Chapter 3: The Locked Room

"This cannot fail. I read about it in a book. It is foolproof." Monspeet stared back at his incredulous companion, his arms folded as he looked down his nose. "All you have to do is exactly what I say."

"No offence, but you're not the most accomplished of criminals. Why on earth should I trust you?" With a sudden flick of the wrist, Estarossa knocked back the glass of port he was holding, swallowing the expensive liquid in one fluid motion. This idea was stupid. So stupid that it might just work. No police officer in their right mind would think anyone would be dumb enough to try it.

"Stop stalling and decide!" Derieri glowered at Estarossa, her amber eyes boring into him.

"Either you are with us or you are against us," Monspeet added haughtily, glaring at Estarossa over his long, aquiline nose.

"I'm with you alright. But I won't be the one to do it. Otherwise you'll sell me out, first chance you get," Estarossa sank onto one of the many large chairs which filled the over-stuffed drawing room, spreading himself lazily out over it. "I'm no fool."

"Fine, I'll kill him. You're both pussies," Derieri said with a sneer. "You two make a scene, and stick by him Monspeet. He's not to be trusted."

"Hang on!" Estarossa called as Derieri made for the door. "You can't do it yet! I need to make sure my brothers aren't around. Meliodas went up to see him just now. This damn fool plan is going to be pretty crap if someone sees you."

"He has a point, Derieri, we need him to be alone for this or the trick will be pretty obvious," Monspeet agreed as he pinched his chin thoughtfully with forefinger and thumb.

"Monspeet, you go and check the coast's clear and that the door's locked. If all's well, signal to me from the window in the corridor. When you're ready, I'll cause the distraction and then... we're in business."

Lips pursed angrily, Derieri rounded on Estarossa until Monspeet laid a calming hand on her shoulder. "He's right. Do you want us to get caught? Get in position."

With a glance over her shoulder at Monspeet, a look of understanding passing between the two, Derieri pounced towards the door.

"Come back in an hour if nothing's happened," Estarossa yelled at Derieri's back, a slight pause in her gait the only acknowledgement of his words as she swept from the room. In perfect silence, Monspeet and Estarossa waited until Derieri had time to get to her place and then they also departed, taking their separate ways without speaking. As agreed, Monspeet headed up the rightmost of the twin staircases as he made his way towards the old man's room.


"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean... Hey what's happened? Are you alright, Gelda?" Meliodas walked forwards into what his family called the Blue Room, a bedroom decorated entirely in shades of that colour. It looked as cold as it felt; the heating was never turned on in the spare rooms even in the middle of winter.

It was with some surprise that Meliodas caught sight of his youngest brother, who looked extremely shaken as he tenderly cradled Gelda's pale, tear streaked face. Her long, dark lashes were surprisingly pristine and Meliodas wondered if the apparent lack of mascara meant that they were naturally dark or if they were just the product of extremely good make-up. He had scoured the upstairs rooms after leaving his father, still upset and angry as he set to his search and had not expected to come upon any company.

"What are you doing here?" Zeldris demanded crossly, his fingers digging into Gelda's arms slightly with his agitation. Gelda pressed her head into Zeldris' shoulder, hiding her marred face from view.

"I'm looking for Elizabeth, and she's obviously not here. I'll leave you two alone."

Meliodas smiled kindly at Gelda before turning to leave, his mind already on where he might look next.

"Wait!" Zeldris called, pushing Gelda back gently from him as he turned to stare at his brother's retreating form. "Although it pains me to say it," he muttered reluctantly with a sigh, "I need your help. Come with me now. We should discuss it in private."

"Are you sure?" Meliodas turned round to examine his brother carefully, noting the set of his jaw and the dark fire of his eyes. Zeldris never asked for help, so this sudden plea meant something serious was up with him.

"Okay, I'm all ears. Let's go somewhere, but I have to find Elizabeth first," Meliodas offered, for once finding it difficult to summon a smile.

"Indeed. I don't want to leave Gelda on her own. Will you ask Elizabeth to come here?" Zeldris turned to his fiancée, taking both her hands in his as he looked into her eyes. "Elizabeth seemed nice enough to me. Will you be happy to stay here with her?"

In response to Gelda's nod of assent, Meliodas checked his phone. He had called Elizabeth a number of times as he searched through the house and he was relieved to see she had finally sent him a message. Meliodas excused himself and shot out of the room. Before too long he breezed back in, his eyes dark with worry as he held Elizabeth close beside him.

