Chapter EightBy noon the next day, Rafferty, finding his thoughts – about blackmailers, nuns and his mother – were chasing themselves round and round the grey caverns of his brain, decided he needed some fresh air.
But instead of wandering Elmhurst's ancient streets, he got in his car and headed for the open countryside surrounding the town. He didn't want people around him. He craved solitude and peace in the hope that he would manage to remove the sticky cobwebs currently binding his thought processes.
In spite of his desire for solitude and open country, he found himself stopping outside the convent instead of continuing to the countryside beyond. On an impulse, he parked up. He didn't even have to ring the bell to gain admittance. Sister Rita was in the entrance lobby and saw him thr
