Unholy Murder

by Lynda La Plante

  ‘Annette Gorman told us about some of Mother Superior’s horrendous punishments and assaults on the kids,’ Boon said.

  ‘I know. I spoke with her earlier. Everything Annette told you is the truth.’

  ‘I don’t for one second doubt her, or you, Julie,’ Jane assured her.

  ‘Annette also told me about the article in the News Shopper. I read it myself. The bit about the bodies of murdered children being buried at the convent is utter nonsense.’

  ‘I know,’ Jane said, ‘but as investigators we can’t totally ignore it as a possibility.’

  ‘In fairness, Mother Superior wasn’t abusive when Missy and I first joined the convent,’ Julie said. ‘Although she used her wooden ladle to smack the children, it was in a gentle good-natured way – a light tap on the head or back of the hand, nothing vicious. She even reigned in Sister Margaret when she saw her being overzealous in her punishments.’

  ‘So what happened to change everything?’ Jane asked.

  ‘The convent was getting rundown and in constant need of repair, which was costly for the diocese. Mother Superior heard a rumour they were thinking of selling it to raise funds. The convent was her life. She became depressed then started drinking heavily.’

  ‘How did you know Mother Superior was drinking?’ Jane asked.

  ‘She’d always liked a tipple, but her drinking got worse and she was often drunk, particularly of an evening. She stank of alcohol, slurred her words and staggered about. We suspected her booze was hidden in the chapel crypt as she spent so much time down there. The more she drank, the more bad-tempered and aggressive she became, often lashing out at the children and us for really trivial transgressions of the rules. Sister Margaret used it to her advantage and became Mother Superior’s self-appointed deputy. Together they started to run the convent with a rod of iron.’

  ‘I take it that upset Missy.’

  ‘It upset many of us. Missy was quite strong-willed and often spoke her mind. She told Mother Superior and Sister Margaret their physical abuse of the children made them live in constant fear and misery.’

  ‘What did they say to that?’

  ‘Missy told me they laughed at her. Mother Superior started to bully Missy and constantly punish her for trivial things that didn’t really matter.’

  ‘How did she punish her?’

  ‘She gave her the worst chores, stopped her writing home and generally made her life a misery, day in and day out.’

  ‘How did Missy react?’

  ‘She sort of took it on the chin and accepted her punishments. I know it must have upset her, but Missy was tough; she wasn’t going to let them break her down. Sometimes I could see she was fighting back the tears. I’d ask her if she was all right. She’d smile and say, “Don’t worry about me . . . I’m fine.”’

  ‘Can you tell me anything else about what made Missy so angry?’

  ‘When Sister Margaret cut Annette’s face with her cane, Missy was incensed. She told me she was going to report Sister Margaret and Mother Superior to the bishop. I’m ashamed to say I tried to dissuade her. I was afraid they would make Missy’s life even more of a misery . . . and take their anger out on the children as well,’ Julie added, welling up.

  ‘You mustn’t blame yourself for anything that happened at the convent,’ Jane said. ‘I understand why you were scared. Did Missy tell the bishop?’

  ‘I don’t think so, because Mother Superior and Sister Margaret didn’t change their ways. I think Missy also thought in the end it would be a waste of time.’

  ‘Why?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Because Mother Superior was good at putting on an act. She was ambitious. She often said she would become the next Superior General and have a private audience with the pope—’

  ‘Sorry to interrupt, but what’s a Superior General?’ Jane asked.

  ‘It’s also known as Mother General. Basically, they oversee all the Sisters of Mercy convents. Mother Superior was determined to achieve her goal and make sure the bishop and other visitors were properly impressed when they came to the convent.’

  ‘How did she do that?’ Boon asked. ‘Considering how badly the children were treated.’

  ‘There was a room in the convent that was always kept locked by Mother Superior. Inside was everything a child could wish for: a lovely playroom full of toys, books and dolls, all donated by a local Catholic charity. She only opened the playroom on days that dignitaries like the bishop or other officials visited the convent. They would see a room full of happy, smiling children and walk away with a false impression all was well and she was wonderful. As soon as they were gone, the children were marched out and the door was locked. Any child who resisted was given a whack on the head by Mother Superior with her wooden ladle or caned on the backside by Sister Margaret.’