Elizabeth was crying so hard she could barely speak, her breaths coming as rushed gasps between deep, trembling sobs. Meliodas felt a stab of guilt. There was no way any man in his right mind would leave any woman in this state, especially when she was supposed to be providing the comfort. But one look at Zeldris was enough to tell him how unpopular he would be if he dared to suggest any postponement of their plans.

"Really sorry, Elizabeth. Something's come up. I need to you stay with Gelda for a while. She's... a bit upset. I'll be back as soon as I can." At this, Gelda looked up at Meliodas, an expression of utter incredulity on her noble features.

Elizabeth was confused, and rather hurt, but she tried not to show it. She needed Meliodas to stay with her, but she knew she should be dutiful and do what he said. After an awkward pause she managed to blurt out, "Oh, of course..." before she sobbed even harder, her squeaks rising to a pitch so high it was likely audible only to dogs. "There, there," Meliodas murmured consolingly as he patted Elizabeth on the back a few times before reluctantly letting Zeldris drag him out through the door. She would not stop crying any time soon.

Once alone, the two women took the opportunity to examine each other. Elizabeth sniffed, rubbing her eyes with her fists as she tried desperately to stop her tears, but her efforts proved to be a fruitless endeavour. Giving in to the inevitable, she flung herself onto the couch, her tears soaking into the blue velvet upholstery.

Seeing the other girl in bits helped Gelda regain mastery of herself, and she took several steadying breaths to ensure she had command of her emotions. Giving physical comfort was not familiar to her, the women in her social circle being more rivals than friends, but she made herself put her natural reluctance aside. Tentatively, she reached out for Elizabeth who sat up immediately and clung to her desperately in return as she sobbed her heart out. Gelda froze with the shock of her hold, before relenting and letting her body relax. The experience was new but was not at all unpleasant and before she knew what was happening Gelda found herself stroking Elizabeth's smooth, silver hair as she held her.

"So you met our father-in-law to be too I take it," Gelda said haltingly, attempting to lighten the mood. Elizabeth giggled slightly through the sobs and finally Gelda could feel the girl's breathing becoming less frantic and shallow, signaling a return to a semblance of calm. Elizabeth continued to regain control of her emotions as Gelda wondered what move to make next. One wrong word and the crying might start again so she would need to chose what to say with great care.

How long the pair stayed like this they could not later recall, but they both agreed that they suddenly broke apart on hearing extremely loud yells coming from somewhere along the corridor. Elizabeth finally stopped crying and both she and Gelda stared at the door with shock on their faces as the harsh sounds continued. The voices were muffled, but they were very familiar and both women instantly recognised them.

"What is going on?" Gelda whispered as she held herself as still as possible, trying to distinguish the words being shouted.

"I... that sounds like Meliodas, but... I don't understand. He never shouts. This isn't like him at all." Elizabeth's hand moved to play with the cuffs of her frilly blouse.

Gelda considered this. Zeldris did have a temper and this tone was not out of character, though he never used it with her. What was strange was the speed at which he had lost his cool. It usually took much longer for him to get this riled.

The girls looked at one another, wide-eyed and tense as the shouting continued. Gelda thought she could make out her own name being bawled out loudly, just before the sound of something smashing punctuated the ruckus. The girls clutched at each other, Elizabeth's mouth gaping slightly as Gelda pressed her lips together. The silence that followed was short lived, and before long the tumult of violent wrath resumed.

"Don't you think we should go to them?" Elizabeth asked, her voice rasping hoarsely, and she nearly pulled a clump of her hair out as she tugged on it furiously, wincing slightly with the pain this brought.

"I don't know..." Gelda spoke these words unwillingly. She knew she could calm Zeldris down, but would he want her to interfere? She felt paralysed by her indecision and she could see Elizabeth was hesitating too. "Very well, let us..."

Gelda was interrupted sharply when another sound, much louder and more frightening than the brawl they had been listening to, echoed all through the Manor. It was horrible, like a pig screaming, and Gelda felt her stomach drop with cold dread.

All at once, the argument ceased, the sudden dearth of noise sounding nearly as loud as the previous cacophony, the silence ringing through the room. After a brief pause, the thud of a door slamming against the wall and running feet told the girls all they needed to know.

