‘Hi, Sam, it’s Jane. I’m not working Sunday, so are you still up for a lunchtime meet?’

‘Of course. Do you still want to meet at London Bridge?’

‘I don’t mind . . . whatever’s easiest for you.’

‘Where do you live?’

‘Chislehurst.’

‘Bloody hell, we’re nearly neighbours. I live in Mottingham. Tell you what, let’s meet at The Bull’s Head.’

‘Where’s that?’

Sam laughed. ‘On your doorstep. Do you get out much?’

‘I only moved here a few weeks ago. I don’t know the area at all.’

‘Give me your address and I’ll pick you up at midday.’

Jane put the phone down and had started typing her report when DC Boon walked in, holding five large maps and a bulging folder.

‘Looks like you’ve been a busy boy at the Civic Centre,’ Jane remarked.

‘I felt a right prat walking up the road carrying all this stuff. I could hardly see where I was going, then nearly got run over by an old boy on a mobility scooter.’

Boon dropped the maps and folder on his desk.

‘So what have you got for me?’ Jane asked.

‘Everything you asked for . . . except the stuff on the kids,’ he said, pulling his chair over to Jane’s desk. Taking his notebook from his jacket pocket, he opened it and sat down. ‘The council don’t keep records of children who lived at the convent orphanage. However, they said many Catholic children’s homes are organised by the Catholic Children’s Society, who should hold records of the homes they operated. The local one is based in Westminster. If we don’t have any luck with them, they suggested checking with the diocesan archives in Southwark. Talking of which, how did it go with the bishop?’

‘Pretty well. Fingers crossed we should have a name by Monday or Tuesday. I see you got some plans.’

‘Yes, they printed them on a big copier they had. There are drawings of the old convent, the renovations from the sixties, and the plans for the current development. The folder’s full of paperwork relating to the development applications and approvals.’

‘Is any of the ground consecrated?’ she asked.

‘They didn’t know the answer to that question but did say if it were, a priest or bishop would have to deconsecrate it before any building work could start. Again, they said to check the diocesan archives. I got the impression they couldn’t be bothered to look through all the documents, but they said the answer should be in there somewhere.’

‘Judging by the size of the file, there’s a lot to look through,’ Jane said.

‘I can start now if you like,’ Boon suggested, getting up from his chair.

‘It’s OK. You’ve been on duty since six so why don’t you head off home?’