‘Yeah.’
Boon opened his notebook. ‘You said at your flat you gave the cross to your wife as a present.’
‘Yeah, an early Christmas present.’
‘Where and when did you buy it?’ Stanley asked.
‘Ages ago, from a stall in Orpington market.’
‘Can you describe what’s engraved on it for us?’ Boon asked.
Barry hesitated before answering. ‘There’s a love heart on it.’
‘The love heart is actually a religious emblem known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus — it’s common on crosses that nuns wear,’ Boon told him. ‘What’s written on the other side of the cross?’
‘I think there’s some numbers and letters...’
Boon removed the cross, which was in a clear exhibits bag, from his pocket and placed it on the table.
‘Can you read what’s written on it?’
Barry looked offended. ‘I ain’t illiterate... M, B, 20, 02, 58.’
Boon put the cross back in his pocket. ‘And what do you reckon the engravings mean?’
Barry shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Would you agree it’s probably someone’s initials and date of birth?’ Stanley asked.
‘Yeah, I suppose so.’
‘Your wife’s initials are KM. She also told me her date of birth is the eleventh of August 1953. Why on earth would you buy her a cross engraved with someone else’s initials and birthday?’ Boon asked.
‘I... didn’t notice the letters and numbers when I bought it,’ Barry said hesitantly.
‘We seized the crowbar from your toolbox. I’ll bet when forensics do some test marks with it, they’ll find a perfect match to the crowbar marks on the coffin,’ Boon said.
Barry bit his lip and didn’t reply. Boon and Stanley could see he was agitated and trying to concoct another plausible answer. Stanley didn’t give him time to think of one.
‘Forcing open a coffin and stealing from the body is a serious offence, for which you could go to prison. I can’t begin to imagine what the other inmates will do to a man who stole a cross from a dead nun.’
Barry looked even more worried.
Stanley continued to twist the knife. ‘I imagine the other inmates will take their own divine retribution...’
Barry had heard enough. ‘I didn’t open the coffin with the intention of stealing anything!’
Boon leaned forward. ‘Then tell us exactly what happened.’
‘Lee had gone off to speak with Mr Durham and Dermot went to call the police. I just wanted to see if there was a body inside. If there wasn’t, we could have moved the coffin and carried on working. I used my crowbar to open it and was shocked when I saw the body.’
‘Did you realise it was a nun?’ Boon asked.
Barry nodded. ‘She was wearing nun’s clothes. Also, her hands were held together on her stomach like she was praying.’
‘Show me,’ Boon said.
Barry interlinked his fingers, with his thumbs up. ‘She was holding a little wooden cross in her hands and some of them bead things religious people have.’
‘You mean a rosary,’ Stanley said.
‘And where was the cross you stole from her?’
‘Around her neck.’
‘Why did you feel the need to steal it?’
Barry sighed. ‘I don’t know... it looked nice, and I thought I could maybe sell it for a few quid. Katie was feeling a bit down, so I gave it to her instead.’
Boon suspected he gave it to his wife as a form of apology for assaulting her.
‘Did your wife know it was stolen?’ Boon asked, just as a matter of procedure.
‘No. I told her I found it on the building site,’ Barry replied.
‘Did you take anything else from the coffin?’ Stanley asked.
‘No.’
‘Are you sure? It won’t make matters any worse if you did.’
‘I swear... it was just the cross.’
Stanley read over the interview notes. Barry agreed they were correct, then signed and dated each page.
‘What’s going to happen to me now?’ he asked.
‘You’ll be charged with Theft and Outraging Public Decency. If I were you, I’d plead guilty, but don’t be surprised if you get a custodial sentence,’ Stanley told him.
‘Prison! For stealing a poxy little cross!’ Barry exclaimed.
Stanley shook his head in disgust. ‘I’ve dealt with all sorts of criminals in my career... but even the worst of them would never steal from a dead nun.’
‘How’d it go?’ Jane asked seeing Boon and Stanley walk into the CID office.
Boon did a thumbs-up. ‘Full confession, signed and sealed. He definitely took the cross.’
‘What about the missing knife?’
‘He’s adamant he only stole the cross. Interestingly, he remembered that the nun’s hands had been placed together like she was praying, and the wooden cross and beads were in between them. I noticed the same thing when we opened the coffin. Strange thing for someone who just murdered her to do.’
‘Not if the person who did it was religious as well, I suppose,’ Jane remarked.
Stanley nodded. ‘That’s a good point.’
‘The Church must keep records of the nuns and priests who worked and lived at the convent,’ Boon added.
‘I’m going to the diocesan head office this afternoon with Father Floridia. We’re meeting the bishop,’ Jane said.
‘I know. Barnes phoned me earlier after your meeting,’ Stanley said.
Jane turned to Boon. ‘You know Barnes wants us to keep the nun’s murder quiet for now, don’t you?’
Boon nodded. ‘The guv told me before we interviewed Barry.’
Jane told Stanley about her conversation with Sam Pullen and Richard Eaves’ offer to do the facial reconstruction for free.
‘We might not need it if you get a result identifying her from the initials on the cross,’ he said.
Boon put the cross on Jane’s desk. ‘You might want to show this to Father Floridia and the bishop.’
‘Anyone know where the Bromley Council offices are?’ Jane asked.
‘Just down the road in the Civic Centre at Stockwell Close. It’s literally a two-minute walk,’ Boon told her.
‘I need you to go their planning department and make some inquiries. You might want to take some notes of what we need.’
Boon removed his notebook and pen from his pocket. ‘Fire away.’
‘Only tell them the builders uncovered a coffin, and we’ve yet to open it. Ask if they have copies of the original plans and layout of the old convent. I also need copies of the plans and documents relating to the new flats and current building works. They may also know whether or not the grounds are deconsecrated.’
‘Is that important, under the circumstances?’
‘Barnes wants to know,’ Jane said, knowing Barnes didn’t really.
‘Anything else?’ Boon asked.
‘Yes. Ask who you should speak to about records of the children who lived at the convent. If possible, get the records from the time the convent closed going back twenty years to start with.’
Boon closed his notebook. ‘No problem, sarge. I’ll charge Barry May and go down there.’
‘Can we keep him in custody overnight? Then take him to court tomorrow morning?’ Jane asked Stanley.
‘Bromley Magistrates is closed on a Saturday,’ Boon informed her.
‘Why do you want to keep him in custody?’ Stanley asked.
‘He’s been using his wife Katie as a punch bag,’ Jane told him. ‘She was covered in bruises and terrified of him. Sadly, she won’t press charges at the moment.’
‘He’s an evil piece of shit,’ Stanley said with feeling.
‘I’m hoping she’s left him and gone to her parents for now. Even then I’m worried he’ll go round there and give her another beating,’ Jane said.
‘I’ll tell the charging sergeant to keep May in custody for court on Monday morning. You can try and get him remanded in custody by the magistrate, but I doubt he will. Although the offence is repulsive, it’s still only a theft of property that isn’t worth much.’