Following a quick glance at each other, both women rushed from the room, taking in the white walls and red carpet as they surveyed the corridor.

"Where do you think the sounds came from?" Gelda asked as she turned to Elizabeth, dismayed to see her future sister-in-law's lip was quivering once more.

"Um… I don't know… but it sounded like Meliodas ran this way," Elizabeth stuttered as she pointed left in the direction of the old man's room. The memory of what lay in that direction made Gelda's heart miss a beat, but she forced herself to tug on Elizabeth's hand as they set off at a run, determined to find the source of the furor.

As the twin staircases came into view Gelda wondered whether they should stay up or go down. But before she could decide, she pulled up short as a tall, cloaked man rounded on them from the top of the steps. With some difficulty, Gelda just prevented herself from smashing into him; Elizabeth was not so lucky. Before she could stop herself, she careened into Monspeet, who swore loudly as she nearly knocked him to the floor. Catching Elizabeth with a practiced ease, Monspeet placed her back on her feet before running in the direction of the old man's room.

"Come on, the noise came from here!" Monspeet called over his shoulder as he made his way at pace along the corridor.

"Who was that?" Elizabeth asked tremulously as she stared nervously in the direction of Monspeet's retreat. The timidity in her face was hard to miss and Gelda wondered if it was concern about the stranger or a dread of what lay in that direction that brought her such fear.

"Monspeet," Gelda replied as she squeezed Elizabeth's hand comfortingly. "He is the con artist, but no need to worry. He seemed harmless to me." Elizabeth nodded bravely, setting her face with determination as the two women followed quickly in Monspeet's footsteps.

With a sharp twist of the head, Zeldris looked to his right as the sound of heavy breathing and padding feet approached, taking in the wild expressions of Monspeet, Gelda and Elizabeth as they ran towards him. He was on his knees, examining the lock of the door with one eye while Meliodas stood over him, wild anxiety marring his brother's face as he ran his hand through his messy blonde hair.

"He has locked it and the key must be on the inside. I cannot see a thing!" Zeldris snapped upright, twisting the handle and pushing at the door with all his might in a desperate bid to open it, snarling with frustration when it remained firmly in place. "Stand back! I will break it down."

"Wait! These panels are pretty flimsy. Let me try," Meliodas replied and, after a brief pause, he smashed his fist into the door with a powerful punch. The panel gave way, splintering with a screech as pointed shards of wood shattered inwards.

Zeldris' ears rang as Meliodas shouted with triumph, before he turned the key in the lock from the inside, the audible creak of the mechanism sounding through the corridor. As he turned to seek Gelda out, Zeldris saw Gowther standing behind her. The secretary's face was as blank and expressionless as usual and Zeldris wondered when he had arrived.

"Gowther, take Gelda away from here now! Elizabeth too," Zeldris commanded as he returned Gowther's gaze, his hands clenched slightly in his perturbation. He definitely did not want Gelda to see this. The quick glance through the door the had allowed himself was enough to confirm that the view would be beyond gruesome.

With a nod of understanding, Gowther gently led Elizabeth and Gelda back away from the door, his gait halting as he took them down the corridor back in the direction they had come from. With a glance at Meliodas, Zeldris made his way into the room, his brother and Monspeet following behind.

Zeldris blanched with shock as he took in the mutilated corpse of the man he had wanted dead, laying on the floor. His father's skull was visibly dented and thick, dark blood pooled like ink onto the luxurious green carpet. He looked an absolute mess, and Zeldris caught the splash of bile in his throat as he looked down at the battered remains. He did not need to check for signs of life. Propped up against the limp body, a golf club stood proud, the head of it covered in gore and clumps of dark hair. Zeldris shuddered involuntarily before he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and, on turning slightly, met Monspeet's cold mask of a face. The con artist had been moving closer to his father's body.

"Stop right there! This is a crime scene and you will go no further. We must all get out now," Zeldris said coldly, his eyes fixed on Monspeet. Hearing what sounded like a harsh, retching noise, Zeldris looked over at his brother and was shocked to see Meliodas looking physically sick, his skin an odd, pale green. This level of distress was uncharacteristic for his eldest brother. All enmity forgotten in the shock of the moment, Zeldris offered his arm to Meliodas who took it gratefully. The pair staggered slightly as Zeldris helped Meliodas out of the room, feeling a stab of pity for seeing his brother so weak.

