‘The girl’s brother, Dan, is telling us the story that led me to Father Cavendish. Dan left work half an hour before she was attacked, but he said he was still at work at midnight. He’s not a bad lad, just twenty, very intense. He seems to be some sort of a religious enthusiast. He keeps quoting scripture and God’s laws. He’s political too. He says he’s a member of the Gaelic Union. Uses his Irish name, Domhnal Ó Flanbharra. I know it from the surveillance reports. He turns up at Land League meetings too. Low-level stuff, but active. He says he left work to walk Alice home, but missed her in the fog, and that he met a friend at Huband Bridge. We’re checking on that one, and if his version is confirmed it makes it unlikely that he would have been in the vicinity of Blackberry Lane when the attack took place.’

‘Hmmm . . . why would he want to walk the sister home? Was that usual?’

‘That goes to the issue, chief. He says that Alice was being bothered by this Father Cavendish. He says he wanted to protect Alice from him. He says there was some sort of unhealthy relationship between the priest and the girl.’

Mallon cocked his head.

‘Go on.’

‘But then Father Cavendish tells us that he was worried about Dan having some sort of obsession about the girl. He says he tried to place himself as some sort of a guardian or saviour to her. Dan says he bought her books and took her to the parochial house for lessons in voice projection, as he called it. It involved a degree of physical contact. She eventually realised it wasn’t innocent and told him she wouldn’t visit any more. Then he started intercepting her on her way home from work. He more or less persecuted her, if the brother is to be believed. Eventually the brother decided to confront him. He says he believes the priest attacked the girl.’

Mallon nodded.

‘He gave a statement?’

‘For what it’s worth, yes.’

‘A brave enough stand for a young man to take against his local priest. But it’s a long way from making Father Cavendish a murderer. You interviewed him under caution, I gather.’

‘Yes, sir. There’s nothing positively linking Father Cavendish to the killing. But there could be motive, and there was opportunity.’

‘Explain.’

‘When Mossop and I interviewed him he said he was absent from the parochial house answering a sick call around the time Alice Flannery was attacked. He says he was at a house on Belgrave Square. Mossop has checked with the family. He was there all right, administering the Last Rites to an elderly lady. But they gave Mossop contradictory versions of what time he came and went. He could have been at Blackberry Lane around midnight.’

Mallon scratched pensively at his beard.