Chapter 26
Neil decided not to let Helen Jones know that he’d overheard her spat with her husband. He already felt as though he’d intruded on someone else’s private business, and he didn’t want to embarrass the woman – or himself, for that matter.
When he returned to the chapel, he asked for a volunteer to help him remove the rest of the ivy, and one of the postgrad students offered his services. He was a well-built young man, a rugby player. Just the sort of person for the job.
It took half an hour to clear what was left of the clinging vegetation from the stones, and once it had gone, the shape of the structure was revealed.
It was definitely an arch, around three feet tall, probably covering something that had been buried by earth and centuries of falling leaves and debris.
The soil surrounding it was soggy, as though there was some sort of spring or watercourse underneath.
Annabel had found documentary evidence of a holy well near the chapel, and Neil was sure he’d discovered it.
‘I’d like to see what’s under here,’ he said as he stood beside the student, looking down on the newly exposed stones. ‘Might be a bit of a battle against the tree roots, though.’
The student looked worried. ‘Shall I fetch a mattock? Make a start?’
‘Sounds like a plan. Get a couple of the others over, will you. I’ve a feeling this might be significant.’
Once he was alone, he knelt down and began to scrape at the damp earth around the arch. As he plunged his trowel into the earth nearby, it hit something solid: more stone. His heart began to beat faster.
But before he could investigate further, he heard someone shouting his name.
‘Neil. Come and look at this.’
He straightened up, feeling a twinge in his left knee.
And when he hurried out of the overhanging trees to join the others at the chapel, he could see its clear outline emerging from the red soil.
There was a small curved apse at the east end, where the altar had once stood, and the strange carved stone animals they’d unearthed were lined up in a row as though they were about to perform a conga.
‘What did you want to show me?’
One of the female students looked worried as she pointed to the south wall, where Neil had asked them to expand the trench. ‘It’s there. There’s no sign of any other burials, so we didn’t expect to find one, but . . .’
Trowel to the ready, Neil hurried over to investigate. A couple of students were standing over the spot like sentries.
‘Looks human to me,’ said one of them.
Neil said nothing. If they’d unearthed human remains, they had to be dealt with properly. Without having to be asked, the others lent a hand, and soon the entire skeleton was visible, although it still had to be excavated with great care.
Nobody spoke as Neil stood and gazed down at the remains from above. The skeleton lay on its back, arms folded neatly across the chest. The bones looked discoloured and ancient.
‘Well, I don’t think we need a doctor to confirm life is extinct. Looks as though he’s been there for centuries. But I’ll notify the police and the coroner; go through the motions.’
‘You said he. You’re sure it’s a man?’ one of the students asked.
‘From what I can see of the brow ridges and pelvis, it certainly looks that way.’
The students stood round the grave in silence like mourners at a funeral while Neil moved away and took out his phone.
It was time to report what they’d found.