Kerry Tombs - The Worcester Whisperers

‘He also seemed quite anxious to tell us about Renfrew.’

The two men made their way out of the cathedral and into the Close.

‘Where to now, sir?’ asked Crabb.

‘I think I should pay my respects to your Superintendent Henderson at the station here in Worcester, and then perhaps we will visit the librarian’s lodgings and see what we can find there. But first, if I am not mistaken, Crabb, someone is intent on attracting our attention.’

‘Good day to you, sir, we were rather hoping we would catch you before you left the cathedral. You must be the policeman arrived from London.’

The speaker was a tall, thin, elderly lady. Two other ladies of similar appearance stood behind her.

‘I am indeed. My name is Inspector Ravenscroft, and this is my colleague, Constable Crabb.’

‘Allow me to introduce myself. Miss Mary Ann Tovey,’ said the elderly lady nodding in Ravenscroft’s direction.

‘Miss Tovey,’ replied Ravenscroft.

‘And this is my younger sister, Emily.’

‘Inspector,’ smiled the lady of that name.

‘Miss Tovey.’

‘And this is my youngest sister, Alice Maria,’ said the lady, completing the introductions.

‘We live in the house, just over there,’ said the first Miss Tovey, turning round and indicating one of the Georgian buildings behind her. ‘Number five.’

‘We live at number five,’ repeated the second Miss Tovey.

‘Number five,’ added the third.

‘A fine building,’ said Ravenscroft, wondering why the three sisters had sought to engage him in conversation.

‘It was left to us by our late father. He was a schoolmaster at King’s School for forty years, until his untimely death thirty years ago,’ said Mary Ann.

‘He was the schoolmaster at King’s School, you know,’ said Emily.

‘Until he died thirty years ago,’ added Alice Maria.

‘I am very sorry,’ said Ravenscroft, not knowing quite what to say to the three elderly sisters who now faced him.

‘We saw him that night,’ said the first Miss Tovey.

‘Saw who, my dear lady?’

‘Why, the person you are looking for, Inspector, the librarian, Nicholas Evelyn.’

‘Nicholas Evelyn,’ repeated her younger sister.

‘The librarian,’ added the third.

‘When did you see him exactly?’ asked Ravenscroft, as Crabb took out his notebook.

‘I was just retiring to bed for the evening, when I saw him creeping along the side of the building in a rather furtive manner, as if he was up to no good. I remember it was exactly eleven o’clock, because I had just heard the church clock strike and I always retire exactly at that time of night,’ said Miss Mary Ann in an excited manner.

‘Exactly at eleven o’clock,’ said the second sister.

‘And I saw him as well, Inspector,’ added the youngest sister, anxious not to be excluded from the conversation.

‘You say that he was acting in a furtive manner?’ asked Ravenscroft, addressing the eldest sister.

‘Yes, Inspector. It was as if he did not want to be seen. He went in through the door over there.’

‘Through that door,’ said the second Miss Tovey, pointing to the cathedral.

‘Was Mr Evelyn in the habit of coming back to the cathedral late at night, ma’am?’ asked Crabb.

‘Not usually. That’s why we thought it so odd,’ said Mary Ann.

‘Very strange indeed,’ added Alice Maria.

‘Did any of you ladies happen to see him come out of the cathedral?’ asked Ravenscroft.

‘Why yes. I remember looking at the clock. It was a quarter to twelve exactly,’ replied the elder sister.

‘I saw him as well, Inspector,’ said Miss Emily.

‘He was very secretive,’ added her younger sister.

‘How do you mean, secretive?’

‘He kept looking around him, to see if anyone had noticed his presence there,’ said the elder sister.

‘Did you see what happened next, ladies?’ asked Crabb, making notes in his book.

‘Yes. He made his way across the lawns there, before he went down the steps at the end, towards the river. We all thought it rather strange that he should be going down to the river at that time of night,’ replied Miss Mary Ann.

‘It was very dark,’ added her younger sister.

‘Did you see whether Mr Evelyn returned later?’

‘No, Inspector,’ replied Mary Ann, a puzzled expression on her face.

‘Well, this is all very interesting,’ said Ravenscroft, smiling. ‘You have been most helpful, ladies.’

‘I am glad we have been of assistance,’ said Miss Mary Ann, looking rather pleased.

‘We always try and help the authorities as much as we can,’ remarked Miss Emily.

‘I do hope you find Mr Evelyn — and the book,’ said Miss Alice Maria.

‘We will endeavour to do so,’ said Ravenscroft.

‘You know where we are, Inspector, if we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call upon us,’ said the eldest Miss Tovey.

‘Perhaps you would care to take tea with us, when you can spare the time,’ said the second sister.

‘You would be most welcome, and your constable as well, of course,’ added the third sister smiling, as they began to turn away.

‘That is most kind of you, ladies. If you will excuse us now, I wish you good day.’

‘Good day, Inspector,’ said the eldest sister, a remark that was repeated by her two companions.

Ravenscroft and Crabb watched them as they walked back, towards the house across the green, deep in conversation with one another.

‘Well, they certainly seem to know what is going on,’ remarked Crabb, closing his notebook.

‘It is fortunate for us that they were so observant. So we now know that it must have been Evelyn who returned to the cathedral that night to steal the book.’

‘Why did he just not take it during the daytime?’

‘Because he wanted it to look as though someone had broken in during the night and taken it. If he had smashed the glass during the day, there was always the possibility that someone in the distance might have heard the sound of the glass breaking, or that he would have been caught in the act by someone suddenly entering the library. No, he had to undertake the robbery at night, when he knew he would be alone and undisturbed.’

‘Why did he then go down to the river, at that time of night?’ asked Crabb, looking puzzled.

‘Perhaps he was meeting someone. He might have kept an appointment with someone who wanted the book. Let’s follow in his footsteps and go down there and see what we can find.’

‘Just the river, I should think, sir.’

‘Nevertheless, I would be most interested to see whether there is a towpath, and to see where it goes.’

‘I think one of our constables is looking for us, sir. I’ll give him a shout. Over here!’ said Crabb, gesturing to the officer.

‘Ah, there you are, sir. You must be Inspector Ravenscourt?’ said the breathless constable.

‘Ravenscroft,’ corrected the detective.

‘Begging your pardon, sir, Superintendent Henderson sends his compliments and has asked me to see that you get this note, sir.’

‘Thank you, my man,’ said Ravenscroft, taking the piece of paper and reading its contents.

‘Something serious, sir?’ enquired an anxious Crabb.

‘Apparently they have recovered a body from the River Severn down at Upton. They think it might be Evelyn. We are to go to Upton right away and meet Henderson there,’ replied Ravenscroft, refolding the piece of paper.

‘This way, sir, I’ve got a trap waiting,’ said the constable.

‘Then we’d best be on our way, Officer.’

As the group of three men made their way out of the cathedral precincts, they failed to notice the forlorn hooded figure, who gazed down upon them from the ramparts of the tower of the great building.