Boon made some notes in his pocketbook. ‘She might have been from out of town. Missing Persons Bureau only covers the Met. Should I send a telex out to the surrounding county forces to search their misper records?’

Jane worried that sending a telex to other forces might get back to Barnes or Stanley. ‘It’s best to start in London, then widen the search if we have to.’

‘We could end up with hundreds of possible hits . . .’

‘Agreed, but one of them might lead us to who she is. Investigating murder is never easy, Boony. It can take a lot of time and hard work to solve a complex case like this, even more so when the victim is unknown.’

‘You really like this side of the job, don’t you?’ he said.

‘Yes. As macabre as it may sound, the thrill of the chase excites me. Solving a murder and getting a conviction is very satisfying for everyone involved, even the dead person’s family to some extent.’

‘They say it gives them closure.’

‘Maybe a bit, but you can never forget the death of a loved one,’ Jane said, thinking of her parents and the grief they went through at the loss of their only son, four years old when he drowned.

*

It was just after five when they got back to the office. While Boon phoned Missing Persons, Jane went to Stanley’s office. He was on the phone, and from what she could hear of the conversation she guessed he was speaking to DCS Barnes. Stanley pointed to the chair. Jane placed it in front of his desk and sat down.

‘Yes, sir. I’ll pass your thoughts on to Tennison and make sure it’s ready first thing in the morning.’ Stanley put the phone down.

‘Make sure what’s ready?’ Jane asked suspiciously.

‘He wants to see your report before he makes a decision.’

‘What for? You know as much about the case as I do.’

Stanley shrugged. ‘He was busy. I didn’t get the chance to give him all the details.’

‘What were his thoughts on the details you were able to give him?’ Jane asked, feeling Stanley was being evasive.

‘He sounded positive. Like I said, he’ll make a decision after he’s read your report in the morning . . . so I suggest you get on with it.’

‘The coroner asked for a full forensic PM. Dr Pullen’s findings prove the nun was murdered. What more does Barnes want?’

‘For fuck’s sake, Jane, why do you always think everyone’s got it in for you? You’ve never met Tony Barnes and know nothing about him, yet you already assume he’s the devil in disguise. He has a reputation for being a stickler for the rules. He likes to know the ins and outs of a duck’s arse before making a decision.’ Stanley opened his desk drawer, pulled out a thick blue folder and pushed it across his desk.

‘What do you want me to do with that?’ she asked, assuming it was another case file.