‘I don’t think I’ve quite got that obsessive compulsive disorder, but I must be close. I spend a fortune at the dry cleaner’s. And I’ve had the same woman cleaning for me for years: Mrs Foster,’ he said, chuckling. ‘She’s remarkable. She even cleans under the rim of the taps, which is a particular phobia of mine. I should give you her number, if you ever need a cleaner.’
‘What phobia is that?’
‘The one where you go into a sparkling, clean bathroom but, if you get a quick glimpse under the tap, it’s — horrifying; it’s gunge.’
He was making a joke, trying to charm her. She smiled back and moved on to examine the mantelpiece.
She watched him in the large wood-framed mirror as he kept talking to her.
‘As a child, I could go months without a bath; sometimes the grime around my neck was as thick as the gunge under the taps. I didn’t know for years that your hair should be washed. Can you credit that?’
She moved on to the table beside the sofa. ‘There were a lot of women living at Shallcotte Street. Didn’t any of them help to look after you?’
He rested his chin on his hand and looked at her. ‘Are your parents alive?’
‘No. Sadly they’ve both passed away.’
‘Did they love you?’
‘Fortunately.’
He was giving her his full attention and she found it hard to look back at him. He was an exceptionally handsome man; his eyes were incredible, she thought.
‘What did they do?’
‘My father was a police officer. And my mother was an artist.’
His gaze never faltered. ‘I never knew my father. In fact, I don’t believe she knew him.’
‘Have you ever tried to trace him?’
‘Why would I want to do that?’
‘Well, if you ever have children, it is always useful to know.’
‘Whoever he was, he’d only come after me now for my money.’
‘I suppose so.’ Anna moved closer to the side table nearest to him. He rolled languidly on to his stomach and continued watching her.
‘Life is strange, isn’t it?’
She was forced to kneel down quite close to him. His head leaned over hers.
‘Do you know what it would do to me if the press found out that a murder team were searching my place?’
‘I can imagine.’
‘Can you?’
‘Of course. There has been enough, over the past few years, of celebrities being arrested.’
‘And released,’ he said, pulling back.
‘Yes, with damaged careers. We are trying to be very diplomatic in your case.’
‘It wasn’t diplomatic to go to my agent. He has a big mouth. He called me straight away, in a state of panic. It was very unpleasant. I could feel his gossip-mongering adrenalin hit the roof. Did you notice he and that disgusting pug dog of his have very similar eyes?’ he asked.
She laughed uncomfortably.
‘It’s awful going out to dinner with him. Takes it everywhere; slides it into restaurants and it sits there, under the table, letting out small, puffy farts. Ghastly creature.’
He was very amusing company, she thought. Anna tried to distance herself from him, walking away to search the far side of the room.
‘Are you married?’ he called out, flirtatiously. ‘Sorry, what is your name again?’
‘Anna Travis. No, I’m not.’
‘Anna,’ he said appreciatively. ‘Anna is a lovely name.’
‘Thank you.’
He stretched his arms above his head. ‘Do you want to feel under me?’
She stifled a smile and he responded in mock surprise.
‘I mean under the cushions, obviously.’
‘Yes, obviously.’ She played along, amused. ‘Thank you, yes. I’d better check.’
He stood up. ‘Here, I’ll help you.’ He started lifting the cushions for her to inspect underneath.
Together they replaced the cushions; then followed the same procedure on the opposite sofa. ‘Look how neat we are. We should be married,’ he joked, trying to catch her eye. He suddenly reached out and held her hand. ‘Anna, as you can see, I am trying to be helpful, but it is so very upsetting.’
‘I am sure it is.’ She nodded sympathetically. He was closer than she felt comfortable with. She could smell his cologne. But he was holding her hand too tightly for her to move away without causing offence.
‘I did not do these terrible murders.’ His eyes momentarily shone with tears. ‘You know that, don’t you?’
She was at a loss as how to respond.
He suddenly dropped her hand and opened his arms expansively. ‘Would I risk losing all of this? Especially now I finally have the chance of making it big time. If this new film comes off, it’ll mean I’ve got a chance to work in Hollywood. Mainstream success has eluded me, until now.’
She looked to the door, hopefully.
He chewed his lower lip. ‘All I am guilty of is hiding my past. I buried it and if it was to surface, it would’
‘We have every intention of keeping this private,’ she said firmly.