‘Sorry, but I can’t bear watching that crap,’ he snorted.

She frowned. ‘Well, I want to watch it, like thousands of others. History is being made today and you should appreciate it.’

‘That’s Malone with the Pope and I can’t bear the sight of him! Yet again, he’s made a fool of me!’

‘For Christ’s sake, Tony, let it go. You’ve allowed him to eat away at your soul for nearly thirty years now. You’re retired. You need to put the police service behind you and move on . . . for both our sakes.’ She turned the television back on.

The commentator expressed his thoughts. ‘There is nothing sentimental about this pope. He comes to proclaim the truth as he wrote in a poem twenty years ago. “If I have the truth in me it will break out one day – I cannot repent.”’

Barnes opened his wallet and removed the business card The Times investigative journalist had given him, then left the room.

‘Where are you going?’ his wife shouted after him.

‘To proclaim the truth!’

*

After interviewing Barry May, Jane went to speak with Stanley. He was watching the Pope’s visit on the television and drinking a glass of whisky.

‘The Pope’s just arrived at Victoria station on the Gatwick train. Malone is with him. The smug son of a bitch is waving, and smiling to everyone,’ Stanley said.

‘He’ll probably be made a cardinal after arranging the visit,’ Jane remarked.

‘Fancy a quick snifter?’ Stanley asked, holding up his glass.

‘Go on then,’ she replied.

Stanley opened his bottom desk drawer, removed a bottle of Glenmorangie, poured some into a glass and handed it to Jane.

‘That’s the same whisky Barnes likes on special occasions.’

‘I know, he left it in his filing cabinet. Be a shame to let it go to waste,’ Stanley grinned.

‘You thieving git,’ Jane laughed as she raised her glass. ‘Cheers.’

Stanley raised his glass in turn. ‘Cheers. I wonder if the Pope and Malone will discuss Bishop Meade’s suicide?’

‘Probably, then sweep it under the carpet,’ Jane replied.

‘They’re all lying bastards. I reckon Bishop Meade would have confessed if we’d had the chance to interview him.’

‘For what it’s worth, I don’t think he was involved in Melissa’s death,’ Jane said.

‘Are you being serious?’ Stanley asked.

‘Yes, it’s just a gut feeling,’ Jane replied. ‘We all have our own views about what happened to Melissa and who killed her, but only she, and the person who killed her, know the truth. We worked hard and did our job to the best of our ability. One day the abuse and cover-ups carried out by the Catholic Church will come out. When it does, we can hold our heads high and say, “I told you, but you didn’t listen.”’