why someone'd want a thing
like that in their weekend cottage. Let's hope nobody thinks of using it ... one
murder's enough to be going on with.'
'Any news of our friend Rat?'
'No, but it's my guess he hasn't gone
far ... not if he wants to scrounge off his old gran.' Heffernan stood up. 'I
fancy having a look at the murder scene. I could do with a bit of inspiration
on this one. You coming?'
'Can we give the go-ahead to start
the dig yet?'
'Don't see why not. SOCO have been
over it ... they won't have missed much. And if your mates come across a knife,
they can hand it over like good citizens, can't they?'
They walked the short distance from
the village hall to the chantry, passing through the heart of the village with
its pretty pastel cottages.
The parish church of St John's stood
to their left, set in the spacious green of its churchyard. A long path led
between the gravestones up to its ancient porch.
'Have you been in the church, Wes?'
Wesley shook his head.
'I thought I might have a quick look
round this lunch-time. Nothing like an old church for a bit of peace and
quiet... and it's right next to the pub. Whoever planned these villages had the
right idea'
They reached the chantry, half hidden
within its copse of trees and bushes. It was much tidier there than when they
had last seen it All the litter had been taken away for examination. The blue-and-white
tape cordoning off the area still flapped in the breeze.
Heffernan strolled over to where Norman Openheim's body had been found.
'Bet this place has seen some action
in its time. Norman would have been standing here having a quiet fag remembering
his bit of it' He turned his back on Wesley. 'Come up behind me as if you're
going to stab me.'
Wesley obliged.
'How did you feel? What was going
through your mind?'
'How do you mean, sir?'
'What would be your biggest
concern?"
'That you might turn round? You
might start fighting back?"
'But if you knew I couldn't hear
you. that my hearing aid was broken, you'd feel a lot safer, wouldn't you?'
'Unless I was much younger and
stronger... and remember, I've got the knife and you haven't, and I've got the
advantage of surprise.'
'You're right, Wes. That's my theory
out of the window. Just a thought. If we could find the weapon
'Or the lighter. And it looks like
whoever killed him pinched his cigarettes too.'
'All points to our friend Rat.'
'Doesn't everything ... including
his calling card.'
"That dead rat's not his style,
surely, Wes. He'd just stab, rob and run.'
'We've got to pull him in just the
same. He's the best we've got and he hasn't even got his mates to give him an
alibi... he went off on his own merry way on Sunday night. Are we going to hold
his mates?'
'Nothing to charge them with. We'll
let 'em go and if they meet up with Rat again that'll make him easier to find.
As a group they're pretty visible, the four of them."
Four?'
'Don't forget Fang.'
'How could I?' Wesley said with
feeling. The dog's smell had been memorable.
There was a scuffling at the other
end of the chapel. Neil stood there, slouched against the ruined arch that had
once been the great doorway. 'They said you were up here.' He addressed the inspector.
'Look, is it okay with you if we start here now? We've got equipment booked and
...'
'Yeah. I don't see why not. As long
as you don't entice my sergeant away from his duties. We've got a murderer to
catch, you know.'
'Great.' Neil looked round the site
with hungry anticipation. I'll tell the others.'
Just let us know if you find the
murder weapon buried anywhere, eh?'
Neil ignored Wesley's ignorant boss
and continued, 'We'll try and locale the graves of these Spaniards ... check
out all the local stories. And there's documentary evidence of a whole range of
buildings round the chapel ... a sort of mini-monastery.'
'For very small monks."
Heffernan had had
like that in their weekend cottage. Let's hope nobody thinks of using it ... one
murder's enough to be going on with.'
'Any news of our friend Rat?'
'No, but it's my guess he hasn't gone
far ... not if he wants to scrounge off his old gran.' Heffernan stood up. 'I
fancy having a look at the murder scene. I could do with a bit of inspiration
on this one. You coming?'
'Can we give the go-ahead to start
the dig yet?'
'Don't see why not. SOCO have been
over it ... they won't have missed much. And if your mates come across a knife,
they can hand it over like good citizens, can't they?'
They walked the short distance from
the village hall to the chantry, passing through the heart of the village with
its pretty pastel cottages.
The parish church of St John's stood
to their left, set in the spacious green of its churchyard. A long path led
between the gravestones up to its ancient porch.
'Have you been in the church, Wes?'
Wesley shook his head.
'I thought I might have a quick look
round this lunch-time. Nothing like an old church for a bit of peace and
quiet... and it's right next to the pub. Whoever planned these villages had the
right idea'
They reached the chantry, half hidden
within its copse of trees and bushes. It was much tidier there than when they
had last seen it All the litter had been taken away for examination. The blue-and-white
tape cordoning off the area still flapped in the breeze.
Heffernan strolled over to where Norman Openheim's body had been found.
'Bet this place has seen some action
in its time. Norman would have been standing here having a quiet fag remembering
his bit of it' He turned his back on Wesley. 'Come up behind me as if you're
going to stab me.'
Wesley obliged.
'How did you feel? What was going
through your mind?'
'How do you mean, sir?'
'What would be your biggest
concern?"
'That you might turn round? You
might start fighting back?"
'But if you knew I couldn't hear
you. that my hearing aid was broken, you'd feel a lot safer, wouldn't you?'
'Unless I was much younger and
stronger... and remember, I've got the knife and you haven't, and I've got the
advantage of surprise.'
'You're right, Wes. That's my theory
out of the window. Just a thought. If we could find the weapon
'Or the lighter. And it looks like
whoever killed him pinched his cigarettes too.'
'All points to our friend Rat.'
'Doesn't everything ... including
his calling card.'
"That dead rat's not his style,
surely, Wes. He'd just stab, rob and run.'
'We've got to pull him in just the
same. He's the best we've got and he hasn't even got his mates to give him an
alibi... he went off on his own merry way on Sunday night. Are we going to hold
his mates?'
'Nothing to charge them with. We'll
let 'em go and if they meet up with Rat again that'll make him easier to find.
As a group they're pretty visible, the four of them."
Four?'
'Don't forget Fang.'
'How could I?' Wesley said with
feeling. The dog's smell had been memorable.
There was a scuffling at the other
end of the chapel. Neil stood there, slouched against the ruined arch that had
once been the great doorway. 'They said you were up here.' He addressed the inspector.
'Look, is it okay with you if we start here now? We've got equipment booked and
...'
'Yeah. I don't see why not. As long
as you don't entice my sergeant away from his duties. We've got a murderer to
catch, you know.'
'Great.' Neil looked round the site
with hungry anticipation. I'll tell the others.'
Just let us know if you find the
murder weapon buried anywhere, eh?'
Neil ignored Wesley's ignorant boss
and continued, 'We'll try and locale the graves of these Spaniards ... check
out all the local stories. And there's documentary evidence of a whole range of
buildings round the chapel ... a sort of mini-monastery.'
'For very small monks."
Heffernan had had
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