‘Take the second turning off the roundabout. Go straight up and you’ll see St George’s Cathedral. Archbishop’s House is just next to it. There’s a courtyard you can park in,’ he told her, sounding more relaxed than earlier.

‘Do you cycle all this way?’ Jane asked.

‘Sometimes, but if the weather’s bad, I get the train to Waterloo and walk down.’

Jane saw the cathedral tower come into view.

‘It’s a big cathedral. I’ve lived and worked in London all my life and never even knew it was here.’

‘It was built in 1848 then severely damaged in a German bombing raid during World War Two. An oddly named man called Romilly Craze designed and rebuilt it as a gothic revival cathedral, which opened in 1958. Pope John Paul II will be attending a service there when he visits London next month.’

‘You mentioned yesterday that Archbishop Malone was in Rome organising the Pope’s visit.’

‘Bishop Meade is standing in for him while he’s away. The courtyard is just over there on the right,’ he said, pointing.

After parking, Jane picked up the photographs and followed Father Chris to the main entrance in St George’s Road, with its ancient-looking arch-shaped dark oak doors.

Father Chris lifted the heavy brass knocker and banged it down on the door three times.

‘Getting a reply sometimes takes a while. I wish they’d get a doorbell or one of those fancy intercom things fitted,’ he said, and knocking again.

‘Just coming,’ a voice called out from the inside. The door was opened by a young priest wearing a white clerical collar and black cassock with a brown tasselled rope tied around his waist.

‘Good afternoon, Father Chris,’ he said. ‘Please come in.’

Entering the building, Jane was impressed by the vestibule with its arched ceiling, which opened onto a stone staircase. She was surprised to see a Thirties-style lift, with gold-coloured ornamental door grilles in the middle of the stairwell, looking rather rickety and out of place.

‘Bishop Meade is expecting you and Detective Tennison. Would you like a coffee, tea or a cold drink?’ the priest asked.

They both opted for coffee and the priest told them he would bring their drinks to the archbishop’s office, which Bishop Meade was using while he was away.

‘Are we using the lift?’ Jane asked warily.

‘We’ll use the stairs. The office is on the first floor.’

‘That’s a relief,’ she whispered to herself.

The Victorian-style room turned out to be almost as big as the Bromley CID office. The walls were covered with dark wood panelling, apart from the far end, which had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. There were two stained-glass windows, one depicting Jesus on the cross and the other the Virgin Mary praying.

The bishop was sitting near the bookshelves at a carved oak pedestal desk. In front of the desk were two walnut armchairs with velvet-covered seats.