‘That’s great news, Jane,’ he said. ‘I could kiss you all over.’
‘You’ll have to wait until tonight for that. Got to go.’ She looked up and saw Boon, who was limping badly and had a black eye.
‘What happened to you?’ Jane asked.
‘Essex police. One of their players deliberately kicked me in the bloody shin. I had a row with him, then he head-butted me.’
‘And there was me thinking rugby was a rough game,’ she said, shaking her head.
He grinned. ‘It was worth it, though. The twat got sent off and we won the game three-one.’ He raised his leg, struggling to sit comfortably at his desk.
‘Do you really think you’re fit enough to work?’
He looked offended. ‘I’ve never gone sick because of a football injury.’
‘I admire your attitude, especially as some officers go sick at the first sniff of a cold.’
‘Can you do me a favour, sarge?’
‘Depends what it is.’
‘Would you mind nipping up to the canteen and getting me a bacon sarnie and a coffee? The first flight of stairs took forever, and my legs are killing me.’
‘I thought you were fit enough to work, Boony...’
‘I’ll get it myself then,’ he frowned, putting his hands on the desk to support his weight as he tried to get up.
‘Sit down,’ Jane said. ‘I’m only joking.’ She picked up her purse. ‘Seeing as you’re so poorly, I’ll even buy it for you.’
On her way back from the canteen, Jane bumped into Stanley on the stairs.
‘Morning, Stanley. Nice weekend?’
‘Yeah, not bad. Yourself?’
She thought it best not to tell him about her date with Nick or her visit to Thomas Durham’s house. ‘Pretty boring really. Spent most of it looking through the planning documents. I also had an interesting conversation with Jack the mortuary technician.’
Stanley shook his head in disbelief. ‘Do you ever actually get out and have some fun on your days off?’
‘Yes, of course I do,’ she said defensively. ‘But there’s a lot to do on this investigation, and only me and Boon working on it at the moment.’
‘You know what your problem is?’ he said.
Jane sighed. ‘Enlighten me.’
‘You’re becoming job-pissed,’ he said, turning to walk off.
‘Don’t you want to hear what Jack told me?’ she called after him.
He kept walking. ‘Give me five minutes to get a sandwich and coffee, then we’ll talk in the office.’
Back in the office Jane spoke quietly with Boon. ‘There’s something that doesn’t sit right with me about Thomas Durham and Lee Holland. I’m convinced they’re hiding something from us, but I’m not sure what it is — especially now the original development of the land seems above board.’
He nodded. ‘I thought the same, but it looks like we were wrong. Are you going to tell Stanley what you think?’
Jane shook her head. ‘It’s just a gut feeling with no evidence to support it. I’ll leave it for now. But keep digging.’
When Stanley came back from the canteen Jane told him about the planning document revealing the land had been deconsecrated and asked if he would ask DCS Barnes if the building work could resume.
‘What time is the meeting with DCS Barnes?’ Boon asked, looking out of the window at the station yard.
‘Ten,’ Jane and Stanley replied in unison.
‘Looks like he got the time wrong, then,’ Boon said.
Jane and Stanley leaned over and saw a grim-faced Barnes stomping across the yard.
‘He doesn’t look very happy,’ Jane said.
Stanley stood up and addressed the office, which was now half full. ‘DCS Barnes is on his way up, so stick the food under your desks and look busy.’ He marched off to his own office.
Jane looked nervously towards the door. Barnes walked in holding a newspaper. Everyone stood up, acknowledging his rank.
Barnes pointed his finger at Jane and Boon. ‘You two... Stanley’s office... Now!’
Jane and Boon looked at each other as they got up and headed to the door. Stanley stood as they entered his office.
Barnes threw the newspaper down on the desk. ‘How the fuck did this happen?’
Stanley looked stunned as he read the headline. ‘I have no idea, sir.’
Barnes picked up the newspaper and threw it at Jane.
She looked at the headline and her heart sank: MURDERED NUN’S BODY FOUND ON CONVENT BUILDING SITE. She thought of Nick reading it, knowing she’d lied to him. She wanted to make an excuse to leave the room and phone him, but she knew she couldn’t.
‘The article even suggests the bodies of children may be buried on the grounds!’ Barnes exclaimed, looking daggers at Jane and Boon. ‘Have either of you been shooting your mouth off?’
‘I haven’t spoken to the press,’ Jane said.
‘Me neither,’ Boon said.
‘Well, someone bloody well has!’ Barnes shouted. ‘If I find out one of you is lying to me, your career is over!’
Boon noticed the paper wasn’t a tabloid. ‘The Bromley News Shopper is a local weekly paper, sir...’
‘Which is exactly why I think someone from this office is the leak,’ Barnes said. ‘I specifically said I wanted this investigation kept quiet. If someone connected with the Church was involved in the murder, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll do their best to cover it up. We had the upper hand and now we’ve lost it.’
Boon looked at the paper again. ‘Sir...’
‘This had better be good, Boon,’ Barnes snapped.
‘This article was written by Rebecca Rogers—’
‘What a brilliant observation. And there was me thinking you’d tell me something I didn’t know.’
Boon felt intimidated but was determined to finish. ‘She might be related to PC Rogers, the coroner’s officer at Queen Mary’s mortuary. He had a run-in with the coroner about his handling of the nun’s case. His home address will be on file. I could check the electoral register and see if a Rebecca Rogers is shown at the same address.’
Barnes’s anger abated slightly. ‘Let’s hope you’re right. Go and do it now.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Boon hurried out of the room.
‘I think you may be right about the Church being involved in a cover-up, sir,’ Jane said, knowing this would get Barnes’s attention and hopefully divert his anger.
‘And why is that?’ he asked, lighting one of his Sobranie cigarettes as he sat down.
Jane told Barnes about Bishop Meade’s visit to the mortuary.
‘I find it hard to understand why a long-standing member of the Church, who must have dealt with hundreds of deaths, would be so distressed at the death of one nun,’ she said.
‘How certain are you it was Meade who went to the mortuary?’ he asked.
‘From the detailed description the mortuary technician gave me, it had to be him. He even wore a bishop’s ring and left in a chauffeur-driven car.’
Barnes took a long puff on his cigarette and sat quietly mulling things over. Jane was worried his loathing of the Church would turn into a crusade of vengeance for his thwarted investigation into the young boy’s suicide. She also knew she would have to reveal her knowledge of the tunnel between the chapel and the burnt-out buildings, but somehow not give away too much detail about Nick and how she found out about it.
‘There is something else of interest I have found out about the convent,’ Jane began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Stanley opened it. ‘We’re in a meeting, DC Lyons, whatever it is it will have to wait.’ Stanley started to close the door.
‘There’s a Bishop Meade on the phone asking to speak with DS Tennison.’
Jane looked at Barnes.