‘I’m glad we have been able to help. Aren’t you going to ask us about the monk?’ asked the eldest sister.
‘The monk. What monk?’ asked a puzzled Ravenscroft.
‘The monk who came out of the cathedral,’ said Mary Ann.
‘Shortly after Mr Evelyn came out of the cathedral,’ said Emily.
‘Just after Dr Edwards went into his house,’ nodded Alice Maria.
‘Did you see where he went to?’ he asked, beginning to think that perhaps today was going to prove more interesting than he had first dared to hope.
‘He went down the steps.’
‘Down towards the river.’
‘And tell me, could you see who this monk was? Did you recognize him at all?’
‘Oh no, he had his monk’s hood up, covering his face,’ replied the eldest Miss Tovey.
‘Are there a number of monks who still worship in the cathedral?’ asked Ravenscroft.
‘Oh yes. There are a number who still carry out the services,’ said Mary Ann.
‘I see. Was there anything unusual about him, perhaps in the way he walked, that reminded you of anyone who has business in the cathedral? Can you remember anything at all? Did he move quickly or slowly?’
‘I don’t think he reminded us of anyone,’ replied Mary Ann.
‘He moved quite quickly,’ said Emily.
‘Yes, he was quite quick, as though he wanted to catch up with Mr Evelyn,’ added Alice Maria.
‘Good morning, sir. Ladies,’ interjected a smiling Crabb, arriving on the green.
‘I hope we have been helpful, Inspector?’ enquired the eldest sister.
‘You have been most helpful.’
‘You will let us know when you have recovered the book?’ asked Emily.
‘We should so like to know,’ smiled the youngest sister.
‘Of course, you will be the first to know,’ said Ravenscroft raising his hat.
He watched them as they walked across the green towards the town, busily engaged in conversation with one another.
‘Well, sir. You seem a bit brighter this morning, if you don’t mind me saying so,’ said Crabb.
‘The Tovey sisters have just informed me that on the night in question, they saw Dr Edwards, who is the Master of King’s School, out for his usual nocturnal walk, and that he probably encountered Evelyn at the bottom of the steps down by the river. Furthermore the sisters also saw one of the monks leaving the cathedral and heading down towards the river, shortly after Evelyn had left.’
‘Do they know which monk it was?’
‘Alas no. Apparently he didn’t remind them of any of the regular monks, although they admit they could not see his face.’
‘Could have been anyone dressed up as a monk, to disguise his appearance,’ suggested Crabb.
‘That is a distinct possibility.’
‘Well, sir, where shall we start today?’
‘I think we will call on the Master of King’s School first, after which we will make enquiries in the cathedral regarding this mysterious monk.’
The two men walked across to the master’s house and rang the doorbell.
‘Good day to you. I am Inspector Ravenscroft and this is Constable Crabb. We would like words with your master, if you please,’ said Ravenscroft, addressing the maid who had opened the door to them.
‘I’m sorry, sir, but Dr Edwards is not here at present.’
‘Could you tell me where I might find him?’
‘He could be at the school, sir, although at this time of day you are more likely to find him with the choir in the cathedral,’ replied the maid.
‘Thank you. Then that is where we will go.’
Ravenscroft and Crabb made their way back across the close and entered the cathedral. As they stepped into the cool, dark interior they heard the sound of boys’ voices in the distance, and to Ravenscroft it seemed as though they had entered another world, leaving the sunlight and sounds of the town behind them, forsaking that existence for the ageless sanctity of peace and reassurance of the cathedral.
The two men stood in silence, adjusting their eyes to the half light, each not wishing to disturb the serenity of the occasion.
Suddenly the singing came to an abrupt stop, and was replaced by a man’s voice. Ravenscroft and Crabb made their way up the nave of the church towards the choir stalls.
‘No! No, boys! That just won’t do. I dread to think what poor Thomas Tallis would think of your feeble attempts to master his work if he were alive today. Mr Taylor, I am sure the choir can do better than this?’
The speaker was a late-middle-aged gentleman, whose learned appearance included a flowing white beard, and a pair of half-moon spectacles perched on the end of his nose.
‘We are trying our best Dr Edwards, I can assure you. I can hear a boy talking in the back row! Tadcaster be silent and report to my study after choir. Now on the third beat,’ instructed the choirmaster raising his hands in the air.
Ravenscroft indicated to Crabb that they should find a place on one of the rows of seats, and the two men listened in awe, as the boys’ voices rose upwards towards the great window at the far end of the cathedral.
‘Much better, boys. That was much better. I think that will be all for this morning. Mr Taylor if you please,’ said Edwards, in what Ravenscroft discerned as a Welsh accent.
The boys began to move away from the choir stalls, talking as they did so.
‘Silence!’ bellowed Edwards in a voice that seemed to echo round the cathedral. ‘Remember where you are!’
The choirboys silently began to make their way down the nave, Matthew Taylor the choirmaster, following on behind them, a collection of music sheets under his arm.
‘The boys sing well,’ said Ravenscroft, addressing the master.
‘When they are in a mind to exercise restraint,’ said Edwards.
‘I believe you are the Master of King’s School?’
‘I am indeed. Doctor Geraint Edwards at your service. Can I be of any assistance to you? You have a son you would like to enrol? Perhaps you would care to view the school? I am sure my-’
‘Alas, Dr Edwards I have no sons to place in any school. No, I am investigating the death of the librarian here, and the disappearance of a valuable book from the library.’
‘Ah, then you must be the famous London detective we have heard so much about?’
‘I am certainly from London, but I cannot claim to be in any way famous,’ said Ravenscroft, smiling and shaking the master’s hand. ‘This is my associate Constable Crabb. I wonder if you could spare us a few minutes of your valuable time?’
‘Of course, Inspector, anything I can do to be of assistance.’
‘How well did you know Nicholas Evelyn?’
‘I hardly knew the man at all. I knew he was the librarian of course, but other than that we had very little contact with one another, except when one or two of the more senior boys undertook research in the library. He always seemed the kind of person who kept very much to themselves,’ replied Edwards removing his spectacles and cleaning them with his handkerchief.
‘So we have discovered,’ added Ravenscroft.
‘I have been the master here at King’s for the past twelve years, and during all that time must have only spoken to him on perhaps three or four occasions.’
‘I understand, sir that you are in the habit of taking a late night walk every evening?’
‘Yes that is correct, Inspector. I usually find that a late night turn of the cathedral precincts clears my mind of the business of the day before retiring.’
‘Were you undertaking your usual walk on the night the librarian disappeared?’ asked Ravenscroft.
‘I was indeed.’
‘What time was that, sir?’ inquired Crabb making notes in his pocket book.
‘Sometime between half past eleven and twelve o’clock,’ replied Edwards replacing his glasses.
‘That was rather late to be out, sir,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘I had been working on some papers late into the evening. I usually like to go out about half past ten or so.’
‘Did you go down by the river?’
‘Yes, I believe I did, but what is all this to do with the disappearance of the librarian?’ asked a puzzled Edwards.