‘We all have our demons, Jane. The death of a child is one of the hardest things to deal with as a police officer.’

‘I know, but pissing off the archbishop won’t help our investigation.’

He shrugged. ‘Barnes is in charge and we have to do as he says, like it or not.’

Boon walked in. ‘I got a positive result with Julie Dorton about the whittling.’

Stanley sighed. ‘For Christ’s sake, would somebody explain this whistling thing – I mean, whittling.’

‘Shall we just call it wood carving if it’s easier for you?’ Jane teased.

‘Call it what you bloody well like. Just tell me what happened at Canvey Island,’ Stanley said.

Jane told him about Sister Margaret’s condition and the conversation they had with her.

‘I’ve got to say Boony was brilliant with her. If it wasn’t for him . . .’

‘If she’s as nutty as a fruit cake we can’t rely on anything she said,’ Stanley remarked.

Boon frowned. ‘That’s a bit harsh.’

‘I don’t have any sympathy for sadists who take pleasure in beating young children,’ Stanley said bluntly.

‘Neither do I. But calling someone with dementia a fruit cake is offensive,’ Boon replied in the same tone of voice.

Stanley huffed. ‘She’d forget it in two seconds if I did.’

Boon shook his head. ‘It’s nothing to joke about.’

‘Who’s rattled your cage?’ Stanley asked.

‘You have, sir.’

Stanley leaned forward. ‘Who do you think you are talking to, son?’

Jane was afraid Boon was about to say something he’d regret. She kicked his foot.

‘Please, stop this bickering,’ she said quickly. ‘We’re all under a lot of pressure. Arguing amongst ourselves will get us nowhere.’

‘Sorry, sarge,’ Boon said. ‘Sorry, guv.’

Stanley sat back. ‘OK, tell me about this whittling thing you uncovered.’

Barnes’s desk phone started to ring. Stanley picked it up.

‘How did it go with the commissioner, guv?’

Stanley didn’t say anything as he listened to Barnes. A minute later he put the phone down.

‘What did Barnes have to say?’ Jane asked.

‘Not much. He sounded really pissed off. Malone made an official complaint to the commissioner about Barnes’s behaviour. He also said he signed a dispensation order for Sister Melissa, which—’

Jane interrupted. ‘I’ll bet no one’s actually seen it.’

‘Malone said he can show us the document. The commissioner has an official meeting with him tomorrow.’

‘It could be forged and backdated,’ Boon suggested.

‘Possibly,’ Stanley said. ‘But it could also be genuine. Malone told Julie Dorton in 1962 that he was going to sign a dispensation. If he was trying to cover up Melissa’s murder it makes sense the dispensation was issued back then.’

‘Is Barnes coming back here?’ Jane asked.