‘Your churchwardens are Michael Dearden and Marion Oxley?’
‘Yes.’
‘So all the Oxleys might have known about Neil?’
‘I suppose so,’ said Alton. ‘Does that help?’
‘Perhaps,’ said Cooper. ‘But, knowing the Oxleys, perhaps not.’
‘Who is it out there?’ said Alton. ‘In the churchyard?’
‘We don’t know, sir. We might not know for some time.’ Cooper stood up. ‘Your wife will be here in a moment/
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‘Yes.’
‘I’m sorry that someone should have chosen the churchyard for this. It’s consecrated ground.’
‘Consecrated? Yes, but consecrated only means that something has been set apart for a purpose.’
‘Well, it’s sacred, then/
‘Everywhere is sacred/ said Alton. ‘I don’t believe that God is in some places and not in others.’
In the churchyard, the scene was chaotic. The crowd of people was getting too big for the uniformed officers to manage, and the perimeter of the churchyard was too large. Some of the children were gradually creeping nearer to see what was going on, dodging behind the graves and hiding in the undergrowth until a PC spotted them and chased them off.
A clergyman had appeared in a black overcoat. He had wispy grey hair, gold-framed glasses and a worried frown.
Diane Fry intercepted him. ‘Who are you, sir?’
‘I’m the Rural Dean. Derek Alton called me to tell me what had happened.’
‘You’re Mr Alton’s boss?’
‘Well, we’re all employed by God. But He permits me a supervisory role.’
Fry blinked, as if to clear away an irritating speck that had drifted across her vision.
‘Can you tell us when Mr Alton arrived at St Asaph’s?’ she said.
‘About eighteen months ago.’
‘And did he take over directly from his predecessor?’
‘No, there was an interregnum.’
‘A what?’
‘A period of time between incumbents. It happens all too often these days, due to a shortage of clergy. It can take some time to find the right person for the parish.’
‘Particularly in Withens and Hey Bridge, perhaps?’
There are certain challenging elements to the post.’
‘How long was the parish vacant?’
‘I believe it was twelve months or so. The previous incumbent fell seriously ill and had to retire, poor man/
‘We’re going to have to speak to him/
‘I’m afraid not/
‘It’s going to be very important to establish when an opportunity
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might have occurred for a body to be buried in the churchyard. jj
The previous vicar might be able to cast some light on that for us.’ ^
‘Possibly. But I’m afraid poor Reverend Clater retired because
he discovered he had advanced prostate cancer. There was nothing 9
they could do for him. He died last year.’ ‘
‘Hell.’ J|
‘Let’s hope not/ said the Dean with a sad smile.
Fry stared at him, puzzled.
‘And no one looked after St Asaph’s during this interregnum?’
‘There were services here, but they were conducted by visiting clergy from other parishes. Sometimes by a retired priest who lives in Glossop. There was no continuity, I’m afraid.’
‘And the churchwardens don’t seem to have put too much effort into caring for the churchyard.’
‘Sadly not. But I’m afraid it’s difficult motivating people for that kind of thing.’
‘Mr Alton is in the church. I’m sure he’d be pleased to see you.’
‘Thank you.’
Ben Cooper found his name called as soon as he got outside the church.
‘What’s going on?’
