‘From the detailed description the mortuary technician gave me, it had to be him. He even wore a bishop’s ring and left in a chauffeur-driven car.’

Barnes took a long puff on his cigarette and sat quietly mulling things over. Jane was worried his loathing of the Church would turn into a crusade of vengeance for his thwarted investigation into the young boy’s suicide. She also knew she would have to reveal her knowledge of the tunnel between the chapel and the burnt-out buildings, but somehow not give away too much detail about Nick and how she found out about it.

‘There is something else of interest I have found out about the convent,’ Jane began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Stanley opened it. ‘We’re in a meeting, DC Lyons, whatever it is it will have to wait.’ Stanley started to close the door.

‘There’s a Bishop Meade on the phone asking to speak with DS Tennison.’

Jane looked at Barnes.

‘Put the call through to Stanley’s phone,’ he said. ‘He might not be aware of the article in the paper yet. If he does start kicking off about it, hand the phone to me and I’ll deal with him.’

The phone rang and Jane picked up. Barnes leaned in close so he could hear both sides of the conversation. Jane could smell the stale smoke on his breath.

‘Good morning, Bishop Meade. What can I do for you?’

‘Good morning, Detective Tennison. Unfortunately, I’ve some bad news. I spoke with Mrs Parkin, our archivist, who informed me our diocesan archives have no records pertaining to the nuns who lived and worked at the Sisters of Mercy convent,’ he said in a matter-of-fact way.

‘What, none at all? Are you sure?’ Jane asked.

‘It would seem they were all destroyed in the fire in the convent outbuildings where they were stored.’

‘Even the children’s records?’

‘Sadly, yes.’

‘What about any priests who lived or worked at the convent?’

‘Only Sisters of Mercy ever lived and worked there. On a positive note, I can tell you that the convent land and buildings were deconsecrated and a “Petition for Faculty” was granted. There were about twenty nuns’ graves there, all of which were officially moved to St Luke’s cemetery in Bromley before the convent was sold.’

‘With regard to the fire, do you know exactly when it occurred?’ she asked.

‘Mrs Parkin informed me it was the summer of 1962. The fire started in the bakery and destroyed all the convent’s provisions, then spread to the schoolhouse. With little food to eat, no school to teach in, and the main buildings in a state of disrepair, the convent closed and it was sold to a building developer. I should add that the convent’s records would have been transferred to the archives had it not been for the fire.’