Suffer Little Children (v1.0) [html] by Tremayne Peter- Fidelma 03

Author:Tremayne, Peter- Fidelma 03 [Tremayne, Peter- Fidelma 03]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-06-17T21:03:57+00:00

"What makes you ask that question?"

"She had a shock when Rae na Serine was destroyed. I think she might have blamed herself. She went into a malaise when the young baby she had saved died soon afterwards. I saw her this morning and she did not seem truly recovered. Also, it was clearly no attack made in robbery for she still wears a valuable crucifix."

"A good logic, but no; no, I do not think that she committed suicide."

Fidelma examined the physician's assured features quickly and asked: "What makes you say so?"

Brother Midach bent forward and turned the dead girl's head slightly, instructing Brother Martan to bring the lantern closer so that the area could be clearly seen.

Fidelma could see a gaping wound on the back of the skull. Even an immersion in the sea had not washed the blood from it.

"She was attacked from behind?"

"Someone hit her on the back of the head," confirmed Midach. "Only after that blow was her body dumped into the sea."

"Murder then?"

Brother Midach sighed deeply.

"I can come to no other conclusion. There is not only the evidence of the blow on the back of the head. If you have a strong stomach, sister, look at her hands and arms."

Fidelma did so. The wounds and burn marks spoke for themselves.

They were not self-inflicted.

"No. She was bound and tortured before she was killed. Look at those marks around her wrists. They are the marks of a rope. After she was killed, the killer must have untied the bonds and thrown her into the sea."

Stunned, Fidelma stared at the body of the tragic young woman.

"With your permission, brother…" She bent forward and took the cold hands of the dead woman and examined them, looking carefully at the fingers and nails. Brother Midach regarded her with curiosity. Fidelma grimaced with disenchantment.

"I was hoping that she might have been able to fight her attacker and grasp something which might have given us some clue," she explained.

"No. The final blow came probably without her even suspecting it," Midach said. "She would have been placed with her back to her attacker in order for him to deliver that blow."

"Him?" queried Fidelma sharply.

Midach shrugged diffidently.

"Or her, if you like. Though I would not think it likely that a woman could do such a thing."

Fidelma's lips thinned a moment but she made no comment.

Brother Midach stood up, dusting the sand from his robe. He motioned Martan and another brother forward from the shadows and instructed them to carry the body to the abbey.

"I'll have the body taken to the mortuarium and report this matter to the abbot."

"Tell the abbot that I shall speak with him shortly," Fidelma said, also rising and looking towards the small group of people who had been pushed a little further away by Cass.

"Do you think this has some connection with the death of the Venerable Dacán?" Midach paused and glanced back to her across his shoulder.

"That I hope to discover," replied Fidelma.

Midach grimaced and, with Brother Martan hurrying behind him with the lantern, strode back towards the abbey gates.

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