The Blood Pit (43 page)

There was a long silence. ‘Janet got in touch with me via e-mail. She’d found out where I was through the school
website that Mortimer Dean so assiduously kept up to date and suggested that we meet. She said she had something to tell me. This
isn’t an enclosed order, Inspector. I was able to go up north to meet her. She was living in Chester and we met halfway, in
Lichfield … in the cathedral. She said she’d met Christopher Grisham … and then she told me she’d killed him. I was shocked,
of course, but I understood. I can never forget what happened that night. I told her she had to go to the police and make
a full confession but …’

Wesley looked the man in the eye. ‘You never raped her, did you? And she didn’t try to kill you today. The hospital said your
wounds were only superficial. When you heard us coming you wounded yourself to make it look convincing. If we hadn’t arrived,
Janet would have just gone away. Left the area and taken up a new identity, am I right? You met her to say goodbye.’

‘If that’s what you believe …’

After a few moments of silence Wesley spoke again. ‘Janet wasn’t the only person Charlie Marrick raped back then, was she?’

His mouth fell open and the colour drained from his face. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘Marrick raped you too.’

Francis looked up. There were tears welling in his eye, trickling down his cheek. ‘I’ve spent my life trying to come to terms
with what happened; doing my best to forget. My faith told me quite clearly that I should forgive but somehow I never could,
however hard I tried. Marrick scarred my body and my mind, inspector. I kept quiet about Janet’s rape because Charlie threatened
that if I didn’t, I’d be next. I did as I was told but he …’

‘He did it anyway?’ Wesley suddenly felt deeply sorry for the man sitting there before him.

‘You don’t know what he was like. He was evil.’

‘So you helped her to kill him,’ Wesley said gently.

Francis wiped his eyes with his sleeve. ‘It was a terrible thing to do,’ he whispered. ‘Even to the man who …’

‘What about the others – Simon Tench and Mortimer Dean?’

He swallowed hard. ‘Janet killed Simon – he’d been one of the ones who … She’d seen him on some property programme, she said,
with his smug wife – her words not mine.’

‘And Mortimer Dean?’

The tears welled again. ‘Mortimer had always known exactly what happened, you see. Janet gave me some of the poisoned whisky
she’d prepared. Mortimer was very partial to single malt. I took it round as a present. He was delighted. I wanted him to
die happy, you see.’

‘But why?’

‘Because he knew too much. Janet said he couldn’t be allowed to betray us. I didn’t want to kill him, honestly. But I knew
she was right. As he lay there I told him how sorry I was … asked his forgiveness.’

Wesley recited the familiar words of the caution and then led Brother Francis gently away.

From the journal of Abbott Thomas Standing 11th October 1535

Brother William came to me this hour weeping and sore afraid. I assured him of my protection even though he killed a man.
I told him that man was corrupt, a devil, and he has asked forgiveness of Our Lord who died for our sins on the cross and
pardons all that truly repent, so his soul is in no peril.

Brother Silas was ever a corrupter of souls like the serpent in Eden. And when he tried to force Brother William to submit
to his unnatural lusts – as he had forced other novices I have since learned – Brother William stabbed him at the seyney house
with the lancet the brother infirmerer uses for the bloodletting. It seems that the leisure of the seyney house inflamed Brother
Silas’s desires. It may be that the rule is too lax there. By some misfortune the blade struck Brother Silas’s throat, in
a place where the blood flows freely and cannot be stopped. Brother William was sore afraid and his tormentor bled to death
as it was night and in a most private place so there was no help to be had.

Brother William confessed all to me and I absolved him of his sins. Perhaps I too am guilty as I feel no pity at this man’s
death. Brother Silas lies in the chapel tonight and the brothers keep vigil. I have told Brother William not to touch the
corpse
lest it begins to bleed again as murdered corpses are wont to do in the presence of their murderer. He will be buried tomorrow
in the brothers’ resting place and I pray that will be an end to the matter.

I hear tell that John Tregonwell will report upon our house to Master Thomas Cromwell very soon and I fear our community will
not survive if the King has his will – which our King always does. I must pray and forget.

A week later Wesley walked into Gerry Heffernan’s office. Since Steve’s death the place had been considerably less cheerful
than Colin Bowman’s mortuary. And today things were even worse. The funeral was to be held that lunchtime. And everyone would
be there, from the lowest DC to the chief constable. Wesley was dreading it.

‘I’ve been doing some digging,’ he said as Heffernan looked up. The DCI looked tired. He hadn’t slept, he said. And Joyce was
busy visiting her mother in hospital so there was no comfort from that quarter either.

‘Diane … Neil’s friend. The one who’s confessed to killing Barry Ickerman.’

‘What about her?’

‘I’ve found out she was married at university to a Paul Lowe – and divorced soon after. Then I looked up her maiden name. Guess
what it is?’

‘Surprise me,’ Heffernan said wearily.

‘Ickerman.’

Heffernan raised his eyebrows.

‘I finally managed to trace the couple who used to run Sunacres Holiday Park at the time Barry Ickerman disappeared. I know
we should have checked this out before but …’

‘We have been rather busy.’

‘The couple live in Morbay now and I sent someone to have a word with them. They remembered the Ickermans: they stayed for
a fortnight but the father left after about ten days. It’s a long
time ago but they remember the mother telling them that he was called away on business. The woman remembered him because she
thought he was a bit creepy and she was glad when he left. She said the little girl was sweet though. Diane her name was.’
He allowed himself a small smile of triumph.

‘So Diane didn’t kill a random flasher in the woods. It was her own father and her mother helped her cover it up. Poor kid.’

‘Are we going to take it any further?’

Gerry Heffernan hesitated then he looked him in the eye. ‘Nothing’s been written down officially, has it?’

‘Not yet.’

‘She was only a kid and I don’t think there’s anything to be gained by raking it all up, do you?’

Wesley thought for a moment. Colin’s postmortem was inconclusive so there was no actual evidence of murder. What would really
be the point of alerting the CPS and putting Diane through the ordeal of making statements and the threat of court proceedings?
Not to mention the waste of taxpayers’ money. His eyes met Heffernan’s in silent understanding.

‘I think we can safely forget it, don’t you, Gerry? Case unsolved. It won’t do our clear-up rate much good but …’

‘Good man, Wes. Least said soonest mended as my old granny used to say. And I don’t like men who do that to kiddies.’ Heffernan
examined his watch. ‘Better tell everyone to be ready in five minutes.’

Wesley left the DCI’s office and returned to his desk. Absentmindedly, he opened the top drawer. The travel brochure was lying
there. Carcassonne with its ancient walls and pepper pot towers glowing in the French sunshine. Pam would love it. And come
the end of term she’d need a break badly. Just as he did. Life went on.

When he looked up, Gerry Heffernan was emerging from his office, his face serious above his black tie.

It was time to go.

Watch out for Kate Ellis’ gripping new crime series,
featuring DI Joe Plantagenet:

Seeking the Dead

When Carmel Hennessy begins a new job in North Yorkshire, she finds the historic city of Eborby gripped by fear. A killer is
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