Our Lady of Darkness

consistent with the facts.’ She said the words as a formula and it was clear that she was repeating what the Brehon had told her.

‘But what do you think?’

‘It must have been so.’

‘Did Daig ever talk with you about what happened on the quays? For example, about the death of the boatman?’

‘Fainder told me that they executed poor Ibar for that crime.’

Fidelma frowned. ‘Poor Ibar? Did you know the Brother then?’

She shook her head. ‘I know his family. They are blacksmiths on the lower slopes of the Yellow Mountain. Daig told me how he had found him out.’

‘How was that? What exactly did Daig tell you?’ Fidelma asked eagerly.

‘Why do you want me to tell you what Daig told me about the killing?’ Deog looked at Fidelma nonplussed. ‘Didn’t Fainder tell you? Not even Bishop Forbassach wanted to know the exact details.’

‘Indulge me,’ Fidelma smiled. ‘I would like to hear and if you can manage to, keep the words as close to your husband’s own as possible.’

‘Well, Daig told me that he had been patrolling along the quay near the abbey around midnight, when he heard a cry. Daig was carrying abrand torch and raising it, he gave an answering shout, beginning to move forward in the direction of the sound. Then he heard some footsteps running across the boards of the quay. He came upon a huddled form. It was the body of a man, a boatman. Daig recognised him as one of the crew of Gabrán’s boat which was even then tied up alongside the quay. The man’s head had been smashed in and there was a wooden club lying nearby.’

‘A club?’

‘Daig told me that he thought it was one of those wooden sticks used on boats.’

‘A belaying pin?’

Deog shrugged. ‘I am not acquainted with them but I think that was the term he used.’

‘Go on.’

‘He told me that the boatman was clearly dead and so he left the body and ran on in the direction of the running steps. But he soon realised that the night had concealed the culprit and so he returned to the body …’

‘Did he tell you in which direction the sound of the steps went? Was it, for example, in the direction of the abbey gates?’

Deog considered the question thoughtfully.

‘I do not think that it was in the direction of the abbey gates for he said the sound of the footsteps was swallowed up into the night. There are usually two torches lit at the gates of the abbey during the night. If the culprit ran to the gates, Daig would have seen him illuminated by them.’

‘Two lit torches?’ Fidelma was silent for a moment digesting this information. ‘How do you know this?’

‘Fainder told me.’

Fidelma hesitated a moment and then decided not to be side-tracked.

‘We will come back to that later. Continue with the story Daig told you.’

‘Well, he returned to the body of the boatman and raised the alarm. Another sailor from Gabrán’s boat, roused from his sleep, told Daig that Gabrán was at the Inn of the Yellow Mountain and the last time he had seen the dead man, he was also there. The man had apparently gone to the inn to collect some money Gabrán owed him.

‘Daig went to the inn and found Gabrán. He had been drinking heavily and so it was a while before some sense could be made of thesituation. Lassar, who owns the inn, told Daig that Gabrán had been joined by the boatman and there was some sort of argument. Gabrán paid him off and they became friendly again. The boatman drank there for while and then returned to the boat. Lassar was asleep by then, as it was late, but was awakened when Daig arrived to question Gabrán.’

The woman paused in her recitation.

‘Is this truly what you want to know, Sister?’ she asked, frowning. ‘Bishop Forbassach thought it was all irrelevant.’

‘Go on, Deog. What else did Daig tell you?’

‘Gabrán confirmed that he had just paid the man some wages that he owed him.’

‘Did he explain the argument?’

‘It was to do with the money. Daig said the cause was not important. What was important was that no money was found on the sailor. There was another thing. When Gabrán was told the money was missing he asked about a gold chain that the man usually wore around his neck. That was gone as well.’

‘I presume no money or chain was found on the body.’

‘That was what worried Daig. You see, after he had made his futile attempt to chase the footsteps he had heard receding into the night, he came back and searched the body.’

‘It worried him? Worried him in what way?’

Deog was frowning as she tried to recall what Daig had told her.

‘It was … and he thought that he might well have been mistaken … it was …’

‘Take your time,’ advised Fidelma as she hesitated, trying to remember.

‘When he first saw the body, before he started to chase after the sound of the footsteps, Daig was sure that he caught sight of the gold chain around the neck of the dead man. He thought it glinted in the torchlight.’

‘But the chain had gone when he returned to the body, is that it?’

‘That’s what caused him concern. It was not there when he returned.’

‘Did he mention this to anyone?’

‘To Bishop Forbassach.’

‘I see. What happened? What did Forbassach do?’

‘I don’t think it was ever mentioned again. After all, Daig was not absolutely sure. Lassar confirmed that the man had been given the money and she knew that he usually wore a gold chain. She knew himas a regular member of Gabrán’s crew who came to the inn several times. He always boasted that the gold chain had been won in some battle against the Uí Néill.’

Fidelma was silent for a moment as she turned over the information in her mind.

‘I know that the question of the gold chain began to worry him,’ Deog added.

‘Did Daig tell you how he managed to follow the trail to Brother Ibar?’

‘Indeed he did and he felt it was an amazing coincidence. Gabrán himself came to Daig the next day and said that he had been in the market square when a religieux approached him and tried to sell him a gold chain. He had immediately recognised it as that belonging to his dead crewman.’

‘Rather an odd coincidence,’ observed Fidelma dryly.

‘Yet coincidences do happen,’ replied Deog.

‘Did Gabrán know the religieux?’

‘He knew he was a member of the abbey community.’

‘So he says he bought the chain?’

‘He pretended to be interested and arranged to meet the man later. Then he followed this Brother straight back to the abbey. He asked the rechtaire what his name was — it was Ibar, of course — and then he went to Daig and told him the whole story. Daig went to the monastery and explained matters to Abbess Fainder. Together with the rechtaire, Daig made a search of his cell. They found the chain and a purse of money under Brother Ibar’s bed.’

‘What then?’ queried Fidelma.

‘The chain was identified by Gabrán who also said that the purse of money approximated to that which he had given his crewman for his wages. Fainder sent for Bishop Forbassach, and Brother Ibar was formally accused.’

‘I am told that he denied the accusation?’

‘He did. He denied the killing, he denied trying to sell the chain to Gabrán, and he denied all knowledge of the money hidden under his bed. He called Gabrán a liar. Yet in view of the overwhelming evidence there was only one conclusion to be reached. Yet Daig was worried about the coincidence — just as you said, he felt it was an amazing coincidence. He was also worried by his memory of having seen the chain on the