‘Regrettably, I appear to have inadvertently caused some confusion. It was in fact the Mother Superior who told me the fire started in the bakery. When Mrs Parkin said there were no records relating to the convent in the archives, I assumed the fire must have destroyed them all.’

Barnes gave him a hard look, realising his answer was plausible.

‘When did the Mother Superior tell you about the fire?’ Stanley asked.

‘I can’t remember exactly when. I went to the convent to offer my assistance as soon as I heard about it.’

‘I take it you know Mother Superior Adele Delaney is dead?’ Barnes asked, knowing he couldn’t refute Meade’s answers if the information had supposedly come from her.

Meade nodded. ‘I heard she died from cancer a few years ago.’

‘Did she or Sister Margaret say anything to you about a Sister Melissa Bailey leaving the convent?’ Barnes asked.

‘No. They’d have no reason to either. If a sister chose to leave, it would be a matter for them and the bishop.’

‘Which at that time would have been Andrew Malone, I believe?’

‘That’s correct. He’s now the archbishop and currently on his way back from Rome. He will no doubt want to meet you personally, DCS Barnes. He’s as eager to solve this horrendous crime as you are.’

‘I’m looking forward to meeting him again,’ Barnes smiled.

Meade looked surprised. ‘He didn’t mention you knew each other.’

‘I’m not surprised. When he was a priest in North London, I investigated a serious assault on a twelve-year-old boy who had committed suicide. My inquiries revealed Malone repeatedly beat children black and blue. He believed it was God’s will that those who were unruly be severely chastised. I was never in any doubt his actions led directly to Stephen Phillips’ suicide.’

Meade looked aghast. ‘I’ve known Archbishop Malone for many years. He would never condone violence in any way, shape or form. If your allegations were true, the Church would have investigated it and dealt with him appropriately, I’m sure.’

‘They weren’t interested in why Stephen killed himself. Their investigation was a sham to protect Malone and the reputation of the Church. Everything was swept under the carpet.’

‘I find that hard to believe, officer,’ Meade replied.

Barnes shrugged. ‘Unlike some, I have no reason to lie. And let me assure you, I will not allow the same thing to happen again. I will find out who killed Sister Melissa and ensure they stand trial – as well as anyone attempting to pervert the course of justice in a cover-up.’ He glared at Meade before continuing. ‘It’s also come to our notice that the Mother Superior and Sister Margaret were violent towards children at the convent. Were you aware of that?’

‘No, I was not. If I had seen either of them treating a child improperly, I would have done something about it.’