Unholy Murder

Chapter Twenty-seven

Barnes said nothing during the high-speed journey to Archbishop’s House. Jane knew there would an uproar after Meade was arrested and Barnes might well find himself suspended from duty. He also risked being sacked for disobeying the commissioner’s orders and even losing his pension. Jane sighed to herself. She knew nothing and nobody was going to stop Barnes in his quest to bring down Meade and Archbishop Malone.

Arriving at their destination, Barnes asked the two uniformed officers to accompany him. He knocked on the door and the young priest answered.

‘Where’s Meade?’ Barnes grunted.

‘The archbishop said you are not allowed on these premises. I’ll have you know he’s presently with your commissioner.’

Barnes’s eyes widened. ‘I couldn’t care if he’s with God himself.’ He grabbed the priest by the front of his cassock. ‘Is he in Malone’s office?’

The priest looked terrified and frantically nodded.

Barnes raced up the stairs followed by Jane and the uniformed officers. He tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside.

‘Open the bloody door now, Meade, or I’ll kick it in!’ Barnes shouted.

There was no reply from within. Barnes nodded at the burly uniformed officer, who knew what to do. It took him two running shoulder charges to force the door open with a crash.

‘Robert Meade, I am arresting you—’ Barnes stopped, aghast at what he saw.

A motionless Meade, eyes bulging and tongue protruding, was hanging from the tall bookshelf, his red cloth cincture tied round his neck as a noose.

‘No!’ Barnes exclaimed, grabbing a pair of scissors off the desk. He quickly climbed up the library ladder. The uniformed officers supported Meade to ease the tension on the cincture as Barnes hurriedly cut through it.

Jane noticed a six-by-four-inch photograph on the desk. Looking closer she could see it was a copy of the 1962 Sisters of Mercy group photograph, where Meade was standing next to Sister Melissa with their little fingers entwined. She turned it over and was shocked to see ‘May God forgive me my sins’ written on the back. Jane put the photograph in her coat pocket.

As Meade was laid on the floor, Barnes jumped down from the ladder.

‘Don’t you dare die on me!’ Barnes said, kneeling beside Meade. He started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions.

Jane knew Meade was dead. She placed two fingers on his wrist to feel for a pulse, then looked at Barnes.

‘He’s gone,’ she said softly.

‘No, he’s not getting away with it like this!’ Barnes said, continuing the resuscitation attempt.

Jane gently put her hand on Barnes’s arm. ‘Sir, I can assure you he’s dead... you can’t save him.’

Barnes clenched his fist and slammed it down on Meade’s chest in anger. ‘That bastard was our best hope of finding Becky Rogers.’

He stood up and walked over to the young priest who was in a state of shock. ‘Did Meade leave this building yesterday afternoon?’

The priest nodded.

‘He left here just after two. He didn’t say where he was going.’

Jane recalled Boon saying Becky had left her office at about the same time to meet someone from the diocese.

‘I want you to remember his exact words,’ Barnes said.

‘He asked me to hail him a cab, then said, “I’m going out to see someone. I’ll be back in a few hours.”’

‘Did you hear him say to the cab driver where he wanted to go?’

‘No.’

‘Did you see him when he got back?’

‘Yes, it was between seven thirty and eight.’

‘Can you be more exact with the time?’

‘I went to his apartment just before seven thirty to see if he wanted some supper, but he wasn’t there. I called on him again at eight and he was there. He said he didn’t feel hungry, so I left and didn’t see him again until this morning in his office.’

‘What sort of mood was he in last night?’

‘He was fairly quiet and looked tired.’

‘And this morning?’

‘He seemed all right. He had a meeting with Archbishop Malone before he went to see your commissioner. He remained in the archbishop’s office on his own and said he didn’t want to be disturbed. That was the last time I saw him... until now.’

‘What was he wearing when he left here yesterday afternoon?’ Jane asked.

‘His clerical suit, purple shirt and white collar.’

She knew Meade would stand out dressed like that, particularly if he had met Becky in a public place.

‘Does the name Becky Rogers mean anything to you?’ Barnes asked the priest.

He nodded. ‘She called yesterday and asked to speak with Bishop Meade.’

‘What did she say?’

‘Just that she wanted to speak personally with him about a delicate matter.’

‘Did Meade speak to her?’

