Hide Her Name Read Online Free Page A

Was there anyone he saw more often than others?’
    Sister Evangelista was running on instinct. She recognized the child in the picture as a little girl from Waterloo Street who had been in Miss Devlin’s class last year. She was no more than six years old. Her mother had been seriously ill and when she was bedbound, Sister Evangelista knew the father had visited daily to take mass at home at her bedside.
    ‘Well, I cannot say who came here, Sister, but where the father went is a different question altogether. He liked to visit the Doherty house a great deal, Sister. He visited lots of folk but he was regular to the Doherty house.’
    The Doherty house.
    The image of Kitty Doherty, one of Sister Evangelista’s star pupils, crossed her mind.
    Ten minutes later, Sister Evangelista ran down the street towards the convent, hugging a large parcel to her chest with Daisy at her side. On the way she almost bumped into Nellie Deane with her arm round Kitty, leaving the school gates.
    ‘Nellie, where are you off to?’ she said, alarmed.
    ‘I have to take Kitty home, Sister. Miss Devlin sent for me. She doesn’t feel too good.’
    Then, without any warning whatsoever, Kitty threw up all over the pavement.
    Sister Evangelista stared at the child who had turned a ghastly shade of grey.
    Kitty had been sick in the playground yesterday morning. As she grappled with the realization of what may be happening, she felt as though the vomit-strewn pavement was opening up beneath her.
    She needed to help Kitty, but she was frozen to the spot.
    She could hear Kitty’s voice somewhere in the background, as she said, ‘Sorry, Sister, I’m so sorry,’ but she couldn’t reply. The world as she knew it and all that was familiar to her was collapsing around her and she along with it.
    Daisy, a forced keeper of secrets, was staring at her. Her expression was unfathomable.
    Sister Evangelista focused her attention on what Nellie was saying.
    Kitty’s innocence with her wet eyes and pale skin brought her to her senses. Only yesterday Miss Devlin had said how sickly Kitty had been in the mornings.
    ‘If the child wasn’t so young and an angel herself, I would swear she was pregnant.’
    Oh Holy Mother, this cannot be true, she thought, and then suddenly, pulling herself up, she addressed Kitty.
    ‘It is all right, child, you go home for the rest of the day. I will send the janitor out to clean the pavement. Are you sure you are all right, Nellie?’
    Nellie put her arm round Kitty once more and smiled weakly at Sister Evangelista, who realized she could no longer wait for the bishop. This was beyond either of them. She knew what she had to do.
    Howard sat at his desk, drumming his fingers and staring at the array of police notebooks before him. It was only ten o’clock and he was already lighting up his fifth cigarette of the day. Not one of the notebooks held a single clue.
    They had no witness or a shred of motive but they did have the superintendent breathing down their necks, urging them to find the priest’s killer as soon as possible.
    Simon walked into the office with two mugs of tea and a message that made Howard feel weak.
    ‘The super wants a meeting at twelve and an update on the priest’s case.’
    ‘Have you any bright ideas?’ Howard threw across the table to Simon as he picked up his mug.
    ‘Apart from the fact that we both have a gut feeling Jerry Deane knows something, we have absolutely fuck all to go on. Not a single frigging lead. The whole lot of ’em are either ignorant or stupid. No one knows owt,’ said Simon unhelpfully.
    Howard picked up his tea and groaned.
    ‘Well, sergeant clever dick, we have got two hours, so what do you suggest?’
    The black Bakelite phone on the desk between them began to ring.
    ‘There you go, it’s a message from the dead priest.’ Simon began to laugh to himself. ‘He’s sending you a little clue from above.’
    ‘Shut the fuck up,’ said Howard as he flicked his cigarette