“And because of Bill,” Helen muttered. She got to her feet and began to wander round the room, unable to keep still. It was a constant source of amazement to Lindsay that in spite of Helen’s phenomenal level of nervous energy, she still fought a constant battle with her weight.

“Yes, and because of Bill. That’s the bloke I’ve been seeing recently. He lives in Edinburgh,” Rosalind explained. “So Harry makes a lot of use of my spare room. Even when I’m here, it’s not really a problem. We’ve always got along fine. But the spare room’s been turned over as well. He has a desk in there with a locked drawer. The drawer has been forced and everything in it has been taken.”

“What exactly was in it? Do you know?” Lindsay asked.

“I’m not exactly sure,” Rosalind said. “I’ve tried to get hold of him at the House of Commons, but he’s not in his office. I’m waiting for him to call me back. But I know he has a Polaroid camera in there and I suspect he takes pictures of the boys he brings back here. They’d be dynamite in the wrong hands. A blackmailer or a journalist could really have a field day with them. But what really worries me is the HIV test results.”

“My God, he’s not got AIDS, has he?” Helen asked. “Poor bastard. Even creepy Harry Campbell doesn’t deserve that!”

Rosalind ran a hand through her tousled white hair and shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve been nagging him about having the test for ages. He’s been with so many rent boys over the last few years, I’ve been scared stiff he’d be HIV positive. I thought he should find out, if only so he wouldn’t infect anyone else. He’s always resisted me, but a couple of months ago, he finally gave in and went for counseling and had the test. I know he went back for an appointment last week and he told me they’d given him the all-clear. But if there’s anything in writing—appointment cards or a letter saying he’s not HIV positive, then the only place I can imagine it would be would be that drawer. He thought he was safe here.” Rosalind’s eyes quivered with tears. She was suffering a delayed reaction to the shock of the burglary, Lindsay realized.

“How can I help?” she asked gently.

Rosalind pulled herself together with difficulty. “I wanted to ask whether you thought I should tell the police,” she said. “And I wondered if you’d seen anybody hanging around when you were here.”

“I didn’t notice anything,” Lindsay said. “But when did it actually happen?”

“About four o’clock.”