  ‘Can you remember anything about Missy’s behaviour just before she left?’ Jane asked.

  ‘She hadn’t been her normal easy-going self. She was quiet and subdued. We always confided in each other when something was bothering us, but Missy was becoming more and more distant and keeping her feelings to herself. The last night I ever saw her we were in our room. It was after lights-out and I heard her crying. I asked what was upsetting her. Missy said she was really unhappy at the convent and didn’t know if she could continue to devote her life to the sisterhood and uphold the vows she had taken. I realised she was thinking of leaving. I told her not to do anything rash and suggested she should ask for a move to another convent. She said she would think about it, though it seemed to me she’d made up her mind. It wasn’t unusual for sisters to give up their faith, though generally they were novices. A few left while I was at the convent.’

  ‘Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly are the vows you take as a nun?’ Boon asked.

  Julie smiled. ‘We were not nuns in the strict sense of the word. Although nuns and sisters are addressed as “Sister”, there is a difference. Nuns take solemn vows and live a cloistered life. They live, pray and work within the confines of a convent or nunnery. As “Sisters” we take simple perpetual vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. We can live in a convent or amongst the community, serving in healthcare or educational institutions. Nuns under solemn vows can only be released by the Pope, while sisters under simple vows can be released from them by the bishop.’

  ‘You learn something new every day,’ Boon smiled.

  ‘Do you think there was anything else, besides convent life, that was making Missy unhappy?’ Jane said.

  Julie nodded. ‘I did wonder that, but I figured if Missy wanted to tell me she would, in her own time. I woke up in the early hours of the morning, Missy wasn’t in her bed . . .’ Julie started to cry. ‘I . . . looked on top of the wardrobe for the little case she’d brought with her when we first joined the convent. But it wasn’t there. She’d also taken her underwear and toiletries. At the time I thought she must have slipped out in the middle of the night. I was heartbroken she hadn’t said goodbye, but I understood why.’

  ‘How did Mother Superior find out?’

  ‘She asked me why Missy wasn’t at breakfast. I said I didn’t know and thought she’d got up before me. I was trying to give Missy as much time as possible to get far away from the convent. Mother Superior was furious when she realised Missy had run away. She accused me of helping her and Sister Margaret waved her cane in my face demanding to know where Missy had gone. I kept saying I didn’t know and Sister Margaret flew into a rage and beat me with her cane. Mother Superior said if anyone asked about Missy, I was to say she had decided to leave the sisterhood and left during the night. Back then there was an unspoken rule: when a sister left the community, we were not to mention her name again.’

  ‘That’s awful, Julie. I understand now why you believed she had run away. If I were in your shoes, I’d have thought the same thing,’ Jane said.

  ‘Me, too,’ Boon added.

  ‘Did they send anyone out to look for Missy?’ Jane asked.
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br />   ‘Mother Superior said she was going to inform the police.’

  ‘Do you know if she did?’

  ‘No, but I very much doubt it, as a nun running away would be an embarrassment and could have caused them problems, especially if their abusive behaviour was ever revealed. However, she did tell Bishop Malone.’

  Jane wasn’t surprised to hear his name come up again. ‘Isn’t he the archbishop of Southwark now?’

  ‘Yes, I heard he is.’

  ‘How did you know she told Malone?’

  ‘The next day I was called to Mother Superior’s office. Bishop Malone was there. He was angry and demanded to know if I knew Missy was going to run away, and if so, where she had gone. Initially I stuck to my story but was so incensed about the beating Sister Margaret had given me I told him Missy said she was going to write a letter to him about how abusive they were to the children.’

  ‘How did they all react?’ Jane asked.

  ‘He pointed his finger at me and accused me of lying. He said Missy had broken her vows and betrayed God and the Church by running away. Bishop Malone was only interested in protecting the good name of Mother Superior and the convent. He said Mother Superior would inform everyone that Missy had sought dispensation from her vows, which he had granted.’

