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Revision as of 20:12, 24 September 2020
, 20:12, 24 September 2020no edit summary
It's practically a closed-room mystery. Strafford was in charge of the case because he was visiting his father at Roslea and could get to the murder scene, which was no easy matter because of the deep snow, which continued to fall. DS Ambrose Jenkins was on his way from Dublin. There are no signs of forced entry, so it's difficult to think that the murderer is other than someone who was in Ballyglass House the night before, although Colonel Osborne is insistent that a group of tinkers should be rounded up. He's also somewhat surprised that Ambie Jenkins is allowed to speak without getting permission from his senior officer - and that Strafford should expect that the sergeant will eat with them.
The ''niceties'' have extended to the clearing up of the crime scene. Copious amounts of blook blood have been removed and the stair carpet has been cleaned. Mrs Osborne discovered the body but the colonel then adjusted the priest's clothing so that the mutilation was not immediately visible. There was remarkably little for the forensic team to go on but what had happened before Strafford arrived was down to ignorance. He would soon encounter deliberate obstruction. The head of the Catholic Church, Dr John Charles McQuaid, called Strafford in to see him: what had happened would be put down to a tragic accident when the priest fell down the stairs. Investigation was unnecessary. The press release had already been issued.
Strafford's thirty-five but there's an emotional immaturity about him. He occasionally moons over the women he encounters, from the almost-transparent Sylvia Osborne to her step-daughter Lettie and finally the maid at the pub where he's staying. He broke up with his girlfriend some time ago - or rather, she broke it off when she threw a glass of wine at him. But, there's a determination, a stubbornness about him and the more Dr Quaid says to try to persuade him from investigating, the more determined he is to find out what happened.
