A Saintly Killing by Martha Ockley

Author:Martha Ockley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lion Hudson
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

The sun was reaching full strength as Gavin Wythenshaw drove up to the church gate just before noon. He jumped out of the car and came to join Faith outside the porch. She thanked him profusely for coming over at short notice. As the sunlight lit up his face, her suspicions of the day before took on a distinctly torrid aftertaste. Gavin Wythenshaw might be protective, but surely he was not a killer. Indeed, despite Ben’s treatment of Daniel, he seemed very relaxed and cheerful as he stepped back and squinted up at the bell tower.

“Should be no problem,” he said. “I’ve brought my old safety harness, and a ladder – but there’s a staircase up into the tower, if I remember rightly?”

“There is indeed. I don’t think you’ll need a ladder,” Faith replied. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Gavin. You must have so many other important things to do today. I know how busy it gets at the B&B at the weekend.”

Gavin grinned and assured her it was a pleasure to be able to help out. “I should be thanking you for all the support you’ve given us over this police investigation. Bella was going out of her mind until you came over the other day.”

He buckled himself into the safety harness while Faith went to get the instruction sheet and the old exercise book Fred had described. She gave them to Gavin and unlocked the small door at the bottom of the spiral staircase that led to the belfry.

“The steps are very uneven, I’m afraid. And please be careful when you get up into the loft – I believe that some of the floor is missing and they tell me it could be very easy to fall. That’s why we keep the door locked.”

Gavin looked at her. “You mean you haven’t been up there?”

Faith suppressed a shiver at the thought of it. “I get terrible vertigo. I’m sorry that I’ve got to ask you to do it.”

“Don’t worry about me. You’re talking to a man who’s shinned up some of the tallest trees in the county, before I became a dad and Bella vetoed that kind of shenanigans! But Faith – you really should come up with me and take a look. It’s your church, after all!” Gavin ducked through the doorway and held out his hand to her. “Come on, be brave.”

Faith swallowed. She remembered how Ben had paused for a moment before he first stepped on board a yacht with her. She’d teased him, using just about the same words that Gavin had used to her.

“Well. OK. Just for a quick look.”

The stone staircase was too small for them to climb side by side, so Faith followed Gavin’s quick footsteps. Despite his confidence, Faith found it a very claustrophobic and unnerving climb. There was no handrail, and the stone risers were uneven in height and width. She imagined one misplaced footfall and she would trip, crashing into the rough stones of the wall as she tumbled round and round the staircase and back down to the church floor.

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