Chapter 26

The police arrived half an hour later, swarming Stormclyffe as they studied the bones by the dovecote. From the safety of a window overlooking the gardens, Jane watched the activity. An anthropologist, who'd come upon Bastian's request, finished photographing and mapping the site. The bones appeared to be very old.

The authorities removed the remains, packed them into a coroner's vehicle, and drove off after midnight. A breath of relief escaped her lips as she watched the last van's taillights fade into the darkness. She should have felt better now that the body was gone, but she didn't. Had she expected the stones around her to expel a sigh of relief when the source of evil had been removed? Probably. The feel of a dark taint still clouded her senses, as though the bones had leached evil into the soil and air.