He pointed to Hamish, standing at the back. “Hamish, you were first on the scene at the site of June Stevens’ death. I want you to dig out your notebook from that day and you and I will go over the details like it was a fresh investigation. Frankie, I was talking with DI Rankin yesterday, he mentioned June Stevens’ daughter was taken to the old orphanage on City Road after her death. She went missing from there after a few months – look into her disappearance and find out what you can about the orphanage. Lamb, McAdam, I want you to talk to anyone locally you can find, who worked or stayed at the orphanage. Get me names, dates and anything of note. I also want you to find out if anyone has moved here recently. Don’t be too obvious about it but any new faces, I want to know about them. Any of you find anything, straight to me. If I’m not available, contact Frankie. We’ll get together at 16:30 for a debrief and update.” He dismissed them, glad to see the team moving with a fresh sense of purpose.

Sitting at her desk, Frankie started looking into the orphanage. A local history site provided her with the name of the organisation responsible for the children’s welfare, a Catholic Order known as the Sisters of Holy Mercy. The orphanage closed in 2000 when the local authority took over responsibility for any waifs and strays. It had been put up for sale and over the following ten years the building had deteriorated to such a dangerous state that the council used a compulsory purchase order to have it demolished. The site was finally sold in 2013 to a private developer for a substantial profit and a block of upmarket flats now occupied the site. Frankie puzzled over the name, Sisters of Holy Mercy – it sounded familiar. Her phone rang, interrupting her train of thought. She picked it up, introduced herself and recognised the French accent on the other end of the phone immediately.

“Detective Constable Frankie McKenzie?”

“Speaking.” Her response was brusque, she didn’t have time to deal with the reporter’s questions today. “How can I help you?”

“I was hoping I could help you.”

“What have you got?”

“Margo McDonald paid us a visit yesterday, wanted to tell us her side of the story. Did you know Oscar claims he was sexually assaulted as a child?”

Frankie frowned at the receiver. “Margo told you that?”

“Yes, and I believe her. More to the point, she told me who it was that abused him.”

Frankie reached for her notebook and pen, trapping the phone between her shoulder and cheek to free up both hands.

“Who?”

“The minister of St Cuthbert’s and members of staff connected with the orphanage that used to be on City Road. The one run by the Sisters...”

“Of Holy Mercy.” Frankie concluded for her.