Hemlock at Vespers: Fifteen Sister Fidelma Mysteries

by Peter Tremayne

“So the quiver of arrows was in this tent while you went to find the Bishop’s jockey at the Bishop’s request?” Fidelma summed up. “The bishop was alone in the tent, then?”

  Once more a look of indignation caused Bressal’s face to flush.

  “If you are saying that I took an arrow and went to kill Illan ...” he began.

  “Yet you were alone in this tent at that time?”

  “Some of the time,” admitted Bressal. “Sílán left his weapons most of the morning and we were constantly in and out of the tent. Also, there were visitors coming and going. Why, even Fáelán and his wife, Muadnat, were here for a moment.”

  Fidelma was surprised. “Why would he come here? You had become bitter rivals.”

  “Fáelán merely wanted to boast about Aonbharr.”

  “Was that before or after you had your argument with Illan?”

  “Before.”

  “And Muadnat was with him?”

  “Yes. Then Énna came by.”

  “What for?”

  “To beg me to withdraw Ochain from the race, saying my argument with Fáelán was an embarassment to the kingdom. This is pointless. Angaire and Murchad were here as well ...”

  “Was Énna’s wife, the lady Dagháin, one of your visitors?” queried Fidelma.

  The bishop shook his head. “However, if you are looking for an opportunity to take an arrow and kill Illan, why, several people had that opportunity.”

  “And what about the cena full of poison herbs?”

  “All I can say is that it bears my insignia but I have no knowledge of it.”

  Fidelma smiled thinly and turned to Laisran. “Walk with me a moment.”

  Bressal stared at her in outrage as she made to leave his tent.

  “What do you propose to do?” he demanded.

  Fidelma glanced across her shoulder toward him.

  “I propose to finish my investigation, Bressal,” she said shortly before stepping through the flap, followed by the bewildered Laisran.

  Outside, Fáelán had posted several of his elite guards to keep the Bishop a prisoner.

  “You do not like the good Bishop,” Laisran reflected once they were outside.

  Fidelma gave her urchinlike grin.

  “The Bishop is not a likeable man.”

  “And the evidence weighs heavily against him,” went on Laisran, as he fell into step with the religieuse. “Surely that evidence is now conclusive?”

  Fidelma shook her head.

  “If Bressal or Sílán had used the arrow to kill Illan then neither would have kept hold of the incriminating half of the arrow so that it could be found so easily.”

  “But, it makes sense. Either one of them could have stabbed Illan with the arrow. Then, realizing that the design on the flight would betray them, they broke off the arrow and took the incriminating part away with them ...”

  Fidelma smiled gently. “Leaving the cena with the poison and its insignia conspicuously in Illan’s tent? No, my good mentor, if they were that clever then they would have simply destroyed the arrow. There are enough braziers in which to have burnt it. Why place it invitingly back in the quiver where it would easily be discovered? And they would have rid themselves of the cena. Also, my friend, in the excitement you have forgotten the very fact that neither Bressal nor Sílán appears to be aware of and which demonstrates their innocence.”

  Laisran looked bewildered.

  “What fact?”

  “The fact that the arrow was placed in the wound after Illan was dead in order to mislead us. The fact that Illan was killed by a dagger thrust and not by stabbing with the arrow.”

  Laisran clapped a hand to his head. He had forgotten that very point in the agitation of Fidelma’s cross examination of Bressal and Sílán.

  “Are you suggesting that there is some plot to make Bressal appear guilty?”

  “I am,” confirmed Fidelma.

  Laisran looked at her thunderstruck.

  “Then who... ?” His eyes widened. “Surely you are not suggesting that the King... ? Are you saying that Fáelán might have feared that his horse would not win against Bressal’s horse and so he contrived this intricate plot... ?”

  Fidelma pursed her lips.

  “Your hypothesis is good but there is more work to be done before the hypothesis can be used in argument.”

  Enna was suddenly blocking their path.

  “Have you seen Bressal, Sister?” he greeted and when she nodded he smiled grimly. “Has he now confessed his guilt?”

  Fidelma regarded him for a moment.

  “So you believe him to be guilty?”

