MonoMay 7

A Monk’s Appearance

Catriona has awoken to the rosy fingers of the dawn creeping through her window as the church clock strikes eight ‘I wish the elders would get someone to fix that bloody clock’ she thought. Then she hears a cock start crowing ‘and I could strangle that bloody cockerel’ she thinks. She has lived here long enough to know that although the clock is striking eight it is actually six. It isn’t that the clock is fast, rising, and opening the window, she looks across the churchyard and sees the clock says six, it’s just that on every hour there are two errant strikes. It could be so confusing if you were unaware of it. For some weird reason it doesn’t happen on the half hours, only on the hours. The clock chimes cease, and all is once more quiet except for a crying of a baby, Julie has delivered then she thinks. Her eyes lower from the tower and notices a red fedora. She then realises that there was someone lying on the church doorstep. Then it occurs to her that the only person she knows who wears a fedora is the vicar.

She quickly pulls on jeans and a T shirt so that she can go and see if she can help. As she crosses the road she thinks, but can’t be sure, that she sees a figure in a black hooded cloak slip around the corner of the church. Catriona calls out
‘Patrick, Paddy, are you ok?’
There is no response, but she thinks she sees a slight movement. Then she notices the line of ants marching over him as if nothing is going to deter them from their task. Pulling her phone from her pocket she calls for an ambulance, hoping that it is not too late, and that Paddy has not done something stupid. She reaches him and searches for a pulse, but there is none, ‘too late’ she thinks. Then she remembers the figure she thought she saw, and it reminds her that Paddy once told her that a monk in a black hooded cloak supposedly appeared at the church when an incumbent vicar dies. The ambulance arrives closely followed by a police car. A paramedic rushes to the body feeling for a pulse, Catriona knows it’s pointless, but can’t find one and pronounces the vicar dead. The policeman finishes talking into his radio and comes over
‘There’s a detective on the way who will want to speak to you, if you could give me your details please.’
‘I live across the road.’
She pointed to her house, but also gave him her address and phone number.

Catriona returned to her house, she needed coffee. Walking through the door she noticed an envelope which she had missed earlier in her rush. Picking it up there was one word, Cati, written on it - she went ice cold, the writing was Patrick’s. Opening the letter she was thinking ‘What the fuck have you done Paddy?’, instinctively knowing that it was no accident. She pulled the letter out and read it

Dear Cati,
By the time you read this it will be too late. I have taken some of my sleepers, and am on my way to the church to seek forgiveness, you will find me by the altar. To take one’s own life is a sin, but in this instance I am sure that the Boss will be understanding. If you think about it you will know why I can take no more of this miserable life. Just know that I have been eternally grateful for all of the long chats we have had in recent months, they really helped me to put my mind, or what was left of it, in order. If you are lucky you will see the monk. I know that as an atheist you don’t believe in such things, but there are things in this world that stretch beyond mere religion.
Goodbye my friend
Paddy

She had just read it a second time when there was a knock at the door, on opening it she was surprised to find a woman there
‘Hi, I’m DI Ruth Foley, I believe that you found the vicar.’
‘Yes, please come in I think that I can save you a lot of time.’
‘What makes you think that then?’
As they walked into the living room Catriona handed her the letter
‘I found this when I came back, Paddy must have dropped it off on his way to the church.’
The DI read the letter carefully.
‘So, definitely looks like suicide then. He refers to sleepers and a monk, any idea what he means?’
‘Sleepers were his sleeping pills, he had problems sleeping recently. The monk is a little more complicated.’
‘How is it complicated?’
Catriona went on to explain how paddy had told her the centuries old tale of how when an incumbent priest died a hooded monk was to be seen around the church, and that she assumed that this was the hooded figure that she had thought she saw this morning.
‘Right, I see. Can I hold on to this letter for the time being, I will return it as soon as I can.’
‘Of course. I suggest that Paddy may have left a fuller version on his desk, he was a very tidy person in everything.’
The DI nodded and headed for the door.