‘You’ll tell them nothing. You’ve done enough damage as it is. We’ll discuss the matter further after I’ve spoken with the police commissioner. You had better hope I can persuade him to call his hounds off! Now get out of my sight.’

*

Out in the street, Barnes inhaled deeply, then lit a cigarette. ‘I feel a lot better after that.’

‘I don’t think we’ll be on their Christmas card list anymore, let’s put it that way,’ Stanley joked. ‘The look on Malone’s face when he heard Stephen Phillips’ name and realised who you were was priceless,’ Stanley remarked.

Barnes grinned. ‘Did you notice Meade’s little screw-up just before Malone walked in?’

‘No. It’s clear he’s lying but he seemed to have a plausible answer for everything you put to him.’

‘In his fit of anger, he blurted out that he never knew Missy Bailey. If he didn’t know her, how on earth did he know her nickname?’ Barnes said, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

*

Before leaving for Canvey Island, Jane popped into Bromley and spoke with the SOCO. She asked him to take the negative Scott Davies had given her to the Met’s photographic department and have an A3 enlargement done of the group, as well as an individual photo of Meade and Missy and a close-up of their hands.

As Jane drove, Boon flicked through the 1963 flower calendar Davies had given them.

‘There’s a flower in here called Camellia japonica, commonly known as Sweet Jane. There’s also Digitalis purpurea, which is foxglove and—’

‘I didn’t know you were into plants?’ Jane remarked.

Boon held up the calendar with a grin. ‘I’m not. I’m just reading out the photo captions.’

Jane shook her head, smiling. ‘Right. We’re in Canvey Way. Can you grab the map and give me the directions to the convent?’

He put the calendar away and picked up the AA route map. It wasn’t long before they got to their destination.

‘Blimey, it looks just like a big modern house. I’d never have guessed it was a religious building if it didn’t have that cross on top,’ Boon remarked as they pulled up outside the convent.

They were let in by a young sister, who took them to the Mother Superior, Mother Lynne’s office. Jane told her why they were there.

Mother Lynne nodded sadly. ‘I heard the appeal for information on the radio. It beggars belief that someone could do that to a child of God.’ She made the sign of the cross. ‘What brings you to our convent?’

‘One of our priorities is to trace and interview anyone who used to live or work at the Bickley convent during the relevant time period.’

‘I never worked there myself, so I don’t think I can help you,’ Mother Lynne said.