Murder in the Monastery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery series) by Lesley Cookman
Authors: Lesley Cookman
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handcuffs.’
‘Very funny,’ said Libby.
‘Sorry, just trying to lighten the atmosphere.’
‘A bit hard to do that under the circumstances,’ said Peter, ‘even for you, dear heart. Do you know, I feel an alarming sense of resentment against poor Dominic for spoiling my play.’
Libby and Ben murmured agreement.
‘I think that’s perfectly normal,’ said Patti. ‘Even if you knew who’d killed him and felt resentment towards them, Dominic still seems to have put himself in danger.’
‘I’ve just thought of something,’ said Libby. ‘If Dominic had planned to stay behind for whatever reason, who would know? And if no one knew, it was an opportunistic murder by someone who also shouldn’t have been there.’
‘On the other hand,’ said Ben, ‘he could have arranged to meet someone just like poor Bernard Evans did. Someone who said he was someone else.’
‘But what was he, or she, offering?’ asked Libby. And what did Dominic have to give?’
Chapter Twelve
T his question occupied Libby for the rest of the day, until Ben got thoroughly fed up with her and went to see his mother. Denied an ear, she called Fran.
‘I think Ben’s probably right. Lured by someone, just like Bernard Evans.’
‘But with the promise of what?’ Libby shook her head. ‘I don’t get it. In fact, I don’t get it at all.’
‘Have the police been back to see you?’
‘No. I expect they’ll want formal statements from all of us, including you, but Big Bertha was going to liaise with Ian, so which of them will be in charge I don’t know.’
‘Big Bertha, the murder’s her case. Ian’s concerned with the reliquary and the cold case of Bernard Evans.’
‘I wonder if the media will link the two?’ Libby stared at the newsreader mouthing silently on the television screen.
‘Not so far,’ said Fran. ‘I watched the main and the regional news at lunchtime, and there was only a brief mention of Dominic’s murder on Kent and Coast by the anchor person.’
‘What’s the betting Campbell will be on to it in the morning? On to us, I mean.’
‘Of course he will, so will Jane. And if Campbell links it to the Bernard Evans murder, which he will, it will go national.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Libby. ‘You’re right.’
The three phone calls arrived hard on each other’s tails the following morning. Jane was first, Campbell second and the police third. Libby refused to say anything to either Jane or Campbell and nervously agreed to the police that she would be in later that morning.
‘Yes,’ said Fran, on being appealed to, ‘I got the calls, too. Jane understands and just wants an exclusive if ever we’re able, Campbell got pushy, and the policeman just sounded uninterested.’
‘Same here,’ said Libby. ‘Do you know who’s coming to interview you?’
‘I expect it will be someone from the local police station here. I’m not close enough to the enquiry to warrant anything else. What about you?’
‘No idea. How close are Ben and I to the investigation, do you think?’
‘Close. You’re both on the board of directors of the theatre, for a start, and you took on Dominic. And Peter, because he wrote the play and had quite a lot to do with the nuns. Although it was only Sister Catherine, not the others. In fact, we hardly saw any of the others, did we?’
‘No,’ said Libby gloomily. ‘But we don’t know the murder was anything to do with the reliquary.’
‘With Martha sprawled in front of it? Suggestive to say the least.’
To Libby’s perturbation, she and Ben were interviewed separately, she at number 17 and Ben at the Manor. Two solid and dependable-looking detective constables, both young enough to be her own sons, interviewed Libby, and accepted tea.
‘How well did you know the deceased, Mrs Sarjeant?’ asked detective A.
‘Not very well.’
‘But he was in your play.’ Detective B squeezed his eyes together suspiciously.
‘So were a lot of people. I don’t know
‘Very funny,’ said Libby.
‘Sorry, just trying to lighten the atmosphere.’
‘A bit hard to do that under the circumstances,’ said Peter, ‘even for you, dear heart. Do you know, I feel an alarming sense of resentment against poor Dominic for spoiling my play.’
Libby and Ben murmured agreement.
‘I think that’s perfectly normal,’ said Patti. ‘Even if you knew who’d killed him and felt resentment towards them, Dominic still seems to have put himself in danger.’
‘I’ve just thought of something,’ said Libby. ‘If Dominic had planned to stay behind for whatever reason, who would know? And if no one knew, it was an opportunistic murder by someone who also shouldn’t have been there.’
‘On the other hand,’ said Ben, ‘he could have arranged to meet someone just like poor Bernard Evans did. Someone who said he was someone else.’
‘But what was he, or she, offering?’ asked Libby. And what did Dominic have to give?’
Chapter Twelve
T his question occupied Libby for the rest of the day, until Ben got thoroughly fed up with her and went to see his mother. Denied an ear, she called Fran.
‘I think Ben’s probably right. Lured by someone, just like Bernard Evans.’
‘But with the promise of what?’ Libby shook her head. ‘I don’t get it. In fact, I don’t get it at all.’
‘Have the police been back to see you?’
‘No. I expect they’ll want formal statements from all of us, including you, but Big Bertha was going to liaise with Ian, so which of them will be in charge I don’t know.’
‘Big Bertha, the murder’s her case. Ian’s concerned with the reliquary and the cold case of Bernard Evans.’
‘I wonder if the media will link the two?’ Libby stared at the newsreader mouthing silently on the television screen.
‘Not so far,’ said Fran. ‘I watched the main and the regional news at lunchtime, and there was only a brief mention of Dominic’s murder on Kent and Coast by the anchor person.’
‘What’s the betting Campbell will be on to it in the morning? On to us, I mean.’
‘Of course he will, so will Jane. And if Campbell links it to the Bernard Evans murder, which he will, it will go national.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Libby. ‘You’re right.’
The three phone calls arrived hard on each other’s tails the following morning. Jane was first, Campbell second and the police third. Libby refused to say anything to either Jane or Campbell and nervously agreed to the police that she would be in later that morning.
‘Yes,’ said Fran, on being appealed to, ‘I got the calls, too. Jane understands and just wants an exclusive if ever we’re able, Campbell got pushy, and the policeman just sounded uninterested.’
‘Same here,’ said Libby. ‘Do you know who’s coming to interview you?’
‘I expect it will be someone from the local police station here. I’m not close enough to the enquiry to warrant anything else. What about you?’
‘No idea. How close are Ben and I to the investigation, do you think?’
‘Close. You’re both on the board of directors of the theatre, for a start, and you took on Dominic. And Peter, because he wrote the play and had quite a lot to do with the nuns. Although it was only Sister Catherine, not the others. In fact, we hardly saw any of the others, did we?’
‘No,’ said Libby gloomily. ‘But we don’t know the murder was anything to do with the reliquary.’
‘With Martha sprawled in front of it? Suggestive to say the least.’
To Libby’s perturbation, she and Ben were interviewed separately, she at number 17 and Ben at the Manor. Two solid and dependable-looking detective constables, both young enough to be her own sons, interviewed Libby, and accepted tea.
‘How well did you know the deceased, Mrs Sarjeant?’ asked detective A.
‘Not very well.’
‘But he was in your play.’ Detective B squeezed his eyes together suspiciously.
‘So were a lot of people. I don’t know
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