‘Just the man who founded the convent. He was in a stone sarcophagus. Occasionally a nun who died would be in a coffin awaiting burial, but that was rare. It was terrifying and so cold down there you’d sit on the floor with your knees under your chin, pulling your dress down and your jumper sleeves over your hands to try and keep warm. Thankfully, I only ever got sent down there once. I never wanted it to happen to me again, so I made sure I always did as I was told.’

The thought of being alone in the crypt sent a shiver through Becky. ‘Do you think there might be the bodies of abused children buried in the grounds of the convent?’

Annette shrugged. ‘I don’t remember anyone suddenly disappearing while I was there, but that’s not to say a child hasn’t been killed since the convent opened.’

Boon knew it was a possibility but doubted it. ‘I’m really sorry for making you recall such traumatic events, Annette. Yours, David’s, and every child’s life in the convent must have been a living nightmare,’ he said.

‘I was never so happy as when I left that place, but it’s stayed with me ever since and robbed me of growing up with my brother. There was a constant atmosphere of fear, but it wasn’t all bad. Some nuns were kind and even lied to protect us. Although they didn’t argue with Mother Superior about her strict rules, they didn’t enforce them with an iron rod like some of her cronies.’

‘They should all be ashamed for doing nothing about it,’ Becky said fiercely.

‘Believe me, I know they were. Those that did challenge Mother Superior quickly found themselves transferred to another convent, usually in some godforsaken country, or so I was told.’

‘How many children lived at the convent?’ Becky asked.

‘About thirty . . . there were slightly more girls than boys.’

‘Have you kept in contact with any of them?’

‘No. A couple of girls were moved to the same new orphanage as me. But I lost contact with them when I left.’

‘How many nuns were there?’ Boon asked.

‘It varied, but generally I’d say about twelve, including Mother Superior.’

‘Can you remember the Mother Superior or any of the nuns’ names?’

‘I haven’t a clue what her name was,’ she said. ‘Everyone just called her Mother Superior. Sister Margaret was her deputy, and she was even more sadistic. She always took great delight in beating and humiliating us.’

‘Do you know her surname?’

Annette shook her head. ‘All the nuns were just called Sister and we used their Christian names for those that let us.’ She paused for thought. ‘There was Sister Suzanne, Sister Julie, Sister Jane and Sister Melissa. I remember them mostly because they were the nicer ones. It’s hard to recall the others.’