Boon closed his notebook. ‘Thank you, Mrs Gorman. I know it must be hard, talking about your life at the convent, but it’s been really helpful to our investigation.’

Boon couldn’t wait now to get back to the station. Father Bob, he wondered . . . could he be Bishop Meade?

Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

Driving Becky to Petts Wood, Boon asked if she’d mind keeping the conversation with Annette Gorman to herself, at least until DCS Barnes had held the press conference.

‘I don’t have a problem with that,’ she said, ‘as long as you buy me a drink.’

‘Are you blackmailing me?’ Boon grinned.

‘If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have met Annette. So, I figure you owe me.’

‘All right then, where do you want to go?’

‘Do you know The Chequers in Southborough Lane?’

‘Yes. It’s a quiet, cosy little pub . . .’

‘That’s why I chose it,’ she smiled, with a twinkle in her eye.

‘The Chequers it is, then,’ Boon replied.

‘If Sister Julie is willing to talk to you, can I tag along?’ she asked.

‘I doubt it will be me who speaks to her. Julie could be the key to a lot of unanswered questions. As a significant witness my DS or DI will want to speak to her.’

‘Will you tell me what she says?’

He sighed. ‘I can’t do that, Becky. But if Julie wants to speak to you, that’s a different matter.’

‘Do you think this Father Bob is involved?’

His forehead creased. ‘No, but obviously he needs to be traced and interviewed.’

She laughed. ‘I can tell you’re fibbing by the way you reacted when Annette told you his name. And the way you just looked at me was another giveaway.’

Boon sighed. ‘I can’t tell you, Becky . . .’

‘Come on! You wouldn’t have found Annette or Julie if it hadn’t been for me. I won’t tell anyone else.’

‘You promise this is between us?’

‘Of course. It’s not in my interest to piss you off, is it?’

Boon told her about Bishop Meade and why he suspected he may have been involved in the nun’s murder.

Becky’s eyes widened. ‘Bloody hell. If your timeline is right and Meade was the priest who visited the convent, then he must have known the murdered nun.’

Boon nodded. ‘If he killed her, the big question is why – and who else was involved. We found out there’s a tunnel from the convent chapel that leads to near where her body was found.’

‘Have you checked it out?’ Becky asked.

‘Not yet.’

‘Do you think the nun’s murder had anything to do with the sale of the convent?’ Becky asked.

‘How do you know about the sale?’

‘I’m a journalist. I do my homework before writing an article,’ she said indignantly.