  Jane sighed. ‘Archbishop Malone seems to have a history of covering things up that look bad for the Church. He was also suspected of being abusive to children when he was a priest. Do you know if he was abusive to any of the children at your convent?’

  ‘I don’t think so. He rarely visited and was usually with other people when he did.’

  ‘Did no one think it strange that Missy didn’t say goodbye?’ Boon asked.

  Julie shook her head. ‘There’s a “shroud of secrecy” when a Sister chooses to leave. They are under strict orders not to tell anyone or say goodbye and usually leave during the night. You have to understand that obedience was paramount in everything we did.’

  ‘What happened to you after the meeting?’

  ‘Mother Superior removed me from teaching the children and I ended up doing all the worst jobs around the convent for months. But I didn’t regret what I’d said to Bishop Malone about the abuse because I knew Missy would have been proud of me.’

  ‘I don’t wish to sound insensitive, but did you ever wonder why Missy didn’t try and make contact with you?’ Jane asked.

  ‘I like to think she wrote to me, but Missy knew all our incoming and outgoing mail was checked and censored by Mother Superior and Sister Margaret in case it contained something offensive to our vocation. They would have destroyed any letters Missy sent me. Some of my own letters from home were so inked out by them there was hardly anything left to read. I used to cry, worrying over what my mother had been trying to tell me, but there was no way I could ever know. It never occurred to me Missy might be dead. To now know she was murdered is beyond belief. Are you really sure it’s her?’

  ‘I hate to say it, Julie, but even more so now.’

  ‘But why? It just doesn’t make any sense. Who on earth would want to kill Missy?’

  ‘Right now, I can’t answer that, but I promise you we will find out who and why,’ Jane said reassuringly.

  ‘Could it have been an accident?’

  ‘I’m afraid the injuries she received rule that possibility out. Can you remember the date when you thought Missy ran away?’ Jane asked.

  Julie closed her eyes and thought about it. ‘I think it was in August 1962. Shortly after her birthday.’

  ‘Was that before or after the fire?’

  Julie closed her eyes again. ‘I’m not sure now . . . but I think it was before the fire.’

  ‘What do you remember about the fire?’

  ‘I was asleep in bed when I was woken by Sister Maria shouting that the outbuildings were on fire. I could see the flames as I ran through the gardens. When I got there, the bakery and schoolhouse next to it were ablaze and the flames were spreading rapidly to the other buildings. Mother Superior and some of the nuns were throwing water from the well on it. The heat got so intense they couldn’t get close enough with the water and had to stop trying to put it out. By the time the fire brigade got there, all the outbuildings were on fire.’

  ‘I was told the fire started in the bakery. Do you know if that’s correct?’ Jane asked.

  Julie nodded. ‘That’s what Mother Superior thought. She was convinced one of us had failed to make sure the baking oven fire was extinguished at the end of the day. She thought a cinder must have started it. After the fire Mother Superior became an emotional wreck and started drinking even more. I think she knew in her heart the buildings wouldn’t be rebuilt and the convent would close . . . which of course it did.’

  ‘Do you know the Mother Superior’s full name and Sister Margaret’s surname?’

  ‘Adele Delaney was Mother Superior.’

  ‘Do you know where she is now?’

  ‘She died some years ago.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Sister Suzanne Lincoln told me. We were at the convent together and still keep in touch. She works at St Joseph’s Hospice in Mare Street, Hackney. She went there after the convent closed.’

  ‘Do you know where she lives?’ Boon asked.

  ‘The convent is situated in the midst of the hospice buildings. Mother Superior was in palliative care there, suffering with hepatocellular carcinoma.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Boon asked.

  ‘A form of liver cancer that occurs in people with alcoholic cirrhosis.’

  ‘The demon drink got the better of her in the end,’ Boon remarked.

  Jane thought his remark inappropriate and glared at him before Julie continued.

  ‘Sister Margaret’s surname was Wilde. Which we all thought rather apt due to her fierce temper.’

  ‘Do you know where she is now?’ Jane asked.

  ‘I haven’t a clue. Suzanne might know.’

