‘No problem at all, sergeant. I’ll lay her out in our chapel of rest in a clean white shroud.’

‘Thanks, Jack. We’ll be with you in about half an hour. Oh, while I think of it, my DCS wants us to keep the nun’s cause of death to ourselves for the time being.’

‘I know – DI Stanley phoned earlier and told me the same thing. He’s got nothing to worry about . . . my motto has always been “what goes on at work, stays at work”.’

Jane thought Jack’s motto rather ironic, as most people wouldn’t want to hear about the dissection and examination of dead bodies anyway.

*

Driving to St Mary’s Church, Jane felt miserable about her conversation with Stanley and anxious about her meeting with Father Chris. She was stuck in a quandary, wondering what she could do to get out of a messy situation. She knew she only had herself to blame, but hoped identifying the nun might placate Stanley and, more importantly, Barnes, if he found out she’d lied to him.

Jane knew, as a last resort, she could go to court and apply for a warrant to seize any relevant documentation from the diocesan archives, but that course of action risked creating animosity between the police and the Catholic Church, whose assistance was vital to the investigation. She sighed, knowing there was only one answer. She had to be honest with Father Chris and face the consequences, whatever they might be.

Walking up the stone path to the presbytery, Jane saw Father Chris looking out of the living-room window. He waved to her then opened the front door. He was wearing a black raincoat, black suit, and a shirt with a white clerical collar.

‘Hi, Jane, thanks for coming to pick me up. How are you today?’ he said, greeting her with a smile.

She couldn’t bring herself to smile back. ‘Before we go to the mortuary, I need to have a chat with you.’

‘Is something wrong?’

‘Yes, but it’s nothing you’ve done. Can we talk inside?’

He showed Jane through to the living room, where they both sat down.

‘I had my meeting with DCS Barnes this morning. He’s happy for you to assist me identifying the nun. But he also instructed me not to tell anyone connected with the Church, the building site, or the press that the nun was murdered, until we discover her identity.’

He looked concerned. ‘Does he know you told me she was murdered?’

Jane sighed. ‘Under the circumstances I thought it best not to tell him you know.’

Father Chris looked worried. ‘This puts me in an awkward position with Bishop Meade, because—’