‘It’s strange,’ Deodat said. ‘I wonder what he was investigating and why he went to such lengths to conceal the list?’
‘It must have been controversial, perhaps even dangerous; after all, someone wanted it enough to kill the sacristan.’
‘But, my dear Rahn, we don’t know that for certain! It is a capital mistake to theorise without all the details because one begins to twist the facts to suit theories, instead of twisting theories to suit facts.’
‘You can quote Sherlock Holmes all you want, but if he were here, I’m certain he would connect the sacristan’s death to that list of priests the abbé was investigating.’
‘What makes you so certain of that?’
‘Well, my theory is this: I think someone wanted that list, someone the abbé had confided in – like he confided in you. That person knew the list was hidden somewhere in the church and when the abbé fell ill he saw his chance. He accosted the only person who might know, the one who had the keys to the church and knew it intimately – the sacristan.’
‘And what if he didn’t know anything?’
‘In his desperation he may have handed the keys to his assailant, hoping it would suffice. But the die was cast, his tormentor had to kill him or risk being exposed.’
‘Yes, but why not go directly to the abbé and make him divulge the location of the list? He was vulnerable, after all.’
‘I don’t know, but don’t forget the abbé couldn’t even string a sentence together and had trouble even writing down one word, not to mention the fact that there’s always someone with him because of his condition. Perhaps whoever did it, didn’t want to threaten a priest. I haven’t figured it all out yet.’
Deodat looked at Rahn and sighed. ‘As I said, you’re simply twisting a few meagre facts to suit your theory.’
‘You might be right. But all that aside, you have to admit, carving the sign of the lamb into a tabernacle is an unusual thing for a priest to do.’
‘Yes, I agree with you on that score. Especially considering that it’s an esoteric symbol, something most priests would call heretical, even witchcraft.’
‘And is it?’
‘In a way, yes, but it is white magic – a protection from evil.’
‘Well, it appears that the abbé was no ordinary priest.’
‘No, perhaps not, you might be right,’ Deodat said. ‘My guess is, he was trying to protect the contents of the tabernacle from something.’
Rahn drank down the last of his coffee. He was pensive but it hurt his head to think. He felt for the lump and winced – it was hot and angry. ‘Perhaps the sign of the lamb means the list is somehow connected to the grimoire I’m looking for.’ He looked at Deodat. ‘I know it’s too much of a coincidence, but maybe it isn’t a coincidence at all, but a design. It might be a bit jumbled but there is some sense in it. Hear me out.
‘I was sent to France to meet Pierre Plantard about a grimoire. I then find out that a man called Monti had come here to see a priest about a grimoire. After that I meet a friend of yours who is a priest, and his last word before he dies is connected to grimoires. The inspector, who just happens to turn up to the scene of the abbé’s death, is searching for Le Cagoule, a group connected to Alpha Galates and Pierre Plantard – through whom I found out about the grimoire in the first place. It’s a snake biting its tail. So, if you ask me, there are two common denominators in these strange and seemingly disparate events – a priest and a grimoire.’
Deodat sat back to think on it. ‘No. Actually, there is another common denominator: you, Rahn.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, of course. In all your reasoning you’ve missed the most important link. You are the lead character, you are in every scene!’
Rahn was struck by the truth in this and though he had no idea what it meant, it gave him pause.
‘Don’t worry, Rahn, sometimes there’s a simple explanation. Perhaps we are adding two and two together to make twenty-two?’
‘But if we are making too much of it and this has nothing at all to do with grimoires, why did Cros write sator? Why not just write tabernacle, as Eva pointed out? After all, sator is not an everyday word. No, I think he wanted you to know where the list was kept, but not just that, he also wanted you to know what the list was for, that it had something to do with grimoires. That’s why he gave you that word. I surmise, therefore, that the list has something to do with a grimoire – my grimoire!’
‘I think we should pay a visit to the Abbé Grassaud, from Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet. After all, he is not only on our list, but he also saw Abbé Cros recently.’