On instinct, after ushering his brother outside, Zeldris turned round to check Monspeet was following. He was not at all surprised to see that the despicable con artist had ignored his instructions, and had in fact made his way further into the room. The cloaked man was standing by the window which looked onto the back garden of the house and, for the first time, Zeldris noticed that the blackout curtains were pushed back. The large, square window itself was wide open, allowing the chill fingers of the evening cold to slowly creep into the space. His father would have hated that.

Clearing his throat deliberately so as to attract attention, Zeldris scowled as Monspeet slowly returned his stare. With an expression of utter boredom on his haughty face, Monspeet walked deliberately out into the corridor, Zeldris following behind.

Face still a peculiar colour, Meliodas was sitting on the floor in the corridor, his eyes glazed and staring downwards.

"It will be alright. I will call the police," Zeldris said as he moved to stand behind his brother, gripping Meliodas' shoulder tightly as he pulled his phone out of his pocket with a trembling hand.

"Well, this sure looks interesting~" a languid voice sounded. Zeldris whipped round, eyes blazing with anger. He was surprised to see Estarossa, who looked pretty sheepish, standing next to an impossibly tall human being. Zeldris clenched his teeth as he took in the new arrival, whose spiky blue hair and tight, ill-fitting suit suggested he was on the slothenly end of the spectrum.

"Monspeet! How nice to see you," the strange man sang, his voice coming in a lazy lilt as his crimson eyes darted around, taking in every detail of the scene. "Now where's that girlfriend of yours? Don't tell me you split up."

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in our house?" Zeldris growled as he lunged towards the newcomer. "Do you have something to do with this?" he added, gesturing at the ruined door.

Ban returned Zeldris' cold stare with bored contemplation. "The name's Ban. Sergeant Ban to you. I've come here on request. The homeowner wanted to report a theft, or something like that. Was it one of you who called the station?"

"It is a good job you have come. There has been a murder," Gowther's flat voice came from behind Ban, who slowly turned round to face the secretary. "You will find my employer in there. I am quite sure he is dead. You will want to speak to us all no doubt. In addition to the five of us here, there are three ladies at the Manor. Two of them are in my study, where we will also go until you are ready to speak to us. I do not know where Derieri is." Gowther said this last to Monspeet, who had gone very pale, his pencil moustache quivering slightly. Estarossa stared at Monspeet, widening his eyes very slightly to try and tell him to keep his thin mouth shut. Fortunately, the silent fugitive did not need instructions.

"So, you've changed your game have you, Monspeet? Violence isn't usually your style," Ban drawled.

"You know him?" Zeldris asked sharply as he examined Ban's features carefully.

"You could say that~" Ban murmured languidly as he looked over at Monspeet. The hustler said nothing, somehow managing to summon his haughty expression to meet Ban's scrutiny. With a smirk, Ban stepped forwards and pulled Monspeet's arms behind his back as Meliodas let forth a choking cry, placing a pair of handcuffs round the hustler's wrists.

Ban read Monspeet his rights, charging him with multiple counts of fraud before adding, "You're not under arrest for murder, not yet anyway, but I can't risk you running off." Monspeet glared at Ban coldly, the noise of tinkling metal sounding as he experimentally tested the grip of the handcuffs.

"I like your suggestion," Ban drawled to Gowther as he scratched his ear. "Take these others back to your study, would ya? I'll keep this guy with me here."

"No one is taking us anywhere. Meliodas and I need to go and find our partners and we need no assistance to get to them." Zeldris glowered at Ban, the bite of his irritation showing plainly in his tone.

"My study is just down this corridor. I will leave the door open so you can find us easily," Gowther replied woodenly, hand on hip as he struck and odd, coquettish pose. "You should also know that Escanor, my employer's lawyer, was on his way here for an appointment. I have called him so he knows about the situation. He has offered to come even though the appointment is cancelled in case he can be of assistance."

"How thoughtful of you..." Ban looked closely at Gowther, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the slender youth whose smooth bob of pink hair gleamed brightly in the glow of the small ceiling lights. Ban frowned as he watched Gowther move back along the corridor, wondering if he always walked with that strange, wooden gait, almost like his knees did not work properly.

