The Religious Body (22 page)

Authors: Catherine Aird

“Yes, marm.” He coughed. “Miss Faine â¦ how â¦”

“Father MacAuley went to see her this morning after Mass. We must pray for her.”

Sloan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Of course.”

“The two boys from the Institute?” she enquired.

Sloan brightened. “They're taking it very well. It's quite taken their minds off Tewn.”

“Inspector, when did you first suspect â¦?”

“Sister Lucy was white and shaking when I got here yesterday after you'd found Tewn's body. It wasn't that that had upset her because she hadn't seen it. What she had seen, of course, was Ranby. And Ranby had seen her and realized he'd killed the wrong Sister.”

“He must have been a desperate man by last night.”

“He was, marm. He tried to kill Sergeant Perkins. There was no doubt about that.”

The Mother Superior inclined her head. “Sergeant Perkins is a courageous woman.”

“In the course of duty, marm,” he said hastily. It was a different discipline, a different dedication from that of the Sisters, but for all that it was still an equally dedicated way. “About Hobbett.â¦”

“In future,” she said dryly, “he can ring for Sister Polycarp.”

A bell suddenly echoed through the Convent. Both nuns rose, Sister Gertrude with a perceptible start. She had been wondering who it would be among the Community who would be bidden to move into the cell that had been Sister Anne's, the cell next to Sister St. Hilda the snorer. Was it wrong to pray God it wouldn't be her?

Sister Polycarp stumped to the door with the two policemen. “Good day, gentlemen.â¦”

Was it Sloan's imagination or did she slam the grille behind them?

Crosby looked back at the Convent. “You wouldn't have thought, sir, would you, that after all that, it would turn out to be a
crime passionnel?”
He pronounced it “cream.” “Not here.”

“No,” said Sloan shortly, “you wouldn't.”

“That motto on the door, Inspector.â¦”

“Well?”

“Do we really know what it means?”

Sloan turned on his heel and stared at the writing.
“Pax Intrantibus, Salus Exeuntibus.
Didn't you look it up, Crosby? You should have done. Very enlightening.”

“Please sir â¦”

“Peace to those who enter,” translated Sloan. “Salvation to those who leave.”

THE END

About the Author

Catherine Aird is the author of more than twenty volumes of detective mysteries and three collections of short stories. Most of her fiction features Detective Inspector C.D. Sloan and Detective Constable W.E. Crosby. Aird holds an honorary master's degree from the University of Kent and was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to the Girl Guide Association. She lives in a village in East Kent, England.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Â© Noel Coward, “The Stately Homes of England” taken from
The Complete Lyrics of Noel Coward
, used by permission of Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Extract from “The Stately Homes of England” copyright Â© NC Aventales AG 1937 by permission of Alan Brodie Representation Ltd

Cover design by Tracey Dunham

ISBN: 978-1-5040-1070-2

This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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