‘I put the call through to him. A minute or so later he came to my office. He seemed annoyed.’

‘Why?’

‘She never told me she was a newspaper reporter. I thought it was a personal call when I put her through. Bishop Meade told me who she was. He said if she ever called again, I was to put the phone down on her.’

‘Did she call again?’

‘Not to my knowledge.’

Something didn’t add up for Jane. She very much doubted Meade would agree to meet Becky in the first place, much less harm her, as she posed no direct threat to him. Although Melissa’s death had been brutal, there was no direct evidence that Meade was ever violent or abusive. Malone, on the other hand, regularly beat children.

Barnes looked at the uniformed officers. ‘I want this room treated as a crime scene. Get on your radio and ask for DS Johnson from the lab to attend. Also ask for four detectives from the incident room. I want Meade’s office and apartment searched top to bottom. I need one of you to drive me back to Orpington, and one to guard the scene until DS Johnson and my detectives arrive.’ He turned to Jane. ‘Let’s go, Tennison.’

‘Can you give me a couple of minutes please, sir? I just want to nip down to the archives and speak with Mrs Parkin.’

‘What for?’

‘She might know something about the letter of dispensation Malone purportedly signed. If she says there wasn’t one in the archives, then the letter he’s taken to the commissioner must be a fake.’

‘Good thinking... I’ll come with you.’

‘She might be a bit tetchy after our first meeting — even more so if there’s two of us. It might be best I go on my own.’

‘I’ll wait for you in the car then.’

As Jane entered the archives, she knew Mrs Parkin would not yet be aware of Meade’s death.

‘What do you want?’ Mrs Parkin asked with a stern expression.

‘I need your help, Mrs Parkin.’

‘You tricked me into helping you last time. Archbishop Malone said I was not to speak to the police. So please just go away and leave me alone.’

‘I’m sorry I was underhand. I regret not being upfront with you. At the time I believed Bishop Meade was lying to me and wouldn’t let me speak with you personally,’ Jane explained.

‘Bishop Meade is as honest as the day is long,’ she said primly. ‘He wouldn’t—’

‘Bishop Meade is dead. We just found his body in the archbishop’s office.’

Mrs Parkin looked mortified. ‘Dead! How?’

‘It looks like he may have taken his own life.’

‘Why... why would he do that?’ she asked, clearly distraught. ‘Bishop Meade is a kind and gentle man.’

‘Other people have said that as well. I understand how distressed you must be, and I’m sure you want to go home right now, Mrs Parkin. But my job is to get to the truth of what happened and why. There’s something very important that’s come up in our investigation and we need to resolve it as soon as possible.’

Mrs Parkin wiped her eyes with a tissue, then took a deep breath before replying. ‘What is it?’

‘We now know the murdered woman was a sister at St Mary’s Covent. Her name was Melissa Bailey. We have reason to believe Archbishop Malone signed a dispensation letter allowing her to renounce her faith and leave the convent. Do you know if that document exists?’

‘No, but it might. Archbishop Malone came down here yesterday morning and said he needed to look through some old documents.’

‘What time was that?’

‘About eleven or eleven-thirty. I offered to get the documents for him, but he said he’d get them himself.’

‘Did he appear angry?’

‘He did, actually. Anyway, he went into the archives and came out a few minutes later holding a document, then left the room without saying anything. It might have been the dispensation letter.’

‘How do you find Archbishop Malone?’

‘To be perfectly honest, he’s an arrogant pig of a man with a terrible temper. He talks down to everyone and shouts when you make a mistake or are too slow in doing something for him. The truth is no one here likes him, but you don’t dare talk back, or he’ll have you sacked. He’s been known to move priests who have upset him to churches in all sorts of godforsaken places.’

Jane remembered Boon telling her Becky had been making inquiries at the council planning offices about the sale of the convent.

‘Remember last time I was here I asked you about quotes or invoices for building work at the convent? I wondered if you found any.’

‘I haven’t really looked, but I can do it now if you want.’

‘Are you sure?’ Jane asked.

‘God rest his soul,’ she said. ‘But a woman was murdered. Whoever did it needs to be found and punished.’

‘Thank you, Mrs Parkin. ‘I’ve got to go back to the station. If you find anything could you fax a copy over to the incident room for me?’ Jane said, handing her the station fax number.

