She rolled her eyes. ‘That lanky young man perched on my sofa arm was here when I gave all the details. Charles Foxley came here on Monday at lunchtime. He usually arrived by taxi at around one p.m. He would have the session I just described to you and then he would pay. I’ve shown you my receipts: it’s two hundred and fifty pounds per session. One hundred goes to the girl and then smaller amounts go to the cleaners, who wipe down the waterbed and the other equipment, and also the masseuse. The session would usually take about three quarters of an hour. He would either have a taxi waiting for him or we would order one when he was ready to leave. I have to say, when he arrived he was often tense and anxious, and by the time he left you could see that he was more relaxed. He usually showered and sometimes even shaved . . . and he was always polite. On that Monday – the Monday that the tragedy happened – he came as usual and left as usual. I saw no difference in his manner.’

Miller pulled at his tie. ‘How much did Mr. Foxley tell you about his business?’

She gave an exaggerated sigh, her huge breasts rising and falling. ‘Listen, sweetheart, do you really think a man shitting in adult nappies wants me to know his profession? He was always well-dressed and polite, but I had no idea he was a big theatrical agent.’ She tossed her head back and laughed. ‘If I had known, I would have introduced him to a young actor I have here, who gets up to all kinds of things in a rubber suit.’

Miller abruptly stood up and switched off his tape recorder. ‘I’d like to see the rest of the premises now.’

Mandy shrugged. ‘I will have to ask Gregory to show you around – I can’t get up and down those stairs – but help yourself. As I mentioned earlier, I have no clients today.’

She made no effort to get up and show them out. As they left, Spencer saw her popping the remaining little sandwiches into her mouth.

Whatever DI Miller felt as he moved from room to room, he showed no reaction. Mandy’s bedroom was next door to the lounge and contained an enormous double bed with a frilly valance, a duvet covered in pink cartoon figures and pink nylon frilled pillow slips. The shag-pile rugs were rose-colored and even her dressing table had pink frills surrounding the perfume bottles and make-up. The fitted wardrobes contained numerous kaftan-style gowns.