‘Nothing positive yet. Maybe I should check the station archives as well.’

‘You’d be looking for a needle in a haystack. Old misper and crime reports are just dumped down there in no particular order.’

‘I could put out an all-stations memo,’ Jane suggested, ‘to see if there are any serving officers who remember dealing with a missing nun from St Mary’s Convent back in the sixties.’

‘OK. Wait and see if the diocesan archive search gives you a name, then do it.’

‘Whatever the outcome, I think Father Floridia’s assistance might still be useful. The convent is a stone’s throw from his church. Some of his parishioners have probably lived in the area for years and might have known some of the nuns. We might need to speak to them at some point, so Father Floridia would be a good means of introduction.’

Stanley snorted. ‘He’s already turned his nose up once . . . don’t be surprised if he does it again.’

Jane wasn’t going to be put off. ‘I’ll let him calm down over the weekend and contact him on Monday or Tuesday.’

‘Fine. Do your report then head off home and get some rest over the weekend. I suspect you’ll be pretty busy next week. Well done today. Keep up the good work.’

*

Jane left Stanley’s office, then phoned the forensic laboratory and got put through to DS Johnson.

‘Hi, Jane, what can I do for you?’ Lloyd asked.

She told him about the nun’s cross, the relevance of the date and initials on it and her conversation with Bishop Meade.

‘How’s the work on the fibres you recovered going?’ Jane asked.

‘I don’t think the fibre expert has had a chance to start on them yet. Give me a second and I’ll go and ask her.’

‘It’s OK, there’s no rush. Could you ask her to check the fibres from the nun against the rope she was wearing around her waist?’

‘You think she was strangled with her own rope.’

‘No, but I saw a priest today at Archbishop’s House who was wearing one that looked exactly the same.’

‘Bloody hell – you think a bloody priest did it?’

‘Don’t you start.’

‘Start what?’

‘It’s a long story,’ she sighed. ‘I’ve got the weekend off. Do you fancy having that drink and a catch-up on Saturday evening?’

‘I’d love to, Jane, but I’ve already made arrangements for Saturday night.’

‘Oh, right. Maybe some other time then?’ she said, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

‘Definitely. Your choice where we go. I’m paying and no arguments. I’ll speak with the fibre expert right away, then get back to you with a result – probably Monday as the lab shuts at the weekend.’

Jane thanked him, then called Sam Pullen.