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“That’s right,” Holmes nods.
Nick flexes his shoulders and takes a few calming breaths. In a show of solidarity, I reach over and hold his hand. His skin feels as cold as ice.
“So,” Holmes pushes, “where were you?”
“Um, I’ll have to check my diary, but I’m pretty sure I was at a house party in North London. In fact, I’m certain of it.”
“Who’s house party?” Ashford probes. “Do you have a name?”
“Yes,” Nick smiles. “It was my receptionist Tara’s birthday party. She and her husband had a small gathering at their flat in Crouch End. There must have been, oh, about twenty people there I’d say.”
“So there are witnesses who can verify your whereabouts on that night?” Holmes asks.
“Yes, of course,” Nick nods.
“And what time did you leave the house party?”
“About three in the morning.”
“What did you do after that?”
“I drove straight home.”
“Is there anyone else who could verify that?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. “I was at the house when Nick got back. I’m happy for you to put that down on record.”
“Okay, good.” Holmes shoots a sly glance at Ashford. “Oh, and just for the record, do you have your receptionist’s full name and telephone number so that we can talk to her directly?”
“Yes, certainly,” Nick grins. “But I don’t understand why. Surely I’m not under investigation?”
“No, this is purely just routine. No cause for alarm.” Holmes scratches the side of his mouth and looks a little uncomfortable. Then he leans back in his chair and presses his fingertips together. “Were you aware that Jessica kept a diary?”
Nick frowns. “No.”
“Well, she did. One of my officers picked it up from her dressing table when we searched her flat. Would it surprise you to learn that you featured quite prominently in Jessica’s diary in the weeks leading up to her death?”
My body stiffens and I look to Nick for clarity.I don’t like the sound of this...
Nick wets his lips, his expression suddenly grim. “No, this is all news to me.”
“Some of her diary entries were very, very interesting,” Holmes continues. “It appears Jessica was besotted with you. In fact, I would go a step further and call it boarder-line obsession. One incident in particular comes to mind; a very embarrassing incident...”
I squeeze Nick’s hand. “Darling, what’s he talking about?”
Holmes gives a mirthless smile. “It seems that Jessica harboured unrequited feelings for Nick. According to her diary, she bombarded him with phone calls and emails on a daily basis declaring her undying love for him, and his frequent rebuttals were the cause of much anguish to her. Some diary entries even spoke of her feeling suicidal.” He hesitates, waiting for his bombshell to sink in. Then, addressing Nick again, he says, “On her final visit to your Harley Street office, Jessica describes an incident when she, ahem, exposed herself to you.”
My eyes widen. “Exposed? What does that mean?”
“It means she took off her clothes,” Ashford clarifies. “She went to Nick’s office wearing only her coat with nothing underneath and flashed him.”
“Jesus!” I bury my head in my hands.
Holmes fixes his gaze on Nick. “Is what Jessica said in her diary true? Is that the real reason you terminated her treatment early?”
“Yes,” Nick answers quietly. “It didn’t seem right for us to continue. Her attachment to me was getting unhealthy.”
“How did you feel about Jessica’s behaviour?” Ashford asks. “Did you find it very stressful?”
