‘You paint me as a dreadful bully, Sister,’ he commented.
‘I just think that you don’t understand how religious women function.’
‘But I’m fairly experienced where women are concerned. Ask my wife.’
‘Your private life,’ she said stonily, ‘is none of my concern. Why do you keep trying to muddle me?’
‘Maybe I want a spontaneous reaction and not the expected one drummed into you by the convent training, Sister. But don’t fret about Sister Margaret. I’ll handle her with kid gloves. Here’s the school. You can ask the other children about the rosary.’
Sister David’s rather pretty singing voice stopped in mid-chord as they entered. The five pupils present stood up, their expressions sharpening as they saw the detective with Sister Joan.
‘Good morning, Sister. I was just trying to get a little singsong going — nothing disrespectful,’ Sister David began nervously, her rabbit nose twitching furiously.
‘You sound splendid, Sister,’ Detective Sergeant Mill said genially. ‘Sister Joan is giving me a bit of a helping hand this morning. Sit down, children. Sister and I are trying to find out how Petroc met his death. You’ve already been told about that?’
‘I broke the news to them,’ Sister David said. ‘Mother Dorothy advised it.’
‘Well, now — where shall we start?’ He looked round. ‘Did anyone see Petroc the night before last? Between eight o’clock and midnight?’
There was a general shaking of heads.
‘Why eight?’ Sister Joan enquired in an undertone.
‘That was roughly the time that Hagar Smith saw the lad,’ he replied. ‘Now I want you all to think very carefully. Has Petroc talked to you about any special friends he’d made recently? Anyone he’d arranged to meet?’
Again there was a bewildered shaking of heads.
‘Did Petroc mention having found something? A rosary?’ Sister Joan interposed.
‘He didn’t say anything to me,’ Timothy Holt said.
‘So none of you knows anything?’ The detective’s smile was disappointed.
‘The farm children and the Romanies don’t mix very well together,’ Sister Joan murmured. ‘There’s a deep-seated prejudice that divides the two communities. I do my best but children often reflect the attitudes of their parents.’
‘And you all know where you were the evening before last?’ Detective Sergeant Mill pursued.
‘Madelyn and I were at home watching the television,’ David Penglow said. ‘You saw us, Sister.’
‘You didn’t go out after the sisters visited?’
‘It still gets dark quick,’ Madelyn said virtuously. ‘We’re not allowed out after dark.’
‘I was helping Dad muck out when Sister Joan came with Sister — Margaret?’ At Sister Joan’s nod he continued, ‘When they left I went back into the barn — we’ve got a new calf there. I went to bed quite early.’
‘I didn’t,’ Billy Wesley informed them. ‘I stayed up late and had fish and chips. We all went to the pictures earlier on — the whole family. Mum says she’s sorry she missed you, Sister.’
Sister Joan who gravely doubted the happy-go-lucky Mrs Wesley had said anything of the kind smiled slightly.
‘What about you, Samantha?’ Detective Sergeant Mill glanced at his notebook.
‘The two sisters came‚’ Samantha said, standing up politely. ‘After they went I had some supper and read for a bit and then I went to my room.’
‘If you do remember anything then tell Sister here. We want to find out all about everything. You don’t ever smoke or drink or use drugs, do you?’
Five blank faces stared back at him. Five heads were slowly shaken.
‘Well, that’s all for the moment.’ He sounded rather at a loss. ‘Sister Joan.’
‘Will you be able to manage here until teatime, Sister David?’ she lingered to ask. ‘I’ll ask if Sister Margaret or I may pick you up in the car, if you like.’
‘Oh no, I shall enjoy a pleasant walk back across the moor,’ Sister David said quickly.
‘If you’re sure. The Romany children won’t be back in school until next week, so you’ll have a peaceful time anyway.’
‘And the others are being very good. I expect,’ Sister David said, walking with her to the door, ‘that the news about Petroc shocked them. I did break it as gently as I could, and we said some prayers.’
‘The children have been unnaturally angelic all term,’ Sister Joan said. ‘How did they take the news anyway?’
‘Madelyn Penglow cried and Billy Wesley wanted to know if there was a maniac about. The others were too shocked to say very much at all. Is there any further news, Sister? I realize one ought not to become involved but—’
‘Why not?’ The colour had flamed in her cheeks. ‘Why shouldn’t we get involved, Sister David? A child has been killed and left in our chapel! Don’t we have a duty to get involved?’
‘I only meant — yes, of course, it is a terrible tragedy. In our chapel.’
‘Anywhere, Sister. Anywhere. I’ll see you later.’ Closing the door, returning to the car, she thought for the first time that Sister David, for all her classical scholarship, was really rather a silly woman.
‘My clever idea doesn’t seem to have worked,’ Detective Sergeant Mill observed wryly, starting up the car. ‘I was hoping the children would open up more when they saw you with me, but it looks as if they don’t know anything. My men are instituting house to house enquiries in the district. There’ll be an inquest next week. Do you fancy a cup of coffee?’
‘Very much but Sister Margaret will give you one when you drop me off at the convent.’
‘Ask permission,’ he gibed.
‘It wouldn’t be forthcoming, Sergeant. Shall we drive back then? I’m sure that there is plenty of work waiting for you at the station.’
‘As you please, Sister Joan.’ He trod hard on the accelerator, sending the car shooting forward. ‘I hope you’re not offended.’
‘I take the invitation as a compliment, Sergeant,’ she told him demurely.
