Lloyd shook his head. ‘The problem is that forensics can never match an individual rope to the hemp fibres on the nun’s neck. All they can tell you is that there’s a high probability a hemp rope was used to strangle her.’

‘That’s not much bloody use to us. Have you got any good news, Lloyd?’ Barnes said curtly.

‘We examined the broken knife tip under a high-powered microscope. There was a minuscule sliver of wood on it. Two further slivers were found on the hole in her clothing where she was stabbed in the neck. A forestry expert concluded from the cellular structure they were all birch tree fragments. This suggests the knife had recently been used for cutting wood.’

Barnes sighed. ‘The chances of us finding the knife now are virtually nil. Is that it, Lloyd?’

‘We’re still examining the stomach contents. It’s amazing how the food inside her has dried and solidified. Looks like her last meal was a vegetable stew with broccoli, cauliflower and seeded bread.’

Barnes was losing interest. ‘Are you likely to find anything forensically we can use as direct evidence against Meade?’

‘From what the scientists tell me, it’s unlikely,’ Lloyd admitted.

‘I’ll take that as a no,’ Barnes said. ‘How’d you get on at the diocesan archives, Tennison?’

‘Parkin, the archivist, confirmed there were no documents relating to the nuns or children at the convent. Meade lied; she didn’t tell him about the fire because it was the other way round. I’ve got a copy of a letter from the diocesan solicitors to the developers. All it says is the fire occurred in August 1962 and the buildings were damaged beyond repair. It raises the question of how Meade knew the fire started in the bakery and destroyed all the convent documents.’

‘Are you thinking Meade committed arson to destroy the records?’ Stanley asked.

Jane nodded. ‘I know it’s a long shot, but it might be worth getting a fire investigator from the lab to have a look at what’s left of the buildings.’

‘It’s worth a try,’ Barnes said.

‘I’ll get it sorted for tomorrow morning,’ Lloyd said.

‘Anything else of interest, Tennison?’ Barnes asked.

‘The list of priests who worked at St Mary’s has also mysteriously gone missing.’ Jane was glad she didn’t have to reveal she got the information from a priest.

‘That’s another coincidence with Meade’s name written all over it,’ Boon remarked.

‘The man is digging his own grave,’ Stanley added.