Whispers of the Dead by Peter Tremayne Page A

would have no place to hide.
    She smiled quickly.
    “No, Father Abbot, I suppose it was not a sound thought to imagine someone sneaking up from the abbey and killing Sister Aróc and then sneaking away moments before a party of pilgrims arrived at the oratory.”
    “Then what are you saying? Who killed Sister Aróc?”
    Sister Fidelma turned to the others and waved them to come forward.
    “My investigation seems to have drawn to its close,” she said, addressing the abbot.
    He looked bewildered.
    “Then I must ask you again, who killed Sister Aróc?”
    Fidelma glanced toward Brother Ross.
    Sister Corb was smiling in grim satisfaction.
    “I knew it,” she muttered. “I…”
    Fidelma raised her hand for silence.
    “I made no accusation, Sister Corb. And you should know the penalty for false accusation.”
    The mistress of the novitiates was suddenly silent, staring at her in bewilderment.
    “But if Brother Ross is not the murderer,” began Brother Echen helplessly, “who killed her?”
    Fidelma glanced again to the young religieux.
    “Brother Ross will tell you,” she said quietly.
    “But you said…,” began the abbot.
    Fidelma shook her head impatiently.
    “I said nothing. I implied he did not murder Aróc but I did not say that he did not know who killed her.”
    Brother Ross was regarding her with frightened eyes.
    “You would not believe the truth,” he said quietly.
    “I know the truth,” Fidelma replied.
    “How? How could you know…”
    “It was not that hard to work out, given the time factor and the situation of the oratory where no one could hide.”
    “You’d better explain it to us, Sister Fidelma,” the abbot said.
    “Our group of pilgrims came to the oratory and, as I have pointed out, Aróc’s death occurred, judging by the condition of the corpse, moments before,” Fidelma explained. “Ross went into the oratory first. Moments later he came out. He might well have had time to stab Aróc and then return to us to pretend that he had discovered the body. But the evidence is against that. Such a stab wound would have caused blood to spurt on his robes.
    “It was obvious that Aróc was killed while lying in the open tomb. She was not killed elsewhere and dragged to the open tomb.There were no blood splatters leading to the tomb which would have been made. If Brother Ross had killed her, then his robes would have been drenched in spurting blood from the wound. Instead, he has some spots of blood on his right hand and his sleeve. They were made when he bent to touch the corpse.”
    She pointed to his robes so that they could verify her statement.
    The abbot was worried.
    “You have presented us with a conundrum. Tell us the answer. The killer was hiding in or behind the oratory, is that it?”
    Fidelma sighed shortly.
    “I would have thought it obvious.”
    Brother Ross gave a little groan.
    “I confess! I confess! I killed her. I did it.”
    Fidelma looked pityingly at him.
    “No you did not.”
    Sister Corb was indignant.
    “That will not do, Sister. The man has confessed. You cannot deny his confession.”
    Fidelma glanced at her.
    “Brother Ross is even now trying to save his friend’s soul. He believes that the Penitentials would prohibit Sister Aróc being accorded the last rites, a forgiveness of sins and burial in sanctified ground in a state of spiritual peace. It is time to tell the truth, Brother Ross.”
    “The truth?” pressed Brother Echen. “What is the truth?”
    “She killed herself.”
    Brother Ross groaned piteously.
    “When you have eliminated every other explanation as being impossible, that which remains must be the truth,” Fidelma said dryly.
    “Am I right, Brother Ross?”
    The young man’s shoulders had slumped in resignation.
    “She… she was not of this world. She heard voices. She thought she was being instructed by spirits, from the otherworld. By theBlessed Declan. She had visions. She made me open the tomb so that she could touch the holy