‘That’s fine. But please don’t tell Archbishop Malone I’ve helped you or I’ll lose my job.’

Jane told Barnes about her conversation with Mrs Parkin, but decided not to mention her request for any documents about building work at the convent until she knew if there were any. Barnes said nothing on the journey back to Orpington, clearly in deep thought. As they walked across the station yard he finally spoke.

‘I have to say I wasn’t expecting Meade to top himself.’

‘I found this on the desk,’ Jane said, handing him the photograph.

Barnes looked at it briefly, read what was written on the back and returned it to Jane. ‘A veiled confession, I suppose. Suicide is considered a mortal sin in the Catholic faith. He won’t get God’s forgiveness, a funeral mass or burial in a Catholic cemetery.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ Jane replied.

‘That’s because you’re not a Catholic. And before you ask, I was until I dealt with Stephen Phillips’ death and then renounced my faith. Mark my words, there’s going to be an uproar at the Yard over Meade’s suicide. My career is over, Jane, but I don’t want you, Stanley, or anyone else getting dragged down with me. When the top brass start asking questions, I want you all to say you acted under my orders.’

‘I think you’ll find the officers on the squad are all on your side,’ she said.

‘Thank you. But now Meade is dead, the investigation into Sister Melissa’s murder is all but over. I suspect the commissioner and Malone will agree to sweep everything under the carpet. But I’m not going to let that happen.’ Barnes looked at his watch. ‘DCS Salmon will be here in a couple of hours to take over. Let the team know I want an office meeting in an hour. See if Stanley and Boon are back from their inquiries. Tell them to come to my office so we can discuss Becky’s disappearance. We need to find her.’

Stanley had not yet returned from searching Becky’s flat. A dejected-looking Boon was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

‘You, all right, Simon?’ Jane asked.

‘This is all my fault. I should never have told Becky about Bishop Meade being a suspect. Does he know anything?’ he asked.

Jane sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. ‘Meade’s dead. He hanged himself in the archbishop’s office this morning before we got to him.’

Boon looked stunned. ‘Did he have a meeting with Becky yesterday?’

‘It’s possible, but we don’t know for certain,’ Jane replied.

He shook his head. ‘If he’s killed Becky, we may never find her.’ He was close to tears.

Jane saw Stanley walk in. ‘Barnes wants a meeting with us in his office.’

‘I know. I just saw him in the corridor. Looks like Meade took the coward’s way out once he knew we were on to him,’ Stanley said.

‘I’m not so sure you are right about Meade. There may be other reasons he took his own life that we’ve yet to discover,’ Jane said.

Boon glared at her. ‘Why are you defending him? He clearly killed Sister Melissa, and he’s probably killed Becky. I hope Meade rots in hell.’

‘It’s possible Melissa was going to the presbytery to see him the night she was killed, but never got there,’ Jane suggested.

‘You’ve changed your tune,’ Stanley remarked.

‘Meade could have gone to the convent to kill Sister Melissa, then packed her bag to make it look like she’d run away,’ Boon said.

‘It’s possible that’s what happened, but he’d have been taking a big risk of getting caught in the convent or waking Julie Dorton.’

Boon stood up. ‘People commit suicide for a reason. Meade couldn’t live with what he’d done. Stanley’s right, he took the coward’s way out.’

‘We’d better go see Barnes,’ Jane said. She had never seen Boon so worked up. She knew he wasn’t thinking clearly and trying to reason with him, or Stanley, would be pointless.

‘Did you find anything of interest at Becky’s flat?’ Barnes asked Stanley.

He handed Barnes a notebook. ‘This was beside her bed. Meade’s name is in it, along with some others. I think it’s her thoughts about the investigation.’

‘Strange she didn’t take it with her to work,’ Barnes remarked, flicking through it.

‘She’s got a small pocketbook for work,’ Boon said. ‘Becky told me she kept a notebook beside her bed. She’d often wake in the night and think of something important. She said if she didn’t write it down, she’d have forgotten about it by the morning.’

‘I know that feeling well,’ Barnes replied. He put the notebook down on his desk. ‘There’s tons of stuff in there, but it’s all in shorthand.’

‘I can read shorthand,’ Jane said.

Barnes handed her the notebook. ‘Transcribe and type it up for me, please.’ He turned to Stanley. ‘Did you speak to Becky’s flatmate?’

