Parsons clearly hadn’t shaved for a couple of days, and it looked as if he’d been wearing the same T-shirt and jeans for much longer. There was a snail-like lethargy about him that hinted at lack of ambition. Yet, Annie had to remind herself, he had turned up at Jennifer Clewes’s place of work and caused a scene. Quite frankly, he didn’t look as if he had it in him.

Annie didn’t like to make snap judgments, but all she had seen and heard of Jennifer, admittedly only after her death, indicated that she outclassed Victor by far. Had she had such low self-esteem, then, had she been so insecure that she had really seen something of value in him? Still, Annie thought, there was no accounting for taste and no explanation for many of the strange couplings in life.

The room itself seemed clean and tidy enough, which pleased and surprised Annie. Knowing she had been about to visit a bachelor pad, she had mentally girded herself for dirty laundry over chair backs and posters of Kelly Brook and Jordan in lacy black lingerie plastered to the walls. As it turned out, the only poster in view was for Kill Bill Volume I.

“I suppose it’s about Jenn?” Victor said, without offering Annie a seat, let alone a cup of tea or coffee. As he was slouching on the sofa, she took an armchair and sat. Victor looked across at her. “I suppose that bitch Melanie Scott’s been talking?”

“Among others,” said Annie. “You’re not exactly popular among Jennifer’s friends and acquaintances.”

“I don’t care what people think about me. They don’t really know me, anyway. They’re just a bunch of superficial losers.”

“Oh, it’s like that is, it? Poor, hard-done-by misunderstood genius takes on the world.”

He gave her a look of scorn. “What do you know? You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right,” said Annie, “so why don’t I ask the questions and you answer them? I find this sort of thing works best that way.”

“Whatever.”

“Good. I’m glad we’ve got that sorted. Now let’s get down to business. Where were you last Friday night?”

“Here.”

“Doing what?”

“Watching TV.”

“What were you watching?”

“Coronation Street, East Enders, Lenny Henry, Have I Got News for You, then Jools Holland and a late film. It was a horror film called Session Nine.”

“Any good?”

“It had its moments.”

“That’s pretty impressive, Victor, remembering all that.”

“I’ve just got a good memory, that’s all, and it’s pretty much the same every Friday. Different film, of course.”

“Anyone else with you?”

“Gavin was out till about one o’clock, but Ravi was here most of the time. You can ask him.”

“Thanks. I will.”

“Look, I’m gutted, you know. By what’s happened. I loved her.”

“So I hear. Can be a nasty thing, unrequited love.”

“She loved me, too. She just didn’t realize it. She would’ve, if…”

“If?”

“Given time.”

Annie sighed. “Victor, it sounds to me as if somewhere along the line you lost touch with reality. Jennifer wasn’t in love with you. She’d moved on, found someone else.”

“You don’t know her.”

“What do you do?”

“Do? What do you mean?”

“Your job. Work.”

“I’m an actor.”

“Working these days?”

“Resting. It’s true, though. I’ve had roles. I’ve even done TV. Only adverts, and one non-speaking part, but it’s a start.”

“Earn much money?”

“Not a lot, no.”

If Annie held out any hopes that it was Victor who hired someone to kill Jennifer, they were soon dashed. He obviously couldn’t afford it. “Why did you pester her?” she asked. “You went to her place of work and caused a scene. Why did you do that if you loved her?”

“I’m not proud of that. I was pissed. I’d been drinking with Ravi at lunchtime and I’m not used to it. The booze went to my head, that’s all, and I got overexcited. I was sorry about it afterward. I even rang her to apologize but she wouldn’t talk to me.”

“Did you talk at all since you split up?”

“No. I couldn’t get near her at work and she always hung up the phone if I tried her at home. Or the other girl did.”

“Kate Nesbit?”

“Is that her name? I don’t know.”

“But you knew where she lived, where she’d moved to?”

“Yeah. I made it my business to find out.”

“Have you any idea if anything, or anyone, was bothering her over the past while?”

“No. Like I said, she shut me out of her life completely.”

“Did you ever hang around outside her house?”

“I walked by once in a while, yes. I thought I might bump into her.”

“Once in a while?”

“We’ll, not every day, but regular, like.”

“And did you see her?”

“No. Never.”

“When were you last there?”

“Couple of weeks ago.”

“Did you notice anyone else hanging around?”

“No.”

Of course he wouldn’t, Annie thought. He wouldn’t even notice if Godzilla stomped on the house next door. All he had eyes for was Jennifer. “What about her place of work?”

“She worked late sometimes. I used to wait across the street. Just to see her.”

“Did you ever approach her when she left?”

“No. I didn’t have the bottle. I’d just watch her. I told you, it was only because I was pissed that I made a scene.”

“When was the last time?”

“Last week. Monday.”

“And did you see her leave?”

“Yeah, but she was with someone.”

“Who?”

“It wasn’t anyone I knew, just some girl, by the looks of her.”

“A young girl?”

“Yeah. Probably one of the rich pregnant teenagers they deal with there. Only this one didn’t look particularly rich.”

“What time was this?”

“About eight o’clock.”

“Wasn’t the center closed by then?”

“Yeah. They close at five. I think everyone else had gone home, but Jenn worked late a lot.”

“Can you describe the girl?”

“Long dark hair. Bit skinny, but a nice figure, apart from the bump. She was just wearing ordinary clothes. You know, a flowery dress, sandals. I didn’t get a really good look at her face.”

“I take it by the ‘bump’ you mean her pregnancy was showing?”

“Yes.”

“Where did they go?”

“Nowhere.”

“Why not?”

“A bloke got out of a car parked in front, had a word in her ear, and she got in the car with him.”

“Who, Jennifer or the girl?”

“The girl.”

“What did Jennifer do?”

“Walked toward the tube station.”

“Did you follow her?”

“No. I just went for a drink.”

“What did the man look like?”

“Like he lifted weights. You know, big, broad shoulders, no neck. And he had a ponytail.”

“And the car?”

“Didn’t notice.”

“Dark or light?”

“Light, I think. Maybe silver.”

“Was there anyone else in it?”

“I didn’t see.”

“Did he force the girl into the car?”

Parsons frowned. “No. But it was like he was in charge and he was saying ‘That’s enough, time to go.’ ”

“She didn’t resist?”

“No.”

“Okay,” said Annie. “Were you outside Jennifer’s house or place of work last Friday?”

“No. I already told you. I stayed in. I do most nights.”

Had Victor Parsons killed Jennifer or had anything to do with her death? Annie doubted it. Stalkers could turn violent, true, but more often than not they didn’t. Most of the time they were sad, pathetic pillocks like Victor, or like Peeping Toms, irritating and upsetting, but ultimately harmless.

“Tell me something,” she asked, “just out of interest. Why did you split up with Jennifer?”

“It was all a misunderstanding. That’s it, you see. I thought we wanted different things. You know, Jenn wanted marriage, family, all that, and I wanted to pursue my acting career. But I was wrong.”

“So you chucked her?”

“No. It wasn’t like that. All I said was that we should give one another a bit more space and get clear about what we wanted, that’s all. And I did. I decided I wanted her, no matter what, that I’d even give up my career, she meant that much to me.”