chin came up slightly and then fell back. Whatever protest died.
‘Yes. It was all there,’ he answered sullenly.
‘When you went in to see Wighard, to prepare his bed,’
Eadulf intervened, ‘was the trunk open or shut?’
‘Shut,’ came the immediate reply.
‘How can you be so sure?’ demanded Fidelma quickly.
‘The trunk was not hidden from view when you entered the archbishop-designate’s chambers.’
‘Was there any guard on this so valuable treasure?’
‘Only the palace
custodes
ordered there by the military governor. One was always patrolling the stairways to the corridor.’
Fidelma thought a moment.
‘Patrolling … but not permanently in the corridor?’
‘That is so. There were guards always around the entrance to the guest quarters. The chambers were on the third floor of the building and so only the stairways gave access to them.’
‘But the guards were not permanently stationed in the corridor itself so that the treasure could well be removed without anyone observing?’
‘Truly. But anyone from outside the building could not come and leave without encountering the
custodes.’
Ine’s face lightened. ‘But, of course, that was how they caught the Irish monk! So the treasure must have been recovered.’
Fidelma glanced at Eadulf at the simple significance of the comment.
‘But you can confirm that there was no permanent guard to the treasure? No one was on duty outside Wighard’s rooms all the time?’
‘No, there was not.’
Fidelma gave a long sigh and leant back.
‘That is all. We may want to speak with you later.’
Ine, with as much reluctance as he had shown on entering the room, rose and left. When he had done so, Fidelma turned to Eadulf.
‘So. The stolen treasure was last seen just after the evening meal and Wighard was alive and well two hours before midnight but dead just after midnight. We know that he was expecting someone within two hours of his death and that just after midnight Brother Ronan Ragallach was seen coming from his room and arrested. This Brother Ronan was not carrying any of the treasure which, with the exception of the relics which have no commercial value, has now disappeared entirely.’
‘That is little more than we know already.’
‘Licinius!’ Fidelma rose from her seat and called to the
tesserarius.
The young guard opened the door and came in.
‘Whom do you wish to speak with now, sister?’ he asked formally.
‘You, just for a moment.’
The
tesserarius
looked surprised but he came in and stood before her, self-consciously in a soldier’s easy stance.
‘Tell me, Furius Licinius, how long have you been a guard in the Lateran Palace?’
Licinius frowned slightly.
‘I have been of the
custodes
for four years, of which I commanded a
decuria
for two years and am now newly appointed officer of the watch or
tesserarius.’
‘So you know the palace well?’
‘As well as anyone, I would say,’ the young man replied, trying to forget how easily he had been deceived by the Irish religious two nights before over the matter of the
sacellerius’
storeroom.
‘The
decurion
Marcus Narses has, I believe, carried out another search of the rooms in the guests’ quarters following our conversation this morning.’
Licinius smiled softly, remembering his fellow officer’s mortification at the discovery of some of the missing relics from Wighard’s treasure under Wighard’s own bed.
‘He did, sister, and found nothing more.’
‘Let us hypothesise; say you went to rob Wighard’s chamber. Say you killed Wighard and then had to remove a large treasure, what would amount to two large sacks of heavy metal objects. How would you do it?’
The
tesserarius’s
eyes were wide but he thought carefully before replying.
‘If I were in that position, I would know that there were patrols. I would know that the stairs, of which there are two flights leading up to the third floor apartments, were guarded. So I would have to hide it on the same floor and return for it later. It would then be impossible to attempt to leave and avoid the guards. But Marcus Narses has already searched the rooms on that floor, and it should be remembered that they were all occupied apart from two storerooms. There are no hidden chambers or alcoves in the vicinity.’
Fidelma’s mouth drooped.
‘Yet we are being asked to believe that somehow Brother Ronan Ragallach killed Wighard and escaped with this bulky treasure … while at the same time being spotted by your friend, the
decurion
Marcus Narses, and arrested as he attempted to flee from the scene of the crime. Is Ronan Ragallach then a wizard that he could make the treasure disappear? There was, according to
decurion
Narses, nothing on his person. Explain this to me, Furius Licinius.’
To her surprise the
tesserarius
did not hesitate.
‘It is simple, sister. Either Brother Ronan had already hidden the treasure when Marcus spied him and gave chase,
or he had an accomplice who carried the treasure away unseen while Ronan was caught.’
Fidelma shook her head dubiously.

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