“No. I went round to her flat yesterday. Miffy said Karen wasn’t at home, they’d presumed she was with me. Then I called her parents’ house. The housekeeper told me Karen hadn’t been home since Christmas, so I rang round a few other friends. When I ran out of places to look for her, I went to the local police station and told them.”

“When was that?”

“Er, first thing this morning. I just said no one had seen her lately.”

“Ah, so we got two separate reports . . . Now, Michael, her car, the Mini. Have you any idea where it might be?”

“No . . .” He thought for a moment. “It wasn’t outside the flat.”

All through the interview, Tennison was aware of a lot of coming and going outside. Faces popped up in the small window, but no one knocked. One of them was the Super, but he waved at her not to bother. She found it all distracting, so it was almost a relief when Michael burst into tears and she was able to pace around the room for a few moments.

Eventually Michael blew his nose in his handkerchief. Tennison sat down again.

“So let’s get back to this argument you had with Karen.”

“It wasn’t really an argument, it was just . . . just that she decided we were getting too involved, she wanted more time to herself. I agreed, but we didn’t argue.”

“But you didn’t like it?”

“No, I wanted to marry her. But she was only . . . she . . .” His eyes filled up and he turned away, shrugging his shoulders helplessly as his voice cracked, “She was only twenty-two years old . . .”

“So, you agreed not to see so much of her. Did you find out if there was someone else?”

“No, she didn’t have anyone else.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know . . . She would have told me if there was something . . . someone else. I’m sorry . . .”

“So you don’t think she had other boyfriends?”

“She had a lot of acquaintances, men friends, but most of them I knew. She didn’t have anyone else, wasn’t seeing anyone else.”

“But you were in Switzerland, maybe she met someone else while you were away?”

He shook his head and looked at the table. Tears trickled down his face and Lillie felt even more sorry for him. The boy kept looking at Lillie as if he could stop Tennison’s stream of questions.

“Did you and Karen have a good sexual relationship?”

Michael’s voice was a whisper. “Yes.”

“Did she like anything . . . unusual? Was she a bit kinky?”

“No.”

“Do you know if she took drugs?”

“She didn’t drink and she didn’t take drugs.”

“Do you?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked you if you take drugs, do you use hash or cocaine?”

“I have . . . but not recently.”

“Did you score it?”

“How do you mean?”

“Did you buy it for yourself? Go out and score from people?”