‘Yes, at her workplace. Her name’s Jayne Burman. She was at school with Becky and has been her flatmate for two years. She said Becky had become obsessed with the murder, thinking it could be her breakthrough to working for a mainstream paper.’

‘Did she mention Meade?’ Barnes asked.

‘Not by name. Burman said Becky was very perky yesterday morning. When Jayne asked why, Becky said she had a lead on someone connected to the Church to follow up on, which might prove interesting.’

‘That’s got to be Meade,’ Boon said.

Barnes nodded. ‘It certainly looks that way. Even more so now we know Meade left his office at around the same time. What did Becky’s editor have to say?’

‘He and two others confirmed Becky left just after two,’ Boon said. ‘She said she was following up on a lead and would be out for a couple of hours.’

‘I take it she has a car?’ Barnes asked.

‘Yes,’ Stanley replied. ‘A red 1972 Citroën 2CV, with a black canvas roll-back sunroof. I’ve already circulated the registration Met-wide and to the surrounding county forces. I also contacted Becky’s bank. She’s made no withdrawals or card purchases. They’ll notify us if she does. I’ve got a recent photograph of her from her flat.’

‘Contact our press office at the Yard,’ Barnes said. ‘Give them a full description; what she was wearing when last seen and details of her car. Get a patrol car to drop her photo off as well. I want it on the six o’clock news, TV and radio, and in all tomorrow’s papers. Can anyone think of anything else we can do to locate her?’

Jane made a suggestion. ‘This is a long shot. We could contact the Public Carriage Office to get the word out to the black cab community. Tell them we are looking for any cabbie who picked up a man outside Archbishop’s House yesterday afternoon who fits Meade’s description.’

‘That’s worth a try,’ Barnes said.

‘I’ve got her address book from the flat. We could ring round all her contacts. See if they know anything,’ Stanley said.

‘Share it out amongst the team to make it quicker,’ Barnes replied. ‘How’s PC Rogers?’ he asked Stanley.

‘Frantic with worry and wishing he’d never told his daughter about the post-mortem. As a cop, he knows the prospects of finding her alive are not looking good. He’s at home comforting his wife. I promised we’d contact him as soon as we have any news — good or bad.’

‘I’ll phone him in a minute and tell him about Meade’s suicide, as well as what we’ve just discussed.’

Barnes’s phone rang. He picked it up and had a brief conversation before ending the call.

‘That was Lloyd Johnson. Dr Pullen just attended the scene. She did a cursory examination of Meade’s body and found no marks indicating he had been in a struggle. She also thought the bruising and cincture marks on his neck were consistent with Meade hanging himself.

‘Now, this may sound odd coming from me, but we need to keep an open mind about Becky’s disappearance. Although there’s evidence that points to Meade being involved, she could have been abducted by a stranger. She may be alive and being held against her will. Time is of the essence. We need to think laterally and do everything we can to find her.’

Most of the team were gathered in the office for the meeting with Barnes, apart from the officers who were searching Meade’s apartment and office, who so far had found nothing of interest.

Jane phoned the Public Carriage Office who said they would do what they could to trace the cab driver who picked Meade up outside Archbishop’s House. She then phoned British Telecom and requested details of all outgoing calls from Archbishop’s House the previous day, and the names and addresses of who the calls were made to. She said it was urgent and the person she spoke to said they would fax the details through to her within the hour.

Barnes addressed the team. ‘I’m sure you’ve all heard about Bishop Meade’s suicide. As tragic as it is, depending on which way you look at it, he is no longer my main concern. We now need to concentrate on finding Becky Rogers. To that end, I’ve asked for an urgent press appeal to be made. I want you to treat every call or piece of information we receive as a possible lead. Follow it up until you are completely satisfied it is a dead end. If you have something positive, inform DI Stanley immediately.’ Barnes noticed DCS Salmon and the deputy commissioner entering the room.

Everyone stood to attention.

‘I thought the commissioner himself might have been here,’ Barnes remarked drily.

‘He’s busy trying to appease Archbishop Malone... thanks to you,’ the deputy commissioner scowled.

‘The floor is yours, Salmon,’ Barnes said with an ill-disguised sneer.

‘I’d like to speak to you in your office, DCS Barnes,’ the deputy commissioner said.