  Énna stood in surprise.

  “Believe? Surely there is no doubt?”

  “Under our laws, one must be proven guilty of the offense unless one confesses that guilt. Bressal does not accept any guilt. My investigation must show proof against him.”

  “Then that is not difficult.”

  “You think not?” Énna looked uncomfortable at her mocking tone. “I would have everyone concerned now gather in Fáelán’s tent: Bressal, Sílán, Angaire, Murchad, Fáelán and Muadnat, yourself and Dagháin. There I will reveal the result of my investigation.”

  As Enna hurried away, Fidelma turned to Laisran.

  “Wait for me at Fáelán’s tent, I will not be long.” At Laisran’s look of interrogation, she added: “I have to look for something to complete my speculation.”

  At Fidelma’s request they had all crowded into the tent of Fáelán of the Uí Dúnlainge, King of the Laighin.

  “This has been a most perplexing mystery,” she began when the king signaled her to speak. “What seemed simple at first began to become mysterious and obscure. That was until now.”

  Fidelma smiled broadly at them.

  “And now?” It was Fáelán who prompted her.

  “Now all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Firstly, the evidence against Bressal is overwhelming.”

  There was a gasp of outrage from Bressal.

  “It is not true. I am not guilty,” he protested indignantly.

  Fidelma raised her hand for silence.

  “I did not say that you were. Only that the evidence against you was overwhelming. However, if you had been guilty, or, indeed, if Sílán had carried out the deed for you, then you would have known that Illan had not been stabbed with an arrow but with a dagger. Only the real killer knew this and the person who placed the arrow in the wound. The arrow was a false scent planted in an attempt to lay a path to Bressal. It was obvious, therefore, that someone wanted me to find that evidence and draw the inevitable but wrong conclusion.”

  Bressal gave a deep sigh and relaxed for the first time. Sílán, behind him, looked less defensive.

  “I first approached this matter from the viewpoint of the motive, which seemed obvious,” went on Fidelma. “What immediately sprang to all minds was the idea that both Illan and the horse, Aonbharr, had been killed to prevent them taking part in the race today. Who would benefit by this? Well, Bressal, of course, for his horse, Ochain, and Murchad, his jockey, were the only serious contenders in the race other than Illan and Aonbharr. So if Bressal was not guilty, who could it have been? Who would benefit? Was it Murchad, who had laid a large wager on his winning? Laisran had already witnessed Murchad earlier this morning placing heavy wagers on himself to win.”

  “No law against that!”

  Murchad had flushed angrily but Fidelma ignored him and went on: “Obviously it was not Murchad for he did not have a motive. He would only have collected his winnings if he had won the race which essentially meant taking part in it. If he had murdered Illan, poisoned Aonbharr and left the trail of false clues of Bressal, then it would be obvious that Bressal would be arrested and his horse and Murchad would be disqualified from racing. That being so, Murchad would have forfeited his wager.”

  Murchad nodded slowly in agreement and relief. Fidelma went blithely on.

  “If not Murchad, what of Angaire, the trainer? He was not
doing well for Bressal and had been told this very morning that Bressal was going to get rid of him. Bressal had made no secret of the fact that he had gone this very morning to see Illan in an attempt to persuade him to return to his stable and ride for him instead of Fáelán. Angaire had a better motive than Murchad.”

  Angaire shifted uneasily where he stood. But Fidelma continued.

  “You see, sticking to the line of argument about the horse race as the motive, there was only one other person with a motive who might benefit from putting the blame on Bressal.”

  She turned toward Fáelán, the king. He stared at her in astonishment which swiftly grew into anger.

  “Wait,” she cut his protests short. “Such a plot was too convoluted. Besides, everyone was of the opinion that Aonbharr could outdistance Ochain. There was no challenge there to be worried about. So there was no motive.”

  She paused and looked around at their perplexed faces.

  “It eventually became clear that the killing of Illan was not caused by rivalries on the race track. There was another motive for that crime. But was it the same motive as that for poisoning Aonbharr?”

  They were all silent now, waiting for her to continue.

