A Room Full of Bones: A Ruth Galloway Investigation

suspicious deaths in six days, both connected to the museum?
    ‘Did Lord Smith have any heart problems?’ he asks.
    ‘No.’ Romilly seems exhausted by her account. She leans back against the sofa cushions and shuts her eyes. ‘He always seemed as strong as a horse.’ She laughs sadly. ‘Of course, the horses were his life. Maybe he worked too hard. I don’t know.’
    ‘He was diabetic wasn’t he?’ asks Nelson.
    Romilly looks surprised, almost angry. ‘How did you know that?’
    ‘He told me. When I came to speak to him about Neil Topham’s death.’
    ‘You don’t suspect that there’s any link between Dan’s death and that chap at the museum,’ says Romilly. ‘I mean, it’s preposterous to suggest—’
    ‘I’m not suggesting anything,’ says Nelson, ‘but I’ve got two unexpected deaths in a week. I’m sure you’ll agree that I need to investigate. Likely as not, your husband’s death was from natural causes. I’ll leave you alone now, I’m sure you’ve all had enough questions. My sergeant will be here in a few minutes. Could you show her any CCTV footage from last night? I believe you have CCTV?’
    ‘Yes,’ says Caroline. ‘But I’d know if anyone came in. My cottage is by the gate.’
    ‘Did you hear the doctor and the ambulance?’
    ‘No. They came the other way. By the house.’
    ‘So it’s possible that someone could have got in that way?’
    ‘Do you really think that someone could have got in and … and poisoned him or something?’ asks Caroline.
    Interesting assumption, thinks Nelson. Never assume, that’s his motto.
    ‘It’s unlikely,’ he says. ‘I just want to make sure that we leave no stone unturned.’
    And what do you find under stones, he reflects, as he walks back through the yard, watched by the curious horses and impassive stable lads.
    Snakes.

CHAPTER 14
     
    As soon as Ruth meets Janet Meadows she realises why Cathbad said that she was the perfect person to ask about Bishop Augustine. Janet, a tall elegant woman in black, is clearly a male to female transsexual. She tells Ruth as much, as soon they sit down in the refectory, a striking modern building built next to the medieval cathedral.
    ‘Think it’s best to get this out of the way. I used to be Jan Tomaschewski. I published quite a lot under that name. Five years ago I became Janet. It’s better to say so straight away, otherwise you’ll be thinking to yourself “Isn’t she tall? Hasn’t she got big hands?” I used to be a man. End of story.’
    Ruth, who had been looking at Janet’s hands, blushes. ‘Why Meadows?’ is all she can think of saying.
    ‘Well, Tomaschewski was such a mouthful and it was very patriarchal. Comes from the name Thomas. I was fed up with being named after someone called Thomas so I decided to name myself after something I liked. I live near the water meadows so I thought – meadows.’
    ‘It’s lovely,’ says Ruth. ‘I used to hate my name. Too plain and biblical. Maybe I should change it.’
    ‘No,’ says Janet decidedly. ‘Ruth Galloway suits you. I understand you’re a friend of Cathbad’s? There’s another one who changed his name.’
    ‘Yes,’ says Ruth. ‘I can never think of him as Michael.’
    ‘Well, Michael was an archangel,’ says Janet. ‘A rather ambivalent figure.’
    Ambivalent in what way, thinks Ruth. Angels are famously sexually ambivalent, of course, and Lucifer was an angel before going over to the dark side. Again the line between saints and sinners is rather blurred.
    ‘So you want to know about Bishop Augustine,’ says Janet. ‘He’s the flavour of the month with you archaeologists. I wanted to be at the opening of the coffin. I came to the first event but it was cancelled. They wouldn’t let me come to the second, said it was private.’
    ‘You would have enjoyed it,’ says Ruth. Briefly, she tells Janet about her discovery. It goes down big. Janet gasps, putting her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh my God! I can’t believe it.’
    ‘Can’t you?’ asks Ruth, rather disappointed.
    ‘Well, I suppose I can,’ Janet is recovering. ‘Augustine is a fascinating figure but there are some gaps in his biography. Or her biography. My God! I’m the last person who should start getting stuck on personal pronouns.’
    ‘What do we know about the bishop?’ asks Ruth tactfully, finishing her (delicious) coffee. The refectory really is a very pleasant place. It’s all glass and polished wood with high soaring ceilings,