There was another silence. Joe had the impression that Gruskin was surprised by this information. ‘I really don’t think so,’ he said at last. Joe waited for him to continue. ‘I offered to take her out to Holypool on a number of occasions, but she always refused. She said she preferred to use public transport.’

‘Did you know that Margaret was ill?’ Joe paused for a beat, but Gruskin didn’t reply immediately and he continued. ‘She had bowel cancer.’

The Mothers’ Union party was getting into full swing. The voices were louder and there was a burst of laughter.

‘No.’ Gruskin stared out towards the altar. ‘I wish she had confided in me about that. I might have been able to help.’ But his voice was petulant and Joe thought the priest resented Margaret’s obsession with privacy as much as his parishioners had. He would have been able to do nothing to help her.

They were interrupted by the elderly organist. She carried a tray, with two cups of coffee and a plate of mince pies. Her progress up the aisle was as slow as the tempo of her music.

‘No need for these, Ida,’ Gruskin said. ‘I was just coming to join you. I think Sergeant Ashworth has finished now.’

‘Not quite.’ Joe took the cup and a pie from the plate the woman held. ‘There are just a few more questions.’ He waited until she had disappeared before he continued the conversation. In that time Gruskin ate two pies, very quickly and with a glum concentration. ‘I wanted to ask you about Dee Robson.’

‘You think she might be involved in Margaret’s murder?’ The priest looked up sharply and seemed almost relieved.

‘No, there’s no question of that. She’s on the edge of the inquiry. A possible witness. I understand that she was asked to leave the Haven. I wondered if you could explain why.’

‘Ah,’ Gruskin said. ‘Deirdre Robson. An unfortunate woman, with limited intellectual capacity. We couldn’t keep her at the Haven, though. Not after the incident. Jane Cameron, who runs the place, made that quite clear and the trustees supported her judgement.’

‘Perhaps you could tell me exactly what happened.’ Joe spoke sharply. Now that Gruskin had been given something to eat he seemed prepared to sit and chat. Joe found the atmosphere in the church oppressive and wanted to be away.

‘She had cards printed at one of those machines in the Metro station. Advertising her . . .’ Gruskin paused for a moment ‘. . . services. Using the Haven’s address and telephone number. They appeared all over Mardle. Jane was bothered by unsavoury phone calls at all hours of the night. A couple of men even turned up in cars, mistaking the place for . . .’ He paused again.

‘A brothel?’

‘Quite.’ Gruskin blinked rapidly. ‘Dee was already on a final warning, after turning up at the house drunk. We contacted her social worker and asked that he find somewhere more suitable.’