  “The motive for Illan’s death was as ageless as time. Unrequited love. Illan was young, handsome and his reputation among women was such that he had many lovers. He picked them up as one might pick up flowers, kept them until the affair withered and them threw them away. Am I not right?”

  Fáelán was pale and he glanced surreptitiously at Muadnat.

  “That is no crime, Fidelma. In our society, many still take second wives, husbands or lovers.”

  “True enough. But one of the flowers which Illan had picked was not ready to be discarded. She went to his tent this morning and argued with him. And when he spurned her, when he said he would have no more to do with her, she, in a fit of rage, stabbed him to death. All it needed was one swift dagger blow under the rib cage.”

  “If this is so,” said Énna, quietly, “why would she go to such lengths to put the blame on Bressal? Why poison Aonbharr? The laws of our society allow leniency to those who perpetrate such crimes of passion.”

  Fidelma inclined her head. “A case could be made that any non-fatal injury inflicted by the woman in such circumstances does not incur liability. Our laws recognize the stirring of uncontrollable passion in such circumstances. In the matter of death she would be fined her victim’s honor price only. No other punishment would be necessary.”

  “Then why, if this were so, did the woman conceal her crime, for the concealment brings forth greater punishment?” repeated Enna.

  “Because there were two separate villainies at work here and one fed off the initial deed of the other,” replied Fidelma.

  “I don’t understand. Who killed Illan?” Fáelán again glanced uneasily at his wife. “You say it was a woman. By attempting to conceal the crime such a woman, no matter her rank, if found guilty, would be placed into a boat with one paddle and a vessel of gruel and the mercy of God. Sister Fidelma,” his voice suddenly broke with passion, “is it Muadnat of whom you speak?”

  Fáelán wife sat as if turned to stone.

  Fidelma did not reply immediately but drew out of her marsupium a belt with a bejewelled ceremonial sheath. There was a small dagger in it. She took out the dagger and handed it to Muadnat.

  “Does the dagger belong to you, my lady?”

  “It is mine,” Muadnat replied grimly.

  Fáelán gasped in horror, as if his worst fears were confirmed.

  “Then ... ?” he began.

  Fidelma was shaking her head. “No, Dagháin killed Illan.”

  There was a gasp of astonishment from the company and all eyes turned on the flushed face of Enna’s wife. Dagháin sat stunned for a moment by the revelation. Then, as if in a dream, she slowly rose to her feet and looked about her, as if searching out someone. “Liar! Betrayer!” she hissed venomously. Fidelma glanced quickly in the direction the woman was gazing and felt satisfied.

  Dagháin now turned toward her and cursed her in a way which left no one in doubt as to her guilt. Énna had simply collapsed into a chair, immobile with shock.

  After Dagháin had been removed to a place of confinement, Fidelma had to raise her hands to quell the questions that were thrown at her.

  “Dagháin was seen coming to the Curragh early this morning. The apothecary, Sister Eblenn, saw her soon after she had been robbed which was just after breakfast. Dagháin therefore lied when she said that she had come later in the morning to the course. That lie alerted my suspicions. A suspicion which was increased when I realized that the arrow was not the murder weapon but the wound had been made by a dagger. When I first came before Fáelán, Muadnat had been wearing a ceremonial dagger sheath yet there was no dagger in it.”

  “This I don’t understand,” Fáelán said. “Surely this would lay the suspicion on Muadnat?”

  “Indeed, I was suspicious for a while, that I admit. But it was obvious to my eye that the dagger in Dagháin’s sheath was too small to fit comfortably in it. That I had to work out. Then I realized that she, at some stage, put Muadnat’s dagger in her sheath, is that not so?”

  Muadnat spoke softly.

  “She wanted an apple to calm her nerves and asked me for the loan of my dagger, saying she had mislaid her own. It was only a moment ago that I realized Dagháin had not returned it.”

  “Dagháin,” Fidelma went on, “in her description of the finding of Illan, said that she had run straight to tell Énna. Yet she was seen running from his tent directly to her own tent. I searched her tent a moment ago. Thankfully, she had discarded her ceremonial belt and sheath. I was confirmed in my suspicion that the dagger did not belong to her but was that of Muadnat.”

