‘It’s exactly as you described it would be – the Sacred Heart, with a small cross and circle of thorns engraved on it. I’m assuming MB are the initials of the nun.’

‘Possibly, but they could be for her given name.’

‘I forgot you told me that,’ Jane said.

‘A common given first name for a nun is Mary. The B could also refer to a given name or even a real surname.’

‘What about the engraved date? Could it be when she became a nun?’

‘Possibly. It could also be when she took her final vows.’

‘How old do you have to be to become a nun?’ Jane asked, realising it might help narrow down the victim’s age.

‘These days, at least eighteen. After a woman decides she wants to be a nun, she moves into a community, like a convent, as a novitiate. They live and work with other nuns, to help them decide if they want to live a religious life.’

‘Like a sort of test drive to see if you like it,’ Jane smiled.

He laughed. ‘That’s one way of putting it.’

‘Would the joining age have been younger back in the fifties and sixties?’

‘Possibly, yes. I have met a nun who became a novitiate when she was fifteen, but I think that’s quite rare over here.’

‘How long does it take to become a fully-fledged nun?’ Jane asked.

‘After two years as a novice, the nun takes her first vows, then after another three years, they surrender their life to their religious order and take vows that compel them to remain unmarried, devote their work to charity, and give up most of their material goods. Then, as you put it, the novitiate is fully-fledged.’

*

Arriving at the mortuary, Jane asked Father Chris to wait in the coroner’s officer’s room while she went to speak with the mortuary technician to check if the nun’s body was ready for viewing. As she entered the mortuary examination room, she saw Sam Pullen standing by the X-ray viewer with a grey-haired man in his fifties casually dressed in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, denim jacket, and white trainers.

Jack was placing a clean shroud on the nun’s body, which was on a mortuary trolley. ‘I’ll take the nun to the chapel of rest. Give me five minutes to set things up, then the priest can do his bit,’ Jack said cheerfully pushing the trolley towards the doors.

‘Hi, Jane.’ Sam smiled. ‘This is Richard Eaves. Richard, this is Detective Sergeant Jane Tennison.’

‘Thank you for letting me be involved in your investigation,’ Eaves said. ‘I’m looking forward to doing the facial reconstruction. As it’s the weekend tomorrow, I’ll pick the head up on Monday and get straight to work on it.’

‘How long do you think it will take?’ Jane asked.

‘At least two or three weeks for a clay reconstruction.’