SPOILERS!!!
Superintendent Runcorn (from the William Monk series) travels to the Isle of Anglesey in Wales to spend his Christmas holiday. One day when he is walking around the town, he comes across John Barclay, who he met in a case, and whose sister Melisande Ewart made an impression on him. Barclay does not even bother to greet him. As Runcorn knows that Melissande, who is a widow, lives with her brother, he wonders if she will be around. So that is why she decides to go to church on Sunday.
In church he observes the people. He sees a young woman walking to the first pew, and he realises that a man behind him watches her with intensity, and he also sees that John Barclay is watching the woman, who sits next to an older woman. From what Runcorn observes the woman is related to the vicar as he smiles at her benignly. When the service finishes, Runcorn realises that Melisande is in the church, and he smiles at him.
The next day Runcorn is once again walking, and when he enters a graveyard, he finds the young woman from the church dead, with a stab wound in his chest. Runcorn goes to find Police Sergeant Warner and the doctor. Dr Trimby says that the woman must have been killed around midnight. Warner is nervous because in a small town like his there has never been a murder. The woman is Olivia Costain who is the vicar's sister. Runcorn learns that Olivia was a wild spirit who enjoyed walking outdoors in the evening, and Mr Newbridge, the man in the church, used to court her, but she turned down his marriage proposal, and Barclay also tried to court her. Warner thanks Runcorn for his help but now he tells him that Sir Alan Faraday will take over.
Runcorn comes across Barclay, who tells him that Sir Alan is a good man and he is to marry Melisande, something which hurts Runcorn even though he knows he can't ever offer Melissande anything. Sir Alan claims that the person who killed Olivia is a mad man, but Runcorn is convinced that Olivia knew her attacker, as from her position it was clear that she was facing him and didn't try to defend herself.
As days pass and there is no advance, when Melisande comes across Runcorn, she asks him to try to find the person who killed Olivia as she was her friend. Runcorn has no jurisdiction here, but he has no heart to refuse. When he goes to see the local sergeant, Warner asks him to help. Runcorn needs the permission of Sir Alan, so he suggests he ask him in the presence of others, and Warner agrees to ask Mrs Costain for collaboration. That is what happens, and Sir Alan has to accept his help, but he warns him not to ruffle too many feathers.
Runcorn talks to vicar Costain, who admits that his sister was a different kind of woman, and she has refused to marry many good men, which put him in a difficult position as his salary as a vicar is not enough to support two women. Naomi Costain says that she misses Olivia as they were very close despite the difference in years. Runcorn has the impression that Naomi knows something that she won't tell.
Runcorn also questions Newbridge and Barclay, but they give him nothing much. He also talks to Kellsall, the curate, who explains that he and Olivia were good friends, and she was different. She refused to marry just because it was her duty. She turned down Newbridge's proposal because she knew he didn't love her. Kellsall also mentions that Sir Alan also courted her but she refused him as well. And the curate says that her brother envied her because she was unconventional and acted freely.
I am so curious to know who killed this lovely woman. I'm clueless so far. I have my suspicions that it may have been Sir Alan. In a William Monk novel, Runcorn appears married to Melissande, so that means that she didn't marry Sir Alan. Could it have been that the reason was because Sir Alan was found guilty of murder?
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