‘It’s still under investigation,’ Jane told him.
‘I see,’ he said with a frown. He turned and walked off towards the walled gardens.
Boon was about to knock on the Portakabin door but, to his surprise Jane just opened it and walked straight in. She saw Lee sitting at a desk, with his elbows on it, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.
‘Morning, Mr Holland,’ Jane said.
Startled, he jumped up from his chair. ‘Christ, I nearly had a heart attack!’
‘Sorry, I should have knocked first.’
‘What can I do for you?’
‘We’re here for a couple of reasons. The first is to let you know we found the body of a nun in the coffin.’
‘Does that mean the whole site will have to shut down?’ he sighed.
‘I’ve yet to speak with someone senior in the Church to determine if the ground is consecrated or was ever used as a graveyard, but—’
‘So you are shutting us down?’
‘No, just suspending any digging work for now.’
He frowned. ‘But nothing else can be done until all the foundations are dug out.’
Jane could see he was distraught. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m just conveying what my senior officers told me. I’m sure things will be back to normal soon.’
‘Have you told Nick Durham about the nun?’ Lee asked.
‘Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to speak to him yesterday. Did you?’
‘Yeah. I spoke to him on the phone. I told him the coffin had been taken to the mortuary, gave him your details and said you’d be in touch. Naturally, he wasn’t happy about the situation.’
‘That’s understandable, but we have a job to do. I will speak to him personally, hopefully later today.’
‘What’s the other reason you’re here?’
‘We need to speak to Barry. Is he coming to work this morning?’
‘I don’t know. Dermot was going to tell him to be here for half seven as we’ve got a brick delivery coming in at eight.’
‘Do you have a home address for him? Just in case he doesn’t turn up. And what’s his surname?’
‘His surname is May.’ Lee went to a filing cabinet, removed a file with Barry’s details and handed it to Jane. She jotted down his address in her notebook and showed it to Boon.
‘Do you know where it is?’
‘Yes. Crundale Tower is on the Ramsden Estate in St Mary Cray. It’s mostly council flats and maisonettes. What’s Barry done?’ Lee asked.
‘Did he say anything to you yesterday about wanting to open the coffin?’ Jane asked.
‘Not at first. Dermot told me about the coffin, and I went out to look at it. Barry was worried about the site being shut down. He said if the coffin was empty there’d be nothing to worry about and we could just get rid of it. I specifically told him not to touch it.’
Jane looked out the window and realised the original position of the coffin couldn’t be seen from the Portakabin. ‘Was Barry with you from the time you called us to the time we got here?’
‘No. I went to call Nick Durham. Barry was sulking in the hut when I got back. He opened the bloody coffin, didn’t he?’
‘It appears that someone did,’ Boon said.
‘Well, I can assure you it wasn’t me or Dermot,’ Lee replied. ‘Is it even a crime to open a coffin?’
‘No, but it is to steal something from it,’ Jane told him. ‘We believe a silver cross may have been taken from the body.’
Lee was visibly shocked. ‘I know Barry can be an idiot at times but stealing from a dead nun is beyond belief. If it’s true, he’s never working here again... or any other site if I can help it.’
Boon heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and looked out of the window. ‘This looks like Dermot.’
Jane took him to one side. ‘Go and have a word, just to make sure his recollection of events is the same as Lee’s.’ She turned to Lee. ‘Is it all right if we wait here for a bit and see if Barry turns up?’
‘Sure, would you like a tea or coffee?’
‘A coffee, please. Just as a matter of interest, who was the elderly man who was with you earlier?’
‘He doesn’t work here, but he lives in one of the old convent flats.’
‘I know. But having spoken with him again this morning, I realised I don’t know his name.’
‘To be honest, I don’t either. I think he’s one of those nosey types who likes to know what’s going on.’
‘He seemed a bit angry when I saw him earlier,’ Jane said.
‘Probably because I told him to mind his own business when he walked in here asking about the coffin.’
‘Yes. Unfortunately, my colleague let slip why we were here yesterday.’
‘Milk, no sugar, wasn’t it?’ Lee asked.
‘Yes. Does Barry have access to a crowbar?’
‘The workmen have their own toolkits. He keeps his in his van.’
Boon was satisfied that Dermot’s account of events corroborated Lee’s version, and was about to go back to the Portakabin when they heard the sound of a vehicle. Boon turned to see a red minivan driving towards them.
‘Here comes the thieving bastard now,’ Dermot said.
The van suddenly stopped, then started to reverse back down the driveway.
‘Are you not going to chase after him?’ Dermot asked, surprised at Boon’s calmness.
Boon removed the radio from his pocket. ‘Papa Romeo five receiving, over.’
‘Yeah, go ahead,’ his colleague in the Hillman Hunter replied.
‘Block the red minivan that’s attempting to leave the building site.’
‘Received, Boony, we already got eyeballs on him.’
Boon ran to the Portakabin to tell Jane.
Barry saw the Hillman approaching in his rear-view mirror and hit the brakes hard, stalling the engine. Pulling up behind him, the two crime squad officers jumped out of the police car. Barry locked the door and tried to start the engine. One of the officers tapped the driver’s side window with his truncheon.
‘Get out of the car or I’ll break the bloody window!’
‘All right, all right!’ Barry shouted.
He flung the door open, hitting one of the officers and knocking him off balance. The other officer dragged Barry out of the car, forced him face down on the muddy ground and handcuffed him. Both officers then lifted him up by his arms and escorted him up the dirt path to where Jane and Boon were waiting.
‘Barry May, I’m DC Boon. I’m arresting you on suspicion of theft. You do not have to say anything unless you wish to do so, but what you say may be given in evidence.’
‘I want to make a complaint about these two assaulting me!’ Barry growled.
‘You were resisting arrest and they restrained you,’ Jane said calmly.
‘Did you open the coffin and take a cross from the nun’s body?’ Boon asked.
‘What! No way. Dermot said he wanted to open the coffin, so you best fuck off and ask him.’
‘You really are a piece of shit,’ Boon said, shaking his head. He put Barry in the back of the Hillman and then got in next to him.
‘Where you taking me?’ Barry asked.
‘To search your premises.’
Barry grunted. ‘Where’s your fucking warrant, then?’
‘We don’t need one as we’ve arrested you on reasonable suspicion of theft,’ Boon told him.
Jane found a toolbox in the back of the minivan and removed a small crowbar. She knew Lloyd could do some tests to see if it matched the indentations on the coffin. She then followed the Hillman to Crundale Tower in her car.
‘Is your wife or any other family at home?’ Boon asked Barry.
‘My wife will have gone to work by now.’
‘Any kids?’