‘Twice, by the same man. He looked more like an accountant than a Sec.’ That didn’t sound like Grest – presumably they had people who specialized in interrogation. ‘He was in this big high chair behind a desk and I had to sit on a low stool in the corner of the room like a child. Each time the questions were exactly the same: Why did I kill Lorelei? Who was I working for? Did she listen to Churchill’s speeches? Did she have a normal sexual appetite or was she abnormal?’ He forced down a grin. ‘But that’s when I knew I was safe – there was nothing that they actually suspected me of; they were just hoping I would volunteer something. And besides, they knew I was at Fred Taggan’s house when she died. It was just them flexing their muscles a bit. You would think they had better things to do with their time. God knows why they thought I was involved in anything. Probably given some duff information by a Citizen Informant – one of my patients or a neighbour or something. Bloody CIs. They’re vermin. Anyway, how did you bear up?’

‘It wasn’t easy. But I was OK.’

He took my hand in his. ‘Was Charles any help?’

I thought back to how he had been. ‘Hardly,’ I said, trying not to sound too bitter.

He suppressed a smile. ‘Well, he’s not brilliant on the sympathy front, is he? But he’s harmless. Lorelei used to call him “Hopalong” when he wasn’t around. His limp.’

‘Did she?’

‘Oh, yes. It was a bit rich from her, really.’

‘How so?’

He started eating Hazel’s ice cream. ‘Oh, after the War she was taken round all the forces hospitals so the chaps could meet the lovely young actress and she could stroke their fevered brows. Lot of blokes with shell shock and the like. Charles was quite churned up and she kept the act up with him, asking him how he was feeling, telling him to let it all out, that sort of thing.’

‘I see.’

‘Yes, old Charles is all right. Actually, he can be quite warm sometimes.’

‘He hides it well,’ I said.

‘He does rather.’

‘Maybe he just needs a girlfriend.’