Shroud for the Archbishop by Peter Tremayne Page A

would be enthusiastic in any other circumstances, Eadulf,’ Fidelma sighed, ‘but we still have to talk about the manner of Wighard’s death.’
    Eadulf exhaled deeply, halted, and set the candle down on a nearby slab of stone, leaning back against the wall with folded arms.
    ‘Why are you so sure that Ronan Ragallach is innocent?’ he demand. ‘Is it simply because he is Irish?’
    Fidelma’s eyes seemed to flash dangerously in the flickering light of the candle. Eadulf saw the sharp intake of her breath and mentally prepared himself for a blast of her anger. It did
not come. Instead, she exhaled slowly.
    ‘That is unworthy of you, Eadulf. You know me better than that,’ she said softly.
    Eadulf had regretted his words as soon as he had uttered them.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ he said simply. The words were offered as no mere empty formula.
    There was an uncomfortable silence. Then Eadulf said: ‘Surely you must concede that Ronan Ragallach’s behaviour points to his guilt?’
    ‘Of course,’ conceded Fidelma. ‘It is obvious … perhaps too obvious.’
    ‘Not all killings are as complicated as that of the Abbess Étain at Witebia.’
    ‘Agreed. Nor do I argue that Ronan Ragallach is innocent. What I say is that there are questions that need to be answered before we can say with assurance he is guilty. Let us examine these questions.’
    She held up a hand to strike off the points on her fingers.
    ‘Wighard, according to the evidence, is kneeling by his bed and is garrotted with his own prayer cord. Why was he kneeling?’
    ‘Because he was at his prayers?’
    ‘Allowing his murderer to enter his chambers and come up behind him, take his prayer cord and strangle him before he could even attempt to rise from his kneeling position? Surely this is curious? And it relies on Ronan Ragallach being so stealthy that one must be entirely credulous. We know that Ronan Ragallach is a heavy man. Rotund and given to wheezy, noisy breathing.’

    ‘Perhaps Ronan Ragallach had been invited in by Wighard and …’ began Eadulf.
    ‘And asked to wait while Wighard knelt with his back to him and said his prayers? Hardly likely.’
    ‘All right. But this much we can ask when Ronan Ragallach is recaptured.’
    ‘In the meantime we should question whether Wighard might have known his murderer so well as to feel no fear in praying in such a manner,’ Fidelma pointed out. ‘As his secretary, could you say that Wighard knew Brother Ronan Ragallach at all, let alone well enough to trust him in such circumstances?’
    Eadulf raised one shoulder slightly before letting it fall.
    ‘I cannot say that Wighard knew Brother Ronan at all,’ he confessed.
    ‘Very well. There is another aspect that is worrying me. We are told that Ronan Ragallach was seen leaving Wighard’s chambers. The gold, silver and coins are missing. This has also been put forward as a possible motive for the killing.’
    Eadulf inclined his head in reluctant agreement.
    ‘We are also told,’ Fidelma went on, ‘that Brother Ronan was not carrying anything when he was seen in the corridor outside Wighard’s rooms. Nor was he carrying anything when he was stopped and arrestedin the courtyard outside. Norhas the search by the custodes discovered where Wighard’s gold and silver has been hidden. If Ronan is the culprit, seen within moments of leaving Wighard’s chamber after killing him, why was he not seen with these precious items, which are bulky to say the least?’
    Eadulf’s eyes narrowed. Inwardly he was annoyed with himself for not seeing the logic of the point made by Fidelma. His mind worked rapidly.

    ‘Because Ronan killed Wighard earlier and took the treasure,’ he began, after a moment or two’s thought. ‘That is why the body was cold when Marcus Narses found it. Because Ronan had killed him earlier but then returned to the chamber to retrieve something and then was caught. Or because he was working with someone else.’
    Fidelma smiled