‘If you want to talk to me, sir, I’d rather you did it in front of my team.’

‘I won’t ask again,’ he said.

‘Then don’t, because I’m not budging.’

‘DCS Barnes, you are relieved of your command and suspended from duty until further notice,’ the deputy commissioner said.

Barnes laughed and shook his head. ‘May I ask on what grounds, sir?’

‘Disobeying the commissioner’s orders and misconduct in a public office.’

‘Did the child abuser — sorry, Archbishop Malone — influence your decision?’ Barnes asked.

The deputy commissioner was losing his patience. ‘No, he did not. But he has made a formal complaint about your conduct and your hounding of Bishop Meade.’

‘And so the cover-up begins. You’re all as bad as each other.’

‘That’s enough, Barnes. Leave these premises now or I will have you forcibly removed!’ the deputy commissioner snapped.

Barnes took his warrant card out of his jacket pocket and held it up as he addressed his colleagues. ‘Like you all, I took an oath of office the day I joined the police force. We swore to serve the Queen, without favour or affection, malice or ill-will. We learned our primary objective was the prevention of crime and the detection and punishment of offenders. As you progress in your service, never forget the oath you took and what you stand for. It has been a pleasure working with you all. You should be proud of what you’ve achieved in a short time on this investigation. Keep up the good work and I wish you a successful outcome. The last thing I ask of you is to find Becky Rogers... not for me, but for her family.’

As Barnes walked out, he stopped by the deputy commissioner. ‘We both know you can’t punish or discipline me if I retire.’ He handed him his warrant card. ‘Tell the commissioner to stuff this up his arse.’

Boon started to clap slowly. He was joined by another officer, then another, until the whole room was filled with applause for Barnes. Jane could see he was deeply moved by their show of respect and admiration. He raised his hand in acknowledgement and left the room.

Salmon shook his head in disbelief. ‘Just so you all know, I am Detective Chief Superintendent Rufus Salmon. I am now in charge of this investigation and need to be brought up to speed with everything. To that end, I will hold a full office meeting in twenty minutes. I want to hear what each and every one of you has been doing and what evidence you have accumulated.’

Stanley whispered to Jane, ‘What a load of bullshit. Now Meade’s dead, he knows full well the investigation is all but over. This is all about damage limitation with the diocese.’

‘I agree, but he needs to get his priorities right. Excuse me, sir,’ Jane said, trying to get Salmon’s attention.

‘And you are?’ Salmon asked.

‘DS Tennison. Are you aware we are also investigating the disappearance of a young journalist called Becky Rogers?’

‘No, I was not, though I did hear DCS Barnes mention her name just now.’

‘She hasn’t been seen or heard from since yesterday afternoon. We have evidence that—’

Salmon raised his hand. ‘You can tell me all about it during the office meeting.’

Jane was astonished by his lack of interest. ‘It’s possible Becky has come to some harm.’

‘Did you not hear me, Tennison?’

‘Becky is a serving police officer’s daughter,’ she continued undaunted. ‘He and his wife are worried sick about her.’

‘We have evidence that suggests Bishop Meade arranged to meet her,’ Stanley chipped in, ‘and a witness who saw him leave his office at the same time Becky left hers. The press has been informed of her disappearance and will shortly be making an appeal for assistance to find her. Needless to say, we can expect a deluge of phone calls. I doubt Becky’s parents, or the press, would be impressed if we didn’t answer the calls because of an office meeting.’

Boon decided to add his voice to their pleas. ‘I’m DC Boon. I know I can speak on behalf of us all. Investigating Becky Rogers’ disappearance must be a priority. Every second is precious if we want to find her alive and well.’

Salmon looked embarrassed. ‘OK, the office meeting can wait. Carry on as you were. I’ll read through the reports and we can have a meeting tomorrow if need be. I’ve a few things to do back at the Yard. Keep me informed of any developments, DI Stanley.’

‘I will, sir.’

Stanley waited a few minutes in case Salmon returned, then spoke to the team.

‘I think we all know what’s going on here. As far as I’m concerned, Sister Melissa Bailey’s death is still under investigation, since it could be connected to Becky Rogers’ disappearance. Meade may or may not be responsible, but either way we need to find out what’s happened. If you get any calls or information that you feel needs an immediate response, tell me, not Salmon.’