Chain of Evidence by Cora Harrison Page B

become mere peasants and slaves to their overlord.’ As she spoke, Mara was aware of the many tangled threads that might have led to the possible killing of Garrett MacNamara, the man who was willing to betray his clan for the position of earl and for the heritage of his recently acknowledged heir.
    ‘It was, perhaps, a sad thing for Peadar, that he was killed before Garrett had formally recognised him at Poulnabrone—’ began Moylan and then he was interrupted by Fiona.
    ‘But a good thing for Jarlath,’ she said quickly. ‘If Garrett had lived, and had surrendered his birthright to Henry VIII, then Jarlath would have had no place on the Burren and would have had to go back to his life as a merchant.’
    ‘Stephen Gardiner told me that under the English system the position of
tánaiste
does not exist – the inheritance goes purely by primogeniture,’ said Moylan. ‘That means that the eldest son inherits,’ he added to the two younger boys with a trace of condescension.
    ‘We know that,’ said Shane impatiently. ‘We know Latin, you know, Moylan – first born . . . And that’s interesting, isn’t it, Brehon? Jarlath’s position as
tánaiste
would have had no relevance, whereas now—’
    ‘Whereas now, and as I was about to say before I was rudely interrupted, he is the heir and will, I suppose, definitely be elected as
taoiseach.
’ Fiona looked sternly at Moylan and he threw up his hand in apology.
    The scholars looked at each other and heads were nodded in acknowledgement of Fiona’s assessment.
    ‘Perhaps,’ said Mara with a look of approbation at Fiona, ‘we should now speculate on whether Garrett could, somehow or other, have been placed in the path of the marauding cattle, without danger to the murderer. In other words, was Garrett murdered by someone—’
    ‘OM,’ reminded Hugh.
    ‘OM,’ corrected Mara. This was a good approach for the scholars to take to a murder. There was no point in trying to put a name to the criminal too early. The facts had to be gathered and the motives explored before they moved forward in this investigation.
    ‘No way could it have been seen from the castle,’ said Aidan, looking back up the hill.
    It was true. There was a sharp, small hill in front of them and nothing to be seen there, except a small cattle cabin and the remains of an old mill. They would have to go about another five hundred yards, decided Mara, before they reached a spot which would have been visible from the castle. Was this spot chosen for that reason? Did the murderer – OM, amended Mara – drag the unconscious Garrett to this spot because it was shielded from the view of the castle by the intervening hill, or was this just a fortunate occurrence, an accident? Would, she speculated, Jarlath have had time to do something like this before the cattle arrived at Carron? Perhaps it was the impulse of a moment, a crime born of impatience. Perhaps he struck his brother and then left the body in the path of the marauders?
    But that did not explain the chain.
    ‘There’s no sign of the other end of the chain, Brehon,’ said Aidan. While busy with her thoughts, Mara had been conscious that he and Moylan had walked the length of the road, checking each roadside rock.
    ‘You’ve checked thoroughly, haven’t you?’ she asked. It was strange, she thought, not to find the other end of the chain. Or was it, as Ardal had surmised, just a short chain for leading a bull in safety? In which case it would not have been long enough to be tied to a rock.
    ‘There are no fence posts on this stretch of the road, Brehon,’ said Hugh breaking into her thoughts.
    ‘Perhaps the O’Lochlainn made a mistake,’ said Shane, scanning the roadside.
    ‘I doubt it,’ said Moylan fervently.
    ‘Is it important?’ asked Fiona and Mara was not sure how to answer her.
    It was a good question. What role had the chain around Garrett’s leg played? Or was it possible that Ardal O’Lochlainn had made a