Read Online Killing Cousins by Alanna Knight - Free Book Online
Authors: Alanna Knight
Tags: Historical fiction, Historical, Literature & Fiction, Crime, Genre Fiction, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Murder, Thrillers & Suspense
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trickle of blood ran down the stone, uncomfortably reminiscent of the sacrificial legend.
Faro frowned. The Odin Stone itself was quite dry. Why should it be wet all around Troller yet just a foot away Thora Balfray's grave-clothes were bone dry? He walked round the stone examining the grass, Frith at his heels. 'Has anyone but yourself walked round here?'
Frith gave a bewildered shake of his head. 'Maybe. I don't think so. Reverend Erlandson and I were the first ones here ...'
Faro pointed to the watchers who gathered a few yards away, their silent ranks broken only by an occasional murmur, a woman's sob. 'Are you sure?' he asked.
'Look at them, sir. See how afraid they are. It did not take much persuasion from me, I can tell you, to keep them at a distance.'
'I implored them to go home immediately, I wanted to spare my little flock this dreadful scene,' added the minister agitatedly as he again turned to the scene on the Odin Stone. 'I cannot imagine Troller doing such a wicked act as this.'
He looked across at the crowd which had grown, with torches approaching singly or in bands from the village. He made a helpless gesture. 'What devil put such an idea as this into his poor sick mind?'
'I'm not sure what you mean, sir,' Faro interrupted.
Erlandson frowned grimly. 'The resurrection stone, that's what the heathens of old called it. That it could heal the sick and bring dead lovers back to life.'
He paused to let the words sink in and continued. 'Preposterous, I know that's what you're thinking, gentlemen. Superstitious nonsense, but in spite of our teachings these ideas die hard. But to do this, to hint that poor Mrs Balfray could be brought back to life.'
He shook his head angrily. 'It's quite intolerable and I still cannot believe the evidence of my own eyes. Simple, Troller Jack was, and immensely strong, but quite, quite harmless. He loved animals and children and they trusted him.'
'We encountered him this afternoon, sir,' said Vince.
'He was crouched by the vault here, sobbing his heart out, poor chap.'
'Is that so?' asked the minister. 'He was utterly distraught when Mrs Balfray died, so perhaps we should have been prepared for something like this. If only I had known, been able to offer him words of comfort from the Gospels. I blame myself, Dr Laurie, I should have guessed...'
'No one could guess die reactions of a sick child-like mind,' said Vince. 'Thora's death must have been his final break with reality. It isn't all that unusual. Grief can destroy even quite normal folk, you know.'
'Is that so? Then it is now poor Dr Balfray we must watch. Yes, we must be vigilant' Erlandson, bewildered, nodded vigorously, his gaze returned again to the scene on the Odin Stone. 'But to take her from her last resting place,' he repeated. 'Troller had a good Christian upbringing, gentlemen, came to church each Sunday.'
As he spoke a woman emerged from the crowd and, with a brief curtsy, produced a rough blanket. The minister covered Thora's corpse, for the wind had taken on a boisterous turn and was tugging at the elaborate shroud, billowing it out from her emaciated body into a macabre imitation of life.
Faro heard slurred voices from the little crowd. 'Is it a joke then?' 'Hush, Geordie.'
He stared thoughtfully over Vince's shoulder as he returned to his examination of the dead man, studying the watchers closely for the first time. Torches were being doused, they were no longer necessary. And in that pale but sharp and clear dawn light on the cliff top, he saw the genuinely shocked, the shocked but curious and in many cases the far from sober countenances, swaying unsteadily, hiccuping with vacant grins of disbelief.
A sound to his left indicated that Sergeant Frith had retreated behind a tombstone to be violently sick. Faro sighed deeply.
'Let me through, let me through.'
The newcomer was Francis Balfray. He stared at the blanket-covered figure and dragged himself forward as, swaying, he clutched at Captain
Faro frowned. The Odin Stone itself was quite dry. Why should it be wet all around Troller yet just a foot away Thora Balfray's grave-clothes were bone dry? He walked round the stone examining the grass, Frith at his heels. 'Has anyone but yourself walked round here?'
Frith gave a bewildered shake of his head. 'Maybe. I don't think so. Reverend Erlandson and I were the first ones here ...'
Faro pointed to the watchers who gathered a few yards away, their silent ranks broken only by an occasional murmur, a woman's sob. 'Are you sure?' he asked.
'Look at them, sir. See how afraid they are. It did not take much persuasion from me, I can tell you, to keep them at a distance.'
'I implored them to go home immediately, I wanted to spare my little flock this dreadful scene,' added the minister agitatedly as he again turned to the scene on the Odin Stone. 'I cannot imagine Troller doing such a wicked act as this.'
He looked across at the crowd which had grown, with torches approaching singly or in bands from the village. He made a helpless gesture. 'What devil put such an idea as this into his poor sick mind?'
'I'm not sure what you mean, sir,' Faro interrupted.
Erlandson frowned grimly. 'The resurrection stone, that's what the heathens of old called it. That it could heal the sick and bring dead lovers back to life.'
He paused to let the words sink in and continued. 'Preposterous, I know that's what you're thinking, gentlemen. Superstitious nonsense, but in spite of our teachings these ideas die hard. But to do this, to hint that poor Mrs Balfray could be brought back to life.'
He shook his head angrily. 'It's quite intolerable and I still cannot believe the evidence of my own eyes. Simple, Troller Jack was, and immensely strong, but quite, quite harmless. He loved animals and children and they trusted him.'
'We encountered him this afternoon, sir,' said Vince.
'He was crouched by the vault here, sobbing his heart out, poor chap.'
'Is that so?' asked the minister. 'He was utterly distraught when Mrs Balfray died, so perhaps we should have been prepared for something like this. If only I had known, been able to offer him words of comfort from the Gospels. I blame myself, Dr Laurie, I should have guessed...'
'No one could guess die reactions of a sick child-like mind,' said Vince. 'Thora's death must have been his final break with reality. It isn't all that unusual. Grief can destroy even quite normal folk, you know.'
'Is that so? Then it is now poor Dr Balfray we must watch. Yes, we must be vigilant' Erlandson, bewildered, nodded vigorously, his gaze returned again to the scene on the Odin Stone. 'But to take her from her last resting place,' he repeated. 'Troller had a good Christian upbringing, gentlemen, came to church each Sunday.'
As he spoke a woman emerged from the crowd and, with a brief curtsy, produced a rough blanket. The minister covered Thora's corpse, for the wind had taken on a boisterous turn and was tugging at the elaborate shroud, billowing it out from her emaciated body into a macabre imitation of life.
Faro heard slurred voices from the little crowd. 'Is it a joke then?' 'Hush, Geordie.'
He stared thoughtfully over Vince's shoulder as he returned to his examination of the dead man, studying the watchers closely for the first time. Torches were being doused, they were no longer necessary. And in that pale but sharp and clear dawn light on the cliff top, he saw the genuinely shocked, the shocked but curious and in many cases the far from sober countenances, swaying unsteadily, hiccuping with vacant grins of disbelief.
A sound to his left indicated that Sergeant Frith had retreated behind a tombstone to be violently sick. Faro sighed deeply.
'Let me through, let me through.'
The newcomer was Francis Balfray. He stared at the blanket-covered figure and dragged himself forward as, swaying, he clutched at Captain
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