She began to move towards the door with Sister Étromma trailing unhappily in her wake.
‘Where do you want to go now, Sister?’ she asked. ‘To see the abbess again?’
‘The abbess? No, I will see her later,’ replied Fidelma, changing her mind. ‘Show me first where the girl Gormgilla was attacked and killed.’
Sister Étromma seemed troubled as she conducted Fidelma along more corridors to another tiny courtyard on the far side of the abbey which, from the aromas that permeated the air, Fidelma guessed to be an adjunct to the abbey kitchens and presumably to its storerooms. On one side of the small courtyard were two tall wooden gates and Sister Étromma went immediately to them. She did not attempt to move the great heavy iron bolts that secured them for there was, set in one of the large gates, a small door through which one person at a time might squeeze. She opened the door and pointed at it wordlessly.
When Fidelma had climbed through — for one had to step over the bottom of the door — she found herself facing the broad stretch of river. Immediately before the gates, running along the abbey walls, was a well-used track wide enough for wagons to pass along. Beside the track lay an earthen embankment from which a wooden quay had been constructed, for the river itself was parallel to the track at this point. Next to the quay, a sizable river boat was tied up. Several men were unloading barrels from it.
‘This is our own quay, Sister,’ Sister Étromma explained. ‘Goods for the abbey are landed here. You will see, further along the river, other quays where the merchants of the town conduct their business.’
Fidelma stood for a moment, bathing her face in the sun. It was warm, in spite of the gentle breeze, and refreshing after the mustiness and gloom of the abbey building from which she had emerged. She closed her eyes momentarily and relaxed, breathing deeply. After a pause, she looked around her. The stewardess was right. Along the river there were several boats tied up to the quays. Fearna, she reminded herself, was the centre of trade as well as being the royal centre of the Uí Cheinnselaigh dynasty which ruled Laigin.
‘Where was this murder committed?’
Sister Étromma pointed towards the abbey’s quay. ‘Just here.’
A bell began to toll in the abbey. Fidelma glanced towards the sound in surprise. It was surely not a call to prayer? A moment later, one of the religieux came running from the gates towards Sister Étromma.
‘Sister, a messenger has arrived from upriver. One of the river boats has sunk in midstream. He thinks that it was the boat which just left the abbey quay.’
‘Gabrán’s boat?’ Étromma had gone pale. ‘Is he sure? Is everyone safe?’
‘No, he is not sure, Sister,’ replied the Brother. ‘And he has no further knowledge.’
‘Then we must go to see what can be done.’
She was turning for the abbey when she suddenly remembered that Sister Fidelma was standing looking on and she hesitated.
‘Forgive me, Sister. It seems that one of the boats that regularly trades with the abbey might have sunk. As stewardess, it is my duty to attend to this matter. The river is a dangerous place.’
‘Do you want me to come with you?’ asked Fidelma.
Sister Étromma shook her head distractedly. ‘I have to go.’
She joined the Brother who was already hurrying along the track by the abbey walls. Fidelma watched her leave, bemused by her departure. Then she was distracted by a male voice calling her by name. Fidelma turned to see a familiar figure strolling along the river bank towards the abbey quay.
It was the warrior, Mel, the very person who Sister Étromma said had found the body of the murdered girl and then tracked her death to Eadulf. It was a stroke of good fortune that he had appeared at this moment, saving her going in search of him. She turned towards him and walked slowly across the path to the edge of the quay as Mel climbed up onto the wooden boarding.
‘We meet again, lady.’ He greeted her with a broad smile as he halted before her.
‘Indeed, that we do. I am told that your name is Mel.’
The warrior nodded pleasantly. ‘I heard that you accepted my recommendation and that you and your companions are staying at my sister Lassar’s inn. I thought there was a third man with you? Lassar tells me that only you and two others are staying there.’
Fidelma realised that the warrior’s perception was acute and she had to be careful what she said.
‘There were, indeed, three warriors with me. One had to return to Cashel,’ she lied.
‘Well, I trust that the accommodation is to your liking. My sister provides good food and comfortable beds.’
‘My companions and I are indeed very comfortable at the Inn of the Yellow Mountain. But it is good to see you here.’
The warrior frowned slightly. ‘Why so, lady?’
‘I have just spoken with those at the abbey concerning the recent murder of the young novitiate,’ replied Fidelma. ‘They told me that you were a key witness at the trial of Brother Eadulf.’
The warrior gestured deprecatingly. ‘I was not exactly a key witness. I was merely the captain of the watch on this very quay on the night that the killing took place.’
‘Will you tell me exactly what happened? I presume that you know my interest in this matter?’
The warrior looked uncomfortable for a moment before nodding.
‘Gossip travels swiftly in this town, lady. I know who you are and why you are here.’
‘How did you happen to be on the quay that night?’
‘That is simple enough. I was on watch, as I have said. There were four of us on duty here that night.’ He waved his arm expansively to take in the entire collection of wooden quays which served the township of Fearna.
‘Is there much crime here to justify such a watch?’ enquired Fidelma. Mel gave a boastful laugh.
‘Not much crime at all —
He paused but she urged him to continue with his story.
‘Well, as I say, there were four of us on patrol that night. I was the captain. Each man had his allotted section of the quays. I suppose it was well after midnight that I was walking from …’ he turned to point to a small quay further down from the abbey. ‘One of my men was stationed there. Another of the watch was further along here. So I was making a normal check of my men, walking from that point along the quays checking on my watch.’
‘What sort of night was it?’
‘The weather was fair, not raining,’ he reflected. ‘But it was a cloudy sky which made it dark. We did have torches,’ he added.
‘But the visibility was impaired?’ Fidelma pressed eagerly. ‘You cannot see that far even with a torch.’
‘True enough,’ he agreed. ‘That’s why I almost stumbled over the body of the girl before I saw it.’
Fidelma raised her eyebrows. ‘You stumbled over it? You mean that you actually
Mel hesitated. ‘So there was. It is a little complicated, Sister.’
‘Is it? Then tell the story as plainly as you can.’
‘I was walking along, holding my torch high. It was, as I say, a very dark night. I came down the river path here and was about to cross this quay.’
‘Were there any boats tied up to the quay?’ Fidelma interrupted as the thought suddenly struck her.
‘Yes, there was one of the trade boats that puts in here regularly. It was in darkness and no one was on deck. They wouldn’t be, not at that hour in the morning. They were probably all below, asleep, or in a drunken stupor.’ He grinned, contemplating the idea. ‘As I came along, I saw a figure on horseback.’
‘Where was this figure?’ demanded Fidelma. ‘On the track there?’
‘No. It was just here. At the start of the quay.’
‘What was this figure doing?’
‘When I first saw it, the figure was still, so still I did not notice it until I saw the movement of the horse. They had no torch but sat in the darkness. That was how I discovered the body.’
Fidelma suppressed an impatient sigh. ‘Please explain — and with more detail.’
‘When I saw the figure, I raised my torch in order to challenge it but before I could do so, I was challenged
