Suffer Little Children

Cass was unsure of his role now. He had no training in law and had never witnessed a dalaigh investigating a crime before. So he took up a seat in a corner of the chamber, in the background, and let Fidelma seat herself at the table on which a lantern had been placed to give light to the proceedings.

It was not long before a slightly breathless Sister Necht returned with the thickset doorkeeper. Brother Conghus, at her heels.

'I've brought him, sister,' gasped the girl, in a deep, husky voice which seemed her normal tone. 'Just as you said I should.'

Fidelma tried to suppress a smile and waved the young novice to take a seat by Cass.

'You may wait there, Sister Necht. You will not speak until I speak to you nor will you ever reveal anything that you may hear in this room. I must have your solemn oath on this, if you are to remain to assist me.'

The novice swore at once and assumed her place.

Fidelma then turned her sharp smile to Brother Conghus who had stood waiting in the doorway.

'Come in, shut the door and take a seat, brother,' she instructed firmly.

The doorkeeper did as he was bid.

'How may I help, sister?' he asked once he was settled.

'I must ask you some questions. I have to ask you, officially, if you know the purpose of my visit?'

Conghus shrugged: 'Who does not?'

'Very well. Let us go back to the day of the Venerable Dacan's death. I am told that you were the first to discover the body?'

Conghus grimaced as if in distaste at the memory.

'That is so.'

'Describe the circumstances, if you please.'

Conghus paused to gather his thoughts.

'Dacan was a man of regular habits. His day, so I had perceived, during the two months that he lodged at the abbey, was one of ritual observance. One could almost tell the time of day by his movements.'

He paused again as if reflecting.

'My job as doorkeeper also includes bellringer. I ring the main hours and services. The bell for matins heralds the beginning of our day which is followed by the jentaculum, our first meal of the day. Because we are a large community and our refectory cannot accommodate everyone, we eat in three separate sittings. Dacan invariably ate at the middle sitting as did I. This timing allows me the opportunity to pursue my duties at the ringing of the hours. After the third sitting for the jentaculum I ring the hour of the tierce when the work of the community starts.'

'I understand,' Fidelma said, when the doorkeeper paused and glanced at her in silent question to see if she was following.

'Well, this particular morning, two weeks ago on the day of Luan, Dacan was not at his place for the breaking of the fast. I made inquiries, for it was so unusual that he would miss a meal. You see…'

'You have already explained how rigid his habits were,' Fidelma interrupted quickly.

Conghus blinked and then nodded.

'Just so. Well, I ascertained that he had not been at the earlier sitting. So after I had eaten, curiosity took me to the hostel to look for him.'

'Where was his chamber?'

'On the first floor.' Conghus began to rise from his seat. 'I can show you the chamber now…'

Fidelma waved him back to his seat.

'You may do so in a moment. Let us continue. So, you came to search for Dacan?'

'I did. There is little more to add. I went to his chamber and called to him. There was no answer. So I opened the door…'

'No answer?' Fidelma interrupted. 'Surely if there was no answer, one might assume that the Venerable Dacan was not in his room? What made you decide to open the door?'

Conghus grimaced, frowning.

'Why… why, I saw a light flickering under the door. It is dark in the passage so any light shines out. The light attracted me. I reasoned that if Dacan had left a light burning, then I should extinguish it. Frugality is another Rule of the Blessed Fachtna,' he added sanctimoniously.

'I see. So you saw a light and then… ?'

'I went in.'

'What was the cause of the light?'

'There was an oil lamp lit, it was still burning.'

'Go on,' Fidelma urged, when Conghus continued to hesitate.

'Dacan was lying dead on his bed. That is all.'

Fidelma suppressed a sigh of irritation.

'Let us try to establish a few more details, Brother Conghus,' she said patiently. 'Imagine yourself back at the threshold of the door. Describe what you saw.'

Conghus frowned again and appeared to give some deep thought to the question.

'The chamber was lit by the oil lamp, which was on a small table at the side of the cot. Dacan was fully dressed. He was lying on his back. The first thing I noticed about him was that his feet and his hands were bound…'

'With rope?'

Conghus shook his head.

'With strips of cloth; linen cloth with parti-colors of blue and red. He also had a strip of the same cloth in his mouth. I presumed this was in the nature of a gag. Then I saw that there were bloodstains all over his chest. I realized that he had been killed.'

'Very well. Now tell me, was there any sign of a knife—the knife that inflicted the wounds?'

'None that I could see.'

'Was one found subsequently?'

'Not that I know of.'

'How were Dacan's features?'

'I do not understand,' frowned Conghus.

'Was the face calm and reposed? Were the eyes open or shut. How did he look?'

'Calm, I would say. There was no fear or pain engraved on the dead features, if that is what you mean.'

'That is precisely what I mean,' Fidelma replied grimly. 'Good. We now progress. You realized that Dacan had been killed. Did you notice anything else about the room? Had it been ransacked? Was it in order? If Dacan was so rigid in his habits it would imply that he would be scrupulously tidy.'

'The room was tidy so far as I can remember. You are right, of course, Dacan's fastidiousness was well known. But Sister Necht will tell you more about that.'

Fidelma heard a rustle and turned to frown a warning at the young novice in case she felt the need to respond.

'So.' Fidelma returned her gaze to Conghus. 'We begin to build up a picture. Go on. Having realized that Dacan had been killed, what then?'

'I made directly to see the abbot. I told him what I had discovered. He sent for our assistant physician, Brother Tola, who examined the body and confirmed what I knew already. The abbot then placed matters in the hands of Brother Rumann. As steward of the abbey it was his job to conduct an inquiry.'

'One question here: you said that the abbot sent for the assistant physician, Brother Tola? Why did he not send for the chief physician? After all, the Venerable Dacan was a man of some standing.'

'That is true. But our chief physician, Brother Midach, was away from the abbey at that time.'

'You said that Dacan had been staying here two months,' observed Fidelma. 'How well had you come to know