Jane thought about Thomas Durham and wondered if he was one of the builders Julie had seen fixing the convent roof. If it was him, and maybe Lee Holland, too, it meant they had deliberately not mentioned their connection to the convent before Missy had been murdered. Thomas Durham suggested he’d had nothing to do with the convent until long after the fire, but Jane also wondered if he was the builder who’d deemed the tunnel unsafe and bricked up the crypt door. Then something else worrying struck her: was it possible Thomas had revealed something to Nick about the convent, and that was what was forcing him to end their relationship?

*

Jane woke early, still tired from a restless night. She had a quick shower and got dressed.

‘Morning, Jane,’ Gerry said as she was about to get in the car. Spud relieved himself on the grass verge.

‘Morning, Gerry. How are you and Spud today?’ she replied, walking over and stroking the dog.

‘We’re both well, thank you. Another early start?’

‘Yes, I’ve got a really busy day ahead of me.’

‘That’s a nice Range Rover your boyfriend Nick has, though I prefer the Jag.’

‘He uses the Range Rover for work. It’s more reliable on muddy building sites than the Jag,’ Jane told him.

‘I thought about getting a Range Rover myself. But I realised it wouldn’t be very practical for a small dog like Spud trying to get in and out of it.’

Jane tried not to laugh. She doubted very much he could afford a Range Rover. But she also wondered how he knew Nick had one.

‘Did Nick take you for a spin in it?’

‘No. I saw him parked up when I was walking Spud last night.’

Jane raised her eyebrows. ‘Outside my house?’

He pointed. ‘No. Just up the road. I went over and said hello.’

‘What did he say?’ a curious Jane asked.

‘Not much. He said he had to go and see his father. Then he drove off.’

‘What time was that?’

‘About nine.’

Jane wondered if she’d just missed Nick before getting home, or perhaps, feeling guilty for his earlier behaviour, he hadn’t had the courage to knock on her door. Either way, she wished she’d been able to talk to him and sort things out between them. As she drove to work to pick up DC Boon, she tried to focus on the day ahead.

*

Knowing the Dartford Tunnel into Essex would be busy during rush hour, Jane and Boon decided to go to the photography shop in Bromley before travelling to Canvey Island.

It was just before nine and the small shop in Market Square wasn’t open yet, but the sound of a man singing loudly inside could be heard on the street.

‘He’s got a good voice,’ Boon remarked.

‘The song sounds familiar,’ Jane said.

‘It’s the Toreador song from Carmen.’