  “Then where was Dagháin’s own dagger?” demanded Laisran, intrigued.

  “I found it where I suspected it would be, the blade is still covered with Illan’s blood. It was in Angaire’s saddle bag.”

  Angaire, with a cry of rage, made to jump to the tent door but one of the Baoisgne, the king’s guards, stayed him with a drawn sword to his chest. Fidelma continued on without taking any notice of the drama.

  “While Angaire did not kill Illan, he did poison Aonbharr, and then tried to place the guilt for both deeds on Bressal by planting the arrow and cena as evidence. Angaire’s actions obscured the real murderer of Illan. You see Angaire knew that he was about to be discarded by Bressal. I have already given you his motive. Bressal had been quite open in his intention to replace Angaire. Indeed, even if Illan had not refused Bressal’s offer to return to his stable, Angaire’s days as trainer were still numbered.

  “Angaire had, I believe, already devised a plan to hurt Bressal. I believe his original intention was to poison Ochain. For that end, he stole some poisonous plants from the tent of Sister Eblenn early this morning. Then the mysteries of Fate itself took over. Angaire overheard Bressal arguing with Illan. But the plot did not occur to him then.

  “It was only when he was with Murchad and Sílán a little while later, that he saw Dagháin fleeing from Illan’s tent. Her dress was disheveled and the ceremonial dagger missing. She fled to her own tent. He had made a lewd remark, an automatic remark. His companions, Sílán and Murchad, were leaving. Perhaps even before then the thought had struck him that his unthinking remark might be true and what if... his mind was thinking about the missing dagger.

  “He went to Illan’s tent. There was Dagháin’s knife buried in Illan’s chest. His suspicion was right. He took out the knife with the idea growing in his mind. Here was his chance to get even with Bressal and to secure a future lucrative role for himself in the service of Dagháin. He hurried to her tent, showed her the knife, which he kept as a hold over her. He told her to wait a while before she should find her husband and tell him the story which she has subsequently told us. The reason for her to be in Illan’s tent was that she had noticed that Aonbharr was ill. This was Angaire�
��s addition providing a perfect excuse and an essential part of his intrigue.

  “Then he hurried to Bressal’s tent, furtively took an arrow from Sílán’s quiver, broke it in two, and left one half in the quiver. The other he took, together with his cena full of poisonous herbs, and hurried to his task. He fed Aonbharr the poison. Then went into Illan’s tent and thrust the forward section of the broken arrow into the wound. He left the cena in plain sight. The false trail was laid.

  “Thus two separate villainies were at work, coming together over the one great crime. And who is the greater villain—Dagháin, a pitiful, rejected woman, or Angaire, petty and vengeful, whose spite might have led to an even greater crime? I tell you this, Fáelán, when the time comes for Dagháin to be tried before the courts, I would like to be retained as her advocate.”

  “But what made you connect Dagháin with Illan?” demanded Fáelán.

  “Énna himself indicated that his wife had had an affair with Illan by a chance remark. You knew of the affair, didn’t you, Énna?”

  Enna glanced up from his chair, red-eyed with emotional exhaustion. He nodded slowly.

  “I knew. I did not know that she was so besotted with Illan that she would resort to such means to keep him when he finally rejected her,” he whispered. “Fáelán, I will stand down as your Tanist. I am not worthy now.”

  The King of the Laighin grimaced.

  “We will talk of this, Énna,” he said, with considerable discomfit, studiously ignoring his wife, Muadnat. “I am not without sympathy for your situation. There are doubtless several victims in this terrible drama. Yet I still do not understand why Dagháin would do this thing. She was the wife of a Tanist, heir presumptive to the throne of the Laighin, while Illan was merely a jockey. How could she behave thus simply because Illan rejected her for a new lover?”

  The question was aimed at Fidelma.

  “There is no simplicity about the complexity of human emotions, Fáelán,” replied Fidelma. “But if we are to seek the real victim then it is the poor beast Aonbharr. Truly, Aonbharr was a horse that died in an attempt to conceal the shame of others.”

  A trumpet was sounding outside.