Free The Spider's Web by Peter Tremayne Page B

you felt that Teafa might be able to calm Móen? And what happened then?’

    ‘Dubán found …’ Crón hesitated and rephrased her response pointedly. ‘Dubán returned within a few minutes and told me that he had discovered Teafa’s body. She had also been stabbed to death. Móen had clearly killed her first before …’
    Fidelma raised her hand to interrupt.
    ‘I am to be the judge of what happened. This is your speculation. We will proceed as the law tells us to.’
    Crón sniffed in annoyance.
    ‘My so-called speculation is correct.’
    ‘That we shall eventually see. What happened after Teafa’s death was reported to you?’
    ‘I went to rouse my mother and tell her the news.’
    ‘Your mother?’ Fidelma leaned forward with interest. ‘Eber’s wife?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘I see. Then she did not know of the death of her husband at this time?’
    ‘I have said as much.’
    ‘But this event happened before sunrise. Where was your father found?’
    ‘In his bed chamber.’
    Fidelma followed the logic grimly.
    ‘Then your mother was not with Eber?’
    ‘She was in her own bed chamber.’
    ‘I see,’ Fidelma said softly. She decided not to press the point. ‘And what happened after that?’
    Crón shrugged almost indifferently.
    ‘Little more that bears relevance. Móen, as I have said, has been safely locked away. Without my knowledge, my mother sent a young warrior named Critan to Cashel to inform the king of the tragedy. She apparently thought a Brehon should be sent to investigate rather than let her daughter exercise the role of tanist. My mother did not want me to be tanist.’
    Fidelma noted a slight bitterness in the girl’s voice.
    ‘Crítán returned two days ago to say that the king was sending someone. Thus we buried my father, as custom dictates, in our mound of chieftains. Teafa also. In accordance with the law I, as heir-elect, have taken charge. I could have dispensed justice as well without all these complications.’
    ‘That is not so, tanist.’ Fidelma’s voice was soft but firm. ‘You will not be chieftain until your derbfhine meets to confirm you in office and that is not for twenty-seven days after the death of the chieftain. A qualified Brehon needs to be the authority in such an investigation.’
    The young tanist made no reply.
    ‘Well,’ Fidelma said at length, ‘the facts seem clear as you have presented them. Did Duban make the discovery of your father’s body himself?’
    Crón shook her head.
    ‘It was Menma who heard his death cry and burst into my father’s chamber to discover Móen in the act of slaughter.’
    ‘Ah. Menma. And who is Menma?’ queried Fidelma, trying to remember where she had heard the name before.
    ‘He is the head of my father’s,’ Crón paused and corrected herself, ‘head of my stables.’
    Fidelma remembered that Dignait had mentioned the name.
    ‘So far as your own knowledge is concerned,’ Fidelma continued after a moment, ‘the facts of this matter are clear and simple? You have not been troubled or mystified by them?’
    ‘There is no mystery. The facts are clear.’
    ‘What reason do you offer as to why Móen would kill both Eber and Teafa?’
    The reply came without hesitation.
    ‘No logical motive. But then logic would not be part of Móen’s world.’ Her voice was bitter.
    Fidelma tried to fathom her meaning.
    ‘As I understand it, Teafa had raised Móen from a baby. He had much to be grateful to her for. Are you saying logic did not
play any part in this deed? Then what do you ascribe the motive as, for surely there must be a motive?’
    ‘Who can tell what passes in the dark still mind of one such as Móen?’ replied the tanist.
    For a moment, Fidelma wondered whether to press her for an explanation of her choice of words. She felt that she should not bias herself before she had spoken with Móen. However, there was one person to see before she spoke with Móen and that was the person who had discovered him