Estarossa followed behind the secretary as Zeldris helped Meliodas to his feet. As they passed, Meliodas looked up at Ban, their eyes locking for a few seconds before Zeldris pulled his brother away. Ban felt shaken; he recognised Meliodas, who had spent quite a bit of time with him in the Dog and Duck a few months back just after he had started his new job in the area. The talk had been free, as had the alcohol Meliodas had bought for him, and he had formed an extremely favourable impression of the chap. Seeing him so dejected and dazed made Ban feel inexplicably protective. Perhaps it was because the man was so small.

Once the remaining suspects had gone Ban called the station, receiving confirmation that Inspector Merlin would join him immediately, as would a team of scene of crime officers. Ban knew better than to contaminate the evidence, but he could make a start from his position just outside the door.

"Stay here," Ban told Monspeet, gently helping him so that he could sit comfortably on the floor. Having noted the bloody corpse and the golf club, Ban was just about to begin a more detailed assessment when he felt a prickling along his neck. He twisted round, eyebrows rising as he took in the barely-clad form of Derieri, who was wearing a short skirt, a tight-fitting vest and a tailored jacket which left nothing to the imagination. Derieri caught sight of Monspeet, who rose to his feet unsteadily as she moved closer towards him.

"I would say it's a pleasure to see you, but we'd both know that's a lie," Ban drawled, taking a few steps forwards so as to stand between Derieri and Monspeet. "What d'you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm here as a guest. You can't pin anything on me," Derieri snapped as she started to back away towards the staircase.

"Not so fast," Ban warned, taking quick strides towards Derieri, closing the remaining gap between them. "You're still wanted for the Modigliani forgery case, though if you ask me the real crime was that the fool you sold it to couldn't see it was fake. And you're going to have to explain what you're doing here."

"There's nothing to explain! It's no crime to stay in a house."

"I see. The man who owns this place can back you up can he?" Ban asked casually, pulling a notebook and pen from his pocket, pretending to jot down some information in shorthand. Monspeet made a strangled sound, but Ban silenced him with a sharp glare before the criminal could share any information with his partner.

"Of course! He asked us to stay here," Derieri spat, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Go on, ask him." She gestured towards the door, noticing for the first time the splintering wood as she did so. Looking up at Ban and his notebook, her face froze in horror and she turned her shocked face to Monspeet, whose lips twitched as he struggled to maintain his stony silence.

"Bit difficult to do that. The man's dead. Clobbered." Ban watched Derieri closely as she processed his words and he would have sworn her astonishment was genuine. He had a good feel for crooks, and could usually tell when he was being lied to. On the other hand, Derieri and Monspeet were pretty experienced hustlers who took people in for a living.

Wondering what to do next, Ban was saved from inaction by the welcome arrival of the scene of crime officers, accompanied by Inspector Merlin. With practiced efficiency, the team started pulling on hazmat suits and tight latex gloves, making sure they would bring no trace evidence in with them as they went about their business. Inspector Merlin came up to Ban, confidence exuding from her every step as she strode forwards, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder. The inspector was the star of the county police force and she walked like she knew it. Ban grinned in appreciation as Merlin joined him, looking forward to seeing her legendary sharp wit in action. She came to a halt in front on Ban, hand on hip and lips curved in a sly smile as she let her sergeant appraise her of the situation.

"So, you know these people," Merlin purred as she smiled coldly at Derieri and Monspeet.

"We go back a way. I worked in Cornwall before I came here. They're both well known down there," Ban confirmed.

"Ah, the Modigliani case you told me about," Merlin said with understanding, her bright amber eyes flashing as she rounded on the pair of crooks. "A number of my colleagues are keen to meet you, but you can stay here for now.

"We'll take the handcuffs off I think," Merlin added as she looked over at Ban. The tall sergeant grinned before moving behind Monspeet to remove the offending articles. "I will interview you here before we take you both to the station, where I am sure you will have a comfortable stay."

With a fluid grace, Merlin led Derieri and Monspeet down the corridor, Ban accompanying her as they made their way towards Gowther's study.

The room they came to was throbbing with silence and frightened faces stared up at the police officers as the entered. Seeing the two fraudsters, Estarossa rose but one look from Ban, who made sure to show his fierce canines, made him return to his seat. Derieri and Monspeet followed his lead and also sat. Gowther had dragged chairs into the room from all over the house and it was crowded with people and furniture.

"I am sorry for your loss." Merlin spoke clearly, her eyes raking over the room taking in every detail from Gowther's hard, rigid posture to the way Zeldris and Gelda clung to each other.

