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recover from these debilitating