  ‘Does the name Father Bob mean anything to you?’

  Julie smiled. ‘Yes. He was the priest at St Mary’s. He used to come to the convent and read stories to the children. He was a lovely man. I shouldn’t say it, but some of us younger sisters fancied him . . . but not in a carnal way, of course,’ she said with a grin.

  ‘Did Missy like him?’ Jane asked.

  Julie laughed. ‘Yes, she used to refer to him as the “forbidden fruit”.’

  Jane suddenly found herself thinking of Father Chris and the moment he’d kissed her.

  ‘Why did you ask about Father Bob?’ Julie asked.

  ‘Annette Gorman mentioned him, but wasn’t sure about his surname.’

  ‘It’s Meade.’

  Jane didn’t want to press Julie about Meade possibly abusing the children, as it was clear she liked and trusted him, so she changed the subject.

  ‘There’s a tunnel from the crypt to the outbuildings. Was it in use while you were there?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Yes. We used it to take food from the bakery and gardens to the main building in bad weather. During the fire, part of it collapsed. Mother Superior had a builder look at it. He said it was dangerous, so we were all banned from using it. As I recall, the tunnel door in the crypt was removed and bricked up.’

  ‘Do you know who the builder was?’

  ‘No, I’m afraid not.’

  ‘Did any builders ever carry out repair work at the convent while you were there?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Sometimes, but I didn’t really take any notice. I recall a leaky roof in the chapel being repaired by a couple of men.’

  ‘Can you describe them?’

  Julie shook her head. ‘Like I said, I didn’t really take any notice.’

  Boon took a picture of the coffin from a folder and handed it to Julie. ‘Did you ever see this coffin when you were at the convent?’

  ‘I recall some metal ones like that in the crypt. And there were also a few wooden coffins down there.’

  ‘Would a nun be bur
ied in a metal coffin?’ Boon asked.

  ‘No, the wooden ones were for us.’

  Jane stood up. ‘That’s all we need to ask you for now, Julie. I’m sorry our conversation has been so upsetting for you. What you’ve told us has been incredibly useful to our investigation. DC Boon will compile an official statement at the station from his notes. Would you be happy to sign it and give evidence in court if required?’

  ‘Of course. I’ll do whatever you need if it helps catch whoever killed Missy.’

  Boon tentatively raised his hand. ‘Can I ask you a personal question, Mrs Dorton?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Jane gave him a sideways glance as a warning he’d better not upset her.

  ‘What made you leave the sisterhood?’

  Julie smiled. ‘I found my own piece of forbidden fruit, fell in love and married him. My surname is Davidson now. Carl, my husband, is an ambulance driver,’ she said proudly.

  As they walked to the front door, Jane remembered something.

  ‘Do you have any photographs of Missy from when you were at the convent?’

  ‘I’m sorry. Our vow of poverty meant we couldn’t have things like cameras.’

  ‘I guess the artist’s impression will have to suffice then,’ Jane said.

  ‘Actually, come to think of it, I’ve got a group photograph of us all with the children in a cupboard upstairs. Give me a second while I look for it,’ Julie said.

  After a few minutes she came downstairs holding a large, framed black-and-white photograph. She handed it to Jane.

  Boon leaned forward to look at the photograph, which had clearly been taken outside the schoolhouse. Three older sisters were sitting on a garden bench, with the rest of the sisters, a priest, and some children in a semi-circle behind them. The youngsters sat on the ground, cross-legged. Everyone was smiling as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Jane visualised Eaves’ artist’s impression but didn’t see anyone she could positively identify as Sister Missy. The fact that they were all dressed the same and wearing white wimples made it even more difficult.

  Julie looked glum. ‘They say every picture tells a story . . . the truth is, this one lies. Although it brings back some happy memories, we all smiled because Mother Superior said anyone who didn’t would be for the high jump. That’s Missy,’ Julie said, pointing, ‘and that’s me on her left. Annette’s sat on the ground in front of Mother Superior who is in the centre on the bench, with Sister Margaret on her right. That’s Father Bob in the back row.’