Merlin recognised the politician, his two brothers and the secretary whom she had seen down the pub on a couple of occasions. Lady Gelda was also familiar to her. The celebrated daughter of the late Lord Izraf was a favourite target of the paparazzi and frequently appeared in the tabloid newspapers. Rumour was she and her brother Orlondi, the new Marquis of Edinburgh, did not get on. Monspeet had also helpfully identified himself so the young lady holding Meliodas' hand was the only one in the party she did not know. She was, however, aware of the rumoured engagement and deduced that this was the much-envied fiancée.

"I am Inspector Merlin. As you will know, this is a murder investigation. We will take statements from each of you, but before then I would like an overview of what happened. Start with when you all arrived at the Manor."


"Where exactly did you see Estarossa?" Merlin enquired as she and Ban stepped out into the expansive garden at the back of the house.

"Over there," Ban said lazily as he gestured towards a tree growing out of the sodden lawn. "When I got here, the front door was locked and no one would answer my knocks so I came back here to see if I could find another way in. I thought it was a bit odd that I'd been told to get here asap and then was left out in the cold."

Ban remembered how irritated he should have felt to be dragged away from the station's rather lively Christmas party on the whim of some no doubt hysterical old curmudgeon, but the truth was he was keen to see the lord of the Manor for himself. Ban had not met the man but knew of his dark reputation. The nasty git was seriously disliked.

Moving in springy strides, Ban headed towards an apple tree which stood a little back from the house, its branches bare apart from a cluster of mistletoe which clung to it like moss. The long, damp grass at the base of the trunk was squashed flat, a few cigarette butts and white stones lying among the green blades. Merlin snapped a glove over her right hand, and stooped to pick up one of the stones.

"These come from the drive," she murmured thoughtfully. "What are they doing here?"

"Sorry, I didn't notice these. I saw Estarossa having a smoke here and thought he might help me get into the house. I didn't pay too much attention, I guess."

"'No need to apologise. According to the footprints in the grass you only stepped a little way onto the lawn, then Estarossa came to you. These pebbles would have been too small for you to see from that distance."

Merlin stood in the centre of the trampled spot, staring up intently at the huge house. Her line of sight went squarely to an open window on the first floor which was surrounded on all sides of the frame by glossy green ivy. Nodding to herself, Merlin moved back towards the red-bricked building, her high heels sinking slightly into the soft ground.

"More data Ban, we are on the way," Merlin said with glee.

"D'you want to see the suspects on their own now?" Ban enquired. The group interview had revealed nothing interesting. Zeldris had taken charge of the narrative, which Ban had found surprising. From his previous encounter with Meliodas, Ban had thought he would be the natural leader among the brothers. The poor man had been completely broken however, saying nothing at all.

The only other point of note was that something was clearly going on with Estarossa and the two criminals, who kept shooting each other quick, furtive looks. Ban grinned to himself. Teasing out the exact nature of their relationship was going to be fun.

The other thing Merlin and Ban had agreed on was that the timing was too tight to permit an outsider, so the culprit must be one of the people sitting in Gowther's study. Ban's arrival confirmed that no one had left the Manor after the murder was committed, and a search of the property had revealed no unexpected visitors on site. This made the job easier; yet Ban was uneasy. He did not fancy any of the eight suspects for the crime.

"No. Let's examine the room first now that the scene of crime officers have finished. I want to let them all stew." Merlin spoke with determination as she continued on her path towards the house. Rather than heading for the back door, however, Merlin stood directly under the window they had been gazing at earlier before turning her attention to the trailing ivy. Her face close to the plant, Merlin scrutinised it minutely, using a biro to move back leaves so as to get a closer look.

"No snapped branches." Merlin looked disappointed as she stared up the wall. "How heavy would you say Estarossa is?"

"Around two hundred pounds or so, maybe two ten," Ban guessed, recalling Estarossa's physique. He was tall and incredibly muscular, an absolute powerhouse of a man.

"I thought so. More than heavy enough to break this plant if he tried to climb. I think we can rule it out," Merlin declared.

Ban also stared up at the ivy. It was true that Estarossa would be too heavy for the task and, although smaller, Monspeet would have made a visible mess too. The rest of the suspects however could have scaled the wall without issue. Meliodas and his youngest brother were both lithe and wiry, and the slender secretary could also have managed it. The girls were light enough, although the idea of the graceful Gelda swarming up the leaves in her perilously high heels was hard to imagine. Still, they were all pretty toned and probably worked out hard enough. Derieri in particular would have had no problem at all.

