Page 16 of The Chapel of Bones

Wesley read it out loud. ‘ “Dear Mr Fontescue, I am an academic and have been conducting research into certain ancient manuscripts. I wondered if you were aware of anything in your family archives relating to medieval bestiaries, the subject of the research I’m carrying out at the moment. I have found a single reference in the cathedral archives in Exeter to a Fontescue Bestiary, but nothing else. Please feel free to ignore my request if you are not in possession of such a volume. Thanking you for your kind attention, Dr Aleric Donnal.” It’s dated the sixteenth of February 2011. And the address is given as Harbour Steps.’

‘What’s a bestiary?’ Gerry asked.

It was Wesley who answered. ‘It was a book filled with illustrations and descriptions of various animals. They were often made in monasteries to teach about creation. Some of the animals are easily recognisable, but others are legendary beasts like dragons and unicorns, which to the medieval mind probably seemed as real as the elephants or rhinoceroses people hadnever seen. There are still a few examples in museums around the world.’ He turned to Miles. ‘Have you anything like that in your family’s library or archives?’

Miles shook his head. ‘I only wish we did, because it sounds interesting . . . and valuable.’ He thought for a few moments. ‘I remember now. I came home from university one weekend and Dad told me that some academic had been rooting around in the muniment room. Do you think that could have been this Dr Donnal?’

‘It would help if we could have a word with your father,’ said Wesley as he placed the letter in the evidence bag he’d taken from his jacket pocket.

‘Like I said, you’ll find my parents in the lodge by the main gates. You can’t miss it. Talking of things medieval, we’re holding a medieval festival here tomorrow. You’re welcome to come if you’ve got time. There’ll be music and a re-enactment group. Should be fun.’

‘Thanks,’ said Wesley. ‘We’ll bear it in mind.’

11

Wesley and Gerry called at the lodge on their way out of the estate. Mr Fontescue Senior was an elderly man with a military bearing, a good head of snow-white hair and an air of slight amusement at being questioned by the police.

Wesley did the talking and Gerry was on his best behaviour as Fontescue confirmed that he’d given Dr Aleric Donnal permission to root through the family archives in the muniment room at the hall. This was in the days before he’d passed the running of the place to Miles and retired to the humbler surroundings of the lodge, he explained. Wesley had the impression that he’d been relieved to rid himself of the burden.

‘Dr Donnal was your typical absent-minded professor type,’ Fontescue said with a smile. ‘In fact, he did say he was based at a university.’

‘Which one?’

‘I’m not sure he ever said. He just told me he was conducting research for a paper; something very esoteric and medieval, as I recall. He showed a great interest in the Fontescues because we were supporters of the Lancastrian cause during the Wars of the Roses and he’d recently been in France researching Henry Tudor’s exile in Brittany. The Fontescues were allies of the Courtenay family, later the earls of Devon, who were instrumental in ensuring Henry’s victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth.’

‘The letter your son showed us mentioned a bestiary.’

‘Yes. Dr Donnal seemed disappointed when I said I’d never heard of anything like that. I gave him free access to the muniment room and he spent a lot of time in there. But as far as I know, he didn’t come across a bestiary, more’s the pity. We could have sold it to a museum and got enough money for the repairs to the house.’ Fontescue smiled. ‘I must say, he seemed enthusiastic. Turned up whenever he had a spare moment. You know what these historians are like once they get the bit between their teeth.’ He stopped and frowned. ‘Strange, after May that year, he never turned up again. Not a word, and he’d been so keen. Although he did say he was planning to return to France at the end of term to continue his research there, so I assumed that was where he’d gone. I would have expected him to say goodbye, maybe thank me for allowing him access to the family archives. But he did seem rather forgetful, so perhaps it just slipped his mind.’

Unless he was in no position to remember his manners, Wesley thought. Unless he was dead.

‘I’m afraid we come bearing bad news,’ he began, glancing at Gerry, who’d so far left all the talking to him. He went on to tell Fontescue that a body, believed to be that of Aleric Donnal, had been found behind a wall in the house once lived in by his nephew, Timothy.

The elderly man stared at him for a few moments, lost for words.

‘Can you think of any reason Dr Donnal might have visited Timothy’s house? Did you suggest that he speak to your nephew?’

The answer to both questions was no.

‘I don’t think Timothy’s name was ever mentioned while Dr Donnal was here,’ said Fontescue, sounding puzzled.

‘Did he stop coming here after Timothy bought the house or before?’ It was the first time Gerry had spoken. And it was a question Wesley had been about to ask.

Mr Fontescue looked thoughtful. ‘I think it might have been shortly before. Or was it shortly after? I’m sorry to be so vague, but it was a long time ago and I really can’t remember. My sister, Evelyn, was making a great fuss about Timothy buying a place in the area and I’m pretty sure it was around that time that Dr Donnal stopped coming.’ He shook his head. ‘Although I can’t be absolutely certain. And poor Evelyn is no longer with us, so we can’t ask her. I must say, I’m shocked by what you’ve told me. Dr Donnal was hardly the type who would get himself murdered. It’s terrible. Terrible.’ He was now visibly upset. ‘And before you ask, Timothy might have rejected the conventional life, but I’m certain he was no murderer.’

‘We’re sorry to have brought such distressing news,’ Wesley said as they stood up to leave.

As Fontescue saw them off the premises, Wesley thanked him for his help. They’d found a link between the Fontescue family and Aleric Donnal, but Wesley wasn’t altogether sure that it was relevant. Unless Donnal had discovered some dark family secret in that muniment room. But he’d been given free access, so it seemed unlikely that the Fontescues had something to hide that would be worth killing for.

‘What do you think?’ he asked Gerry when they reached the car.

‘Miles and his dad seemed genuine to me. I really can’t see either of them killing Donnal. In my opinion, he stopped coming here because he was dead. And it backs up our theory that he died in May 2011, sometime after the sixth, when he borrowed that book from the archives.’

‘So Timothy Fontescue-Burns can’t be ruled out.’

‘That all depends on when he was given the keys to the house.’

‘Neil’s at Sycamore House now. Thought we could call in on our way back to Tradmouth. He thinks that wall and the statues might be medieval, which could explain why Donnal went there. I think it’s worth having a look, don’t you?’