Read Online Murder in the Monastery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery series) by Lesley Cookman - Free Book Online
Authors: Lesley Cookman
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figures throwing the reliquary around like a football,’ said Libby. ‘You need to see Alastair’s family tree. It’s vast.’
‘That’s what I thought. You see, there will always be offshoots of a family who resent the main branch. Wouldn’t you say it could have been one of those who played fast and loose with this thing?’
‘Maybe,’ said Libby doubtfully. ‘It all sounds a bit far-fetched to me. In fact, why are you so interested?’
‘Because,’ said Ian, ‘the item was stolen from a murder victim within living memory, and it has now shown up. That means we have to investigate. You know that. You told us about it.’
‘But the history …’
‘Libby, you’re always the one who wants to look into the history. Now, did you hear that the estate is to loan the reliquary to the Abbey for the duration of the play?’
‘Yes, Patti told me yesterday. How did that come about. Was it you?’
‘How did you know?’ asked Ian, after a pause.
‘I couldn’t think that anyone else requesting it would have been indulged,’ said Libby. ‘Is it bait?’
‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that,’ said Ian, sounding uncomfortable.
‘But you want to see if it draws anyone out.’
‘In a way. We thought if it was publicised –’
‘Isn’t that dangerous?’
‘It will be well guarded, and only on view during performances. The rest of the time it will be in secure custody.’
‘Police, or a security company?’
‘Whatever resources can stretch to. There has been interest from a Kent museum since the news leaked out –’
‘Leaked out?’
‘You couldn’t expect this to stay under wraps, and, as I say, this museum might undertake to keep it temporarily.’
‘Hmm. I suppose it will be all right, as long as the nuns aren’t put in danger.’
‘We’d never do that. So you carry on with your rehearsals, and we’ll make all the arrangements. We’ll let you know if any developments occur.’
‘So that’s that,’ said Libby to Sidney, as she switched off the phone. ‘Thank you and good night.’
She called Fran, then Patti, Ben and Peter and relayed the news.
‘I expect Ian will tell Sister Catherine himself,’ she said to Patti, ‘so there’s no need for me to bother her.’
‘I expect so,’ said Patti, ‘but he’ll have a fight on his hands.’
‘He will?’
‘The nuns want to keep the reliquary in the Abbey for the duration. They don’t want it going anywhere else. They feel it’s their right, even though they won’t keep it afterwards.’
‘Right. This should be interesting, then, but as I said to Ian we don’t want to put the nuns in danger.’
‘Not many people break into an abbey,’ said Patti. ‘Especially one with a good security system!’
The subject of the reliquary gradually disappeared from daily conversation over the next couple of weeks, until the first rehearsal took place at the Abbey in the ruins of the monastery.
‘Apparently,’ said Peter, as he drove Ben and Libby to the Abbey, ‘the reliquary is already there, in a special glass case and they’ve appointed a private security company to look after it at night.’
‘Only at night?’ said Libby.
‘There’ll be people around it all the rest of the time,’ said Peter, ‘and it’s a high-security case.’
‘Are they opening it to the public?’ asked Ben.
‘Only the public who come to the play. And since there’s been a bit about it in the local press ticket sales have shot up.’
‘Really?’ Libby was interested. ‘Has our Campbell been on to you yet?’
‘Not yet. I doubt if it’s quite TV news-worthy.’
Campbell McLean was a reporter for the Kent and Coast television network.
‘Jane ran it in the Mercury ,’ said Peter. ‘I sent her the press release myself.’
Jane Baker was assistant editor at the Nethergate Mercury and was a long-standing friend.
‘In that case Campbell won’t be far behind,’ said Libby. ‘He picks all Jane’s stories apart.’
When
‘That’s what I thought. You see, there will always be offshoots of a family who resent the main branch. Wouldn’t you say it could have been one of those who played fast and loose with this thing?’
‘Maybe,’ said Libby doubtfully. ‘It all sounds a bit far-fetched to me. In fact, why are you so interested?’
‘Because,’ said Ian, ‘the item was stolen from a murder victim within living memory, and it has now shown up. That means we have to investigate. You know that. You told us about it.’
‘But the history …’
‘Libby, you’re always the one who wants to look into the history. Now, did you hear that the estate is to loan the reliquary to the Abbey for the duration of the play?’
‘Yes, Patti told me yesterday. How did that come about. Was it you?’
‘How did you know?’ asked Ian, after a pause.
‘I couldn’t think that anyone else requesting it would have been indulged,’ said Libby. ‘Is it bait?’
‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that,’ said Ian, sounding uncomfortable.
‘But you want to see if it draws anyone out.’
‘In a way. We thought if it was publicised –’
‘Isn’t that dangerous?’
‘It will be well guarded, and only on view during performances. The rest of the time it will be in secure custody.’
‘Police, or a security company?’
‘Whatever resources can stretch to. There has been interest from a Kent museum since the news leaked out –’
‘Leaked out?’
‘You couldn’t expect this to stay under wraps, and, as I say, this museum might undertake to keep it temporarily.’
‘Hmm. I suppose it will be all right, as long as the nuns aren’t put in danger.’
‘We’d never do that. So you carry on with your rehearsals, and we’ll make all the arrangements. We’ll let you know if any developments occur.’
‘So that’s that,’ said Libby to Sidney, as she switched off the phone. ‘Thank you and good night.’
She called Fran, then Patti, Ben and Peter and relayed the news.
‘I expect Ian will tell Sister Catherine himself,’ she said to Patti, ‘so there’s no need for me to bother her.’
‘I expect so,’ said Patti, ‘but he’ll have a fight on his hands.’
‘He will?’
‘The nuns want to keep the reliquary in the Abbey for the duration. They don’t want it going anywhere else. They feel it’s their right, even though they won’t keep it afterwards.’
‘Right. This should be interesting, then, but as I said to Ian we don’t want to put the nuns in danger.’
‘Not many people break into an abbey,’ said Patti. ‘Especially one with a good security system!’
The subject of the reliquary gradually disappeared from daily conversation over the next couple of weeks, until the first rehearsal took place at the Abbey in the ruins of the monastery.
‘Apparently,’ said Peter, as he drove Ben and Libby to the Abbey, ‘the reliquary is already there, in a special glass case and they’ve appointed a private security company to look after it at night.’
‘Only at night?’ said Libby.
‘There’ll be people around it all the rest of the time,’ said Peter, ‘and it’s a high-security case.’
‘Are they opening it to the public?’ asked Ben.
‘Only the public who come to the play. And since there’s been a bit about it in the local press ticket sales have shot up.’
‘Really?’ Libby was interested. ‘Has our Campbell been on to you yet?’
‘Not yet. I doubt if it’s quite TV news-worthy.’
Campbell McLean was a reporter for the Kent and Coast television network.
‘Jane ran it in the Mercury ,’ said Peter. ‘I sent her the press release myself.’
Jane Baker was assistant editor at the Nethergate Mercury and was a long-standing friend.
‘In that case Campbell won’t be far behind,’ said Libby. ‘He picks all Jane’s stories apart.’
When
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