Killing Cousins (23 page)

Another explosion, close by this time. And in that moment before the world went dark, Faro realised he had been hit and that this was his death wound. He was dying. His last coherent thought was that it was both ironic and singularly appropriate that he should die in a straight fight with an old adversary. And in Orkney, too, the land of his birth.

As he hurtled through space, he saw his past rolling away down the centuries and becoming one with the dragon-headed Viking ships that had brought his first ancestors to set foot on this land. A bird's white wing curved, gleaming far above his head with exquisite beauty and, to the seals' cry as requiem, he was one with the dark and utter stillness of eternity.

It was Vince who clawed through the rubble by the shore, Vince who found him caught, held fast by a dislodged tree only a few yards from the top of the cliff. It was Vince who refused to believe that this cold bloody body was his stepfather's and that he could be dead, that there wasn't a flicker of life in him. It was Vince who listened, told himself that he detected a faint pulse and had him raised to the cliff top on an improvised stretcher.

It was to the sight ofVince that Faro's eyelids fluttered open. The black of endless night had given place to the endless white expanse of a large bed in Balfray Castle. 'Am I really alive? I thought I was dead.'

'You're a bit battered, Stepfather, but knowing you, you'll live to fight another day. But not tomorrow or the next day, that's for sure.'

There were other figures moving in the background of his new awakening. His mother, torn between tears

and prayers, sobbing loudly. There was Inga, looking grave, in deep conversation with Sergeant Frith and a stranger in a top hat and frock coat.

The Procurator Fiscal. He arrived ten minutes ago and I've given him the full report.' Leaning over, Vince took his stepfather's hand. 'Quite a day for him. And for the Sergeant. Francis is dead. Your mother stayed with him but then he said he was much better, hungry too, could she get him a bite to eat? Only too eager to oblige, when she came back, he'd taken an overdose of laudanum. It was the way he wanted it, Stepfather.'

'Poor Francis.'

'Poor island. It'll be put on the market, although I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy it. All things considered, don't you think we should let them all go in peace, Stepfather?'

'Are you asking me to compound a felony, lad, because in my weakened state I might agree, seeing that the three main participants are dead.'

Vince nodded. 'We found Norma's body. So she paid for her part in poisoning Thora.'

'And Francis paid for his.' Faro sighed, then continued. 'As for poor Troller, he made the mistake of coming to the crypt at the wrong moment. Moving Thora's coffin single-handed was impossible, the body would have to be removed first. But Norma lost her nerve for that particular operation. So when Troller surprised her lover, he couldn't be allowed to live... '

A shadow moved into the light smiled at Faro and saluted him smartly.

'Captain Gibb led the search party,' said Vince. 'Weak heart or not he did spartan work.'

The old sea-dog - and my prime suspect,' said Faro. 'All he did was to have a real name from the letters of Noblesse Oblige they used for their various aliases. A piece of vanity that was ultimately to be their undoing although, I must confess, it led me well off the track.'

Vince smiled. 'But only temporarily. It wasn't until you showed me Erlandson's name on the passenger list that I got my first clue.'

'I got mine a little earlier. That amazing sermon. Epistle of Paul to the Romans, indeed, confused with King Lear. Do you know, Rose and Emily helped,' said Faro proudly. 'I remembered exactly where the quotations were from when I was reading them
Tales from Shakespeare
.'

'I still think it's amazing that he could sustain such a role and for such a long time.'

'Our Noblesse Oblige is no ordinary criminal. For one thing we know that he's a highly educated man - his appearance in the pulpit also confirms that. And the fact that he helped Captain Gibb with the Latin translations, that was the first time I had doubts whether the Captain was our man. It all fits in with what we know about our adversary, son of some noble house, who went to university and studied classics. Perhaps even divinity. Another fallen Lucifer, who knows?'

Faro paused, momentarily out of breath.

'You're talking too much. Take it easy, Stepfather. You can fill in the details later.'

Faro shook his head. 'What about him? Did you find his body too?'

Vince shook his head. 'No. Nowhere. He probably was not as lucky as you, his body carried out to sea. It was floodtide when we got there.'

'Floodtide. The cleanser of all evil.'

'Let's be thankful he's been washed away with all his sins. That's the last you'll see of that particular adversary, Stepfather.'

'No doubt.'

Vince looked at him sharply. For, despite his words, Faro sounded doubtful in the extreme.

###

There are fifteen titles in the Inspector Faro series available from bookstores and on www.amazon.co.uk. Available on Kindle:

Enter Second Murderer

Bloodline

Deadly Beloved

Killing Cousins

A Quiet Death

To Kill A Queen

Also available on Kindle in the Rose McQuinn series:

The Inspector’s Daughter

Dangerous Pursuits

An Orkney Murder

Connect with Alanna online:

Author’s homepage:
http://www.alannaknight.com