‘Yes, but I can call back tomorrow.’

‘No, please come in. Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll be right with you. The living room is first on the left,’ he said.

The door creaked open, allowing Jane to see Father Chris holding a thigh-length towel round his slim waist. He had broad shoulders with muscular arms and his calf muscles flexed as he briskly climbed the stairs two at a time. When he got to the top, he started to remove the towel and Jane smiled to herself as she glimpsed the cheeks of his backside.

The small living room was tidy, but sparsely furnished, with two shabby grey armchairs, a side cabinet, and an old oak writing desk with matching chair by the window. The green-painted plaster walls had numerous cracks and the carpet was threadbare in some places. The smoke from the log fire gave off a nice woody smell, reminding Jane of her family home when she was a child. She was surprised that the only religious objects in the room were a wooden crucifix above the fireplace and a large bible on the writing desk.

She also noticed there was no television. A transistor radio was on the side cabinet, alongside some framed photographs, which Jane presumed were of Father Chris’s parents. She noticed a picture of him suspended in mid-air, in a hitch kick position, about to land in a long-jump pit. He looked to be in his early twenties, and she could see a large, terraced stadium in the background, filled with spectators.

‘Would you like a coffee or tea?’ he asked as he entered the room wearing a grey tracksuit and flip-flops.

‘I’m fine, thanks. I see from the photograph you were a long jumper.’

‘That was actually the last competition I jumped in.’

‘Where was it?’

‘Meadowbank Stadium, 1970. I represented Malta.’

The place and year rang a bell with Jane. ‘You were in the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games?’

‘Yes, but I didn’t win a medal. In fact, I was second to last.’

‘It’s still a fantastic achievement to have represented your country in such a prestigious event. Your family must have been very proud of you,’ Jane said.

‘My parents were there. The whole thing was an experience I’ll never forget.’

‘How old were you then?’

‘Twenty-one. I became a priest shortly after, so that was the end of my long-jumping career.’

‘You obviously still keep yourself fit,’ she said, recalling the site of his semi-naked body.

‘I try to run three or four times a week or go to the Walnuts Leisure Centre.’

‘Where’s that?’ she asked.

‘Just near Orpington police station. There’s a 33-metre swimming pool and gym.’

‘I’ve only recently moved to Chislehurst and haven’t been to Orpington yet. I’ll have to check it out sometime as I like to try and keep fit.’

He removed the fireguard and put some more logs on the fire. ‘Let me take your coat.’

Jane removed her coat and handed it to him.