‘And were you a friend of his?’
‘I saw young Ernán grow to manhood. I was a friend of his father and mother. They were killed when Crundmáel of Laighin came raiding along the Siúr in his battle boats in search of booty. Only Ernán survived out of his entire family and so he took over the farm and continued to make it prosperous. Blinne, his wife, is my niece.’ He grinned briefly. ‘So is Bláth, of course.’
‘And Ernán was well liked?’
‘Not an enemy in the world,’ Glass replied immediately.
‘He and Blinne were happy?’
‘Never happier.’
‘And Bláth lived with them?’
‘She could have come here to live, but Blinne and Bláth were always close. There is only a year between them and they are almost like twins. Blinne wanted her sister to be with her and Ernán did not mind, for she helped with the farm work. But why do you ask me these questions?’
Fidelma did not answer. ‘Tell me about the Banshee,’ she said.
Glass smiled briefly. ‘I heard the sound only too well.’
‘When did you first hear it?’
‘I would not want to hear that sound more than once.’
Fidelma frowned. ‘You heard it only once?’
‘Yesterday morning about dawn.’
‘Not before the morning Ernán was found dead?’
‘No. Only that one morning. That was enough. It wailed like a soul in torment.’
‘What did you do?’
‘Do? Nothing at all.’
‘You weren’t curious?’
‘Such curiosity about the Banshee can endanger your immortal soul,’ replied Glass solemnly.
‘When did you realise that Ernán was dead?’
‘When Brother Abán came to tell me and asked me if I had heard anything in the night.’
‘And you were able to tell him that you had?’
‘Of course.’
‘But only yesterday morning?’
Glass nodded.
‘As a matter of interest, if Ernán was the only survivor of his family, I presume that his farm passes to Blinne?’
‘Blinne is his heir in all things,’ agreed Glass. His eyes suddenly flickered beyond her shoulder in the direction of what had been Ernán’s farmstead. Fidelma turned and saw a figure that she initially thought was Blinne making her way up the hill. Then she realised it was a young woman who looked fairly similar.
‘Bláth?’
Glass nodded.
‘Then I shall go down to meet her, as I need to ask her some questions.’
Halfway down the path were some large stones which made a natural seat. Fidelma reached them at the same time as Bláth and greeted her.
‘I was coming back to my uncle’s mill, for Blinne told me that you had gone there in search of me. You are the dálaigh from Cashel, aren’t you?’
‘I am. There are a few questions that I must ask you. You see, Bláth, I am not satisfied about the circumstances of your brother-in-law’s death.’
Bláth, who was a younger version of the attractive Blinne, pouted. ‘There is no satisfaction to be had in any death, but a death that is encompassed by supernatural elements is beyond comprehension.’
‘Are you sure we speak of supernatural elements?’
Bláth looked surprised. ‘What else?’
‘That is what I wish to determine. I am told that you heard the wailing of the Banshee for three nights?’
‘That is so.’
‘You awoke each night and investigated?’
‘Investigated?’ The girl laughed sharply. ‘I know the old customs, and turned over and buried my head under the pillow to escape the wailing sound.’
‘It was loud?’
‘It was fearful.’
‘Yet it did not wake your sister or your husband?’
‘It was supernatural. Perhaps only certain people could hear it? Glass, my uncle, heard it.’
‘But only once.’
‘Once is enough.’
‘Very well. Were your sister and Ernán happy?’
Fidelma saw the shadow pass across Bath’s face.
‘Why, yes.’
There was hesitation enough and Fidelma sniffed in annoyance. ‘I think that you are not being truthful. They were unhappy, weren’t they?’
Bláth pressed her lips together and seemed about to deny it. Then she nodded. ‘Blinne was trying to make the best of things. She was always like that. I would have divorced Ernán, but she was not like that.’
‘Everyone says that she and Ernán were much in love and happy.’
‘It was the image they presented to the village.’ She shrugged. ‘But what has this to do with the death of Ernán? The Banshee took him.’
Fidelma smiled thinly. ‘Do you really believe that?’
‘I heard — ’
‘Are you trying to protect Blinne?’ Fidelma snapped.
Bláth flushed.
‘Tell me about Tadhg,’ Fidelma prompted, again sharply, so that the girl would not have time to collect her thoughts.
‘You know…?’ Bláth began and then snapped her mouth shut.
‘Did this unhappiness begin when Tadhg returned to the village?’
Bláth hung her head. ‘I believe that they were meeting regularly in the woods.’
‘I think that you believe a little more than that,’ Fidelma said dryly. ‘You think that Tadhg and Blinne plotted to kill Ernán.’
‘No!’ Bláth’s face was crimson. ‘There was no reason. If things became so unbearable, Blinne could have sought a divorce.’
‘True enough, but there was the farmstead. If Blinne divorced Ernán, she would lose it.’
Bláth sniffed. ‘You know the laws of inheritance as well as I do. Land cannot pass to a female heir if there are male heirs.’
‘But in Ernán’s case, there were no male heirs. The land, the farmstead, would go to the banchomarba, the female heir.’
Bláth suddenly gave a deep sigh of resignation. ‘I suspected something like this might happen,’ she confessed dolefully.
‘And you invented the story of the Banshee to throw people off the scent?’ queried Fidelma.
Bláth nodded. ‘I love my sister.’
‘Why not claim an attack by a wolf? That would be more feasible.’
‘Anyone would realise the wound in Ernán’s throat was not the bite of a wolf. Questions would be asked of Blinne and…’
‘Questions are now being asked.’
‘But only by you. Brother Abán was satisfied and people here would not question the old ways.’
‘The old ways.’ Fidelma echoed the words thoughtfully.
The girl looked nervously at Fidelma.
‘I suppose that you intend to have Blinne and Tadhg arrested?’
‘Tonight is the funeral of Ernán. We will see after that.’
‘You have some doubts still?’
Fidelma smiled sadly. ‘We will see,’ she said. ‘I would like a word alone with your sister.’
Bláth nodded towards the farmstead. ‘I forgot something at my uncle’s mill. You’ll find Blinne at the farmhouse.’
The girl left Fidelma and continued up the path to the mill while Fidelma went on to the farmhouse. As she approached, she heard Blinne’s voice raised in agitation.
‘It’s not true, I tell you. Why do you bother me so?’
Fidelma halted at the corner of a building. In the farmyard she saw Tadhg confronting the girl. Blinne looked distracted.
‘The dálaigh already suspects,’ Tadhg was saying.
‘There is nothing to suspect.’
‘It was obvious that Ernán was murdered, killed by a human hand. Obvious that Bláth was covering up with some story about a Banshee. It did not fool me, nor will it fool this woman. I know you hated Ernan. I know it is me that you really loved. But surely there was no need to kill him? We could have eloped and you could have divorced him.’
Blinne was shaking her head in bewilderment. ‘I don’t know what you are saying. How can you say this…?’
‘I know. Do not try to fool me. I know how you felt. The important thing is to flee from this place before the dálaigh can find the evidence. I can forgive you because I have loved you since you were a child. Come, let us take the horses and go now. We can let Bláth know where we have gone later. She can send us some money afterwards. I am sure the dálaigh suspects and will be here soon enough.’