Merlin and Ban made their way in through the backdoor and up to the old man's room, which was still hosting a few scene of crime officers who were just in the process of packing up their equipment. The corpse lay there, a bloody mess on the floor, curled up pathetically in a foetal position. The doctor had made an initial assessment, leaving Merlin and Ban free to take a closer look until the coroner arrived. Crouching down to the floor and lifting the sleeve of the man's shirt and the cuffs of his trousers with her biro, Merlin examined the victim's arms and legs carefully.

"The blow to the head is what killed him, but he was beaten savagely first, if the bruises I can see are anything indication of what the rest of his clothes are hiding. Why do you think that was?" Merlin asked as she stretched back up, her dark purple trouser suit falling into place as she stood.

"Can't have been to subdue him. Whoever hit him must be really powerful," Ban mused as he looked down. The man's skull was caved in, the skin having been forced back and away to expose the bone underneath. "Perhaps they were angry..."

"That would fit with the data. It would have been easy enough to take this man out without this overkill. He may even have had his back to the killer when they first struck."

"How d'you make that out?" Ban asked incredulously. Merlin sometimes gave the impression of being clairvoyant her deductions were so wild, but they were always grounded in facts.

"Simple. He opened the window and was likely doing so when the attack occurred. Look..." Merlin used her biro to point at the man's velvet jacket cuff which had a chip of white paint caught in the button hole. Ban stepped closer to the window and, sure enough, an identically-shaped piece was missing from the white-painted frame.

"It is freezing outside and these other windows are completely covered. There is an obvious reason why he might not have closed this one. Not proven of course, but it is a possibility. In any case, he is much too frail to have put up much of a fight against someone with this sort of brute strength."

"The golf club is a nine iron, a heavy make and right-handed. Looks like it lived over there," Ban remarked as he gestured towards a partial set of golf clubs leaning against the wall. "Meliodas is left-handed by the way. I've met him before down the pub," he continued in answer to Merlin's questioning stare.

"That does not mean he is unable to use a right-handed club to kill someone. This is murder, not the US Open," Merlin said with clear disapproval.

"Yes, but look at the angle. The golf club was swung upwards from right to the left, yeah? No lefty could've done that," Ban insisted, determined to press the point.

"The doctor agrees, but I want to know why you are so keen that Meliodas did not do it. If you know him at all well I should move you off this investigation. I thought you were new to the area."

"I am, and I don't know him, not really. I've only met him one time. I was just looking at the evidence..."

Merlin gazed at Ban for several seconds before nodding her head curtly. "I've met him too. You would be wise not to let an affable manner fool you. It can hide a monster beneath. But I agree the manner of death would seem to indicate someone else."

Merlin had wondered for some time why her sergeant had left his old employment in Cornwall to come to this relatively quiet county. She had done her best not to question him, but this odd behaviour was testing her patience. She hated not being in the know.

"Why did you take this job?" Merlin blurted our, unable to stop herself. "You got it because you were the most qualified, you were almost too qualified in fact. I would have expected you to be applying for promotion."

Ban continued to examine his fingernails as Merlin talked but at the mention of promotion he looked down at her keenly. "I lost my mum recently," he said after a long pause. "I wanted to get away from the memories. This place seemed as good as any. She was never happy…"

Merlin's cautious expression changed to one of sympathy as she saw the genuine pain in Ban's face. Knowing that she should apologise, Merlin sashayed over to the window and looked out, determined to get Ban's mind back on the case. Meanwhile Ban collected himself and telephoned the coroner, making arrangements for the body to be removed, and for a junior police officer to stay with the corpse in the meantime. An autopsy would need to be carried out to confirm the doctor's assessment, but in this case the findings were a mere formality. As he finished the call, Merlin called Ban over and he made his way towards her with long, easy strides.

In response to Merlin's silent gesture, Ban stuck his head out of the window, twisting his neck round to look upwards. With a gasp of surprise, Ban made out the shape of a coil of rope, a strand of which snaked limply over the edge of the roof almost directly above him.

"I begin to see a solution," Merlin said with glee, her smile one of wicked delight as it always was when she was making progress with a case. Eyes flashing with triumph, Merlin swept from the room, Ban lolloping quickly behind to keep up.