Peter Tremayne - Badger's Moon

‘Gabrán! The boy had good reason for killing Lesren. There is the possibility that, after our visit this morning, Gabrán might have been so angry that he went to have it out with Lesren.’

The thought had already occurred to Fidelma. The boy had certainly been angry that Lesren was still accusing him of the death of Beccnat.

Accobrán seemed impressed. ‘I think Brother Eadulf’s suggestion is worthy of investigation.’

‘Certainly, nothing should be discounted,’ Fidelma said. ‘But we know that Lesren’s accusation was false, so Lesren’s death is not part of the pattern of killing.’

‘I suppose that motive can be ascribed to Fínmed as well,’ sighed Eadulf as he thought more about the matter. ‘All three, Goll, Fínmed and Gabrán, felt an anger and hatred towards Lesren which might be a motive for this crime.’

‘On the other hand, there may be no connection with any of these matters at all,’ Fidelma reminded him. ‘We must consider this development very carefully. But, as yet, I have heard no details at all. You have still to tell me how you came by the knowledge of Lesren’s death.’

It was Accobrán who explained. ‘After we left you, we had just returned to the fortress when one of Lesren’s workers came to find me. It was he who reported the matter. So we rode to check whether it was true. Lesren’s body was at the edge of the woods just behind the tannery. Seeing that we could do nothing further for the man. thinking that you might be in danger, we came straight away to find you.’

‘And the man who found the body?’

‘We left him looking after it and rendering what comfort he could to Bébháil, Lesren’s wife.’

They had joined the road which stretched along the riverbank and came once again to the collection of wooden buildings that constituted the tannery of Lesren. The drying hides were still stretched on the frames about the buildings but there was no sign now of anyone working at the framing or the dyeing.

‘Where is the body?’ Fidelma demanded, as they halted outside Lesren’s bothán , and dismounted.

Accobrán indicated the edge of the wood. Even before he spoke, a man appeared from the cover of the trees and waved to them.

‘That is Tómma. Lesren’s assistant. It is he who reported the death and he whom we left looking after it,’ the tanist explained, waving back to the man.

‘Am I to presume that Tómma left the body unattended when he came to tell you at the fortress?’

‘He told us that he and Creoda had discovered it and then he called Bébháil. She said she would stay with the body while Tómma came to the fortress to find me.’

They left the horses hitched to the rail outside the main building and Accobrán led the way towards the waiting man.

‘Where is Bébháil?’ asked Fidelma, glancing quickly around. There was no sign of the woman. Accobrán shrugged by way of reply.

As they neared Tómma, Fidelma saw that Lesren’s body was lying on its back by the edge of the trees. It was stretched out in repose as if waiting for burial. In fact, it was clear that someone had carefully laid Lesren’s body out on the grass, straightening the limbs and folding the arms across the chest. Indeed, as Fidelma peered closer she realised that the corpse had already been washed.

Fidelma suppressed a hiss of irritation. She knew that clues could have been destroyed in the process. She glanced angrily at the man who stood there.

‘Did you do this?’ She indicated the body and then, realising that her question was open to misinterpretation, she added: ‘Did you lay the body out and wash the limbs?’

Tómma was a man of about the same age as Lesren but with curly black hair. He looked surprised at her question and shook his head rapidly.

‘Not I, Sister. It was Bébháil who did this.’

‘You should have stopped her,’ admonished Eadulf, who realised what was passing through Fidelma’s mind. ‘Where is she now?’

‘Resting in the bothán ,’ Tómma replied. ‘The woman was in shock and it would be pointless to rebuke her for ministering to her dead husband.’

‘You were right to treat her gently, Tómma, but this makes my task the more difficult,’ Fidelma said with a tightness in her voice which showed that she was still annoyed. She bent down and began to examine the corpse. There was little she could tell at first glance.

‘Do you recall how the body was lying when you first came upon it, Tómma?’ she asked. ‘And how did he die? In fact, what were the circumstances of your finding his body?’

The man shuffled his feet uneasily. ‘It was just after midday. There was only drying to be done and Lesren had sent most of the other workers back to their homes. That was the last time I saw him alive, Sister. I went home but I was to return this afternoon to help Lesren and Creoda take the bigger skins down from the frames-’

‘Creoda? What is his position?’

‘He is one of the young workers at the tannery. I called at his cabin on my return here, so we came together. Lesren was nowhere to be found and so I went to his bothán . Bébháil was there but said she had not seen her man since the midday meal. Creoda and I went looking around to see if we could find him.’

‘And you did?’

‘We found him.’

‘And he was dead?’

Tómma hesitated and looked unhappy. ‘Not quite.’

Fidelma raised her head to look squarely at him. ‘You mean that he was alive?’

‘He was dying and delirious.’

‘Did he say anything?’

The man hesitated again. ‘He was muttering something. All I heard was the name Biobhal.’

Fidelma frowned. ‘Biobhal? Not Bébháil? Was he asking for his wife?’

‘He was not. The name was clearly Biobhal. I remarked on that to Creoda, for Lesren died while uttering it. I know of no one by that strange name.’

‘Where is this Creoda, by the way?’

‘He returned to his bothán .’ Tómma paused and gestured apologetically. ‘Creoda is barely eighteen years old and lives nearby. I suppose with what has happened he was naturally fearful, and…’

‘No matter. We will see Creoda later. Where may we find him?’

Tómma indicated with his hand. ‘Westward, along the river track. His bothán lies back in the trees about twenty-five yards from the river. If you head in that direction, you can’t miss it.’

‘Very well. Now, where was Lesren lying when you found him?’

‘He was just here by these trees. He was lying there but in a more untidy fashion. The legs spread out, one under his body. The arms stretched out — so.’ He demonstrated with his own arms.

‘And, when he had muttered this name that you say you do not recognise, you knew that he had then died?’

The man considered for a moment. ‘I was fairly sure. Blood was everywhere. Creoda had run off. So I went to fetch Bébháil. She told me to run to the fortress.’

‘When did she start to clean the body?’

It was Eadulf who answered Fidelma. ‘When we left Tómma and Bébháil, she had not begun.’

The assistant tanner nodded. ‘Liag told her that she could do so after the tanist and this brother had ridden off to bring you here.’

Fidelma was genuinely startled. ‘Liag the apothecary? Was he here? How does he come into this drama?’

She glanced at Eadulf and Accobrán but their astonished looks gave the answer to her question. Liag’s arrival was news to them.

‘As soon as the Saxon brother and our tanist had left, Liag came out of the woods and examined Lesren,’ explained Tómma. ‘He instructed Bébháil to begin the funereal ministrations.’

Fidelma almost cursed the apothecary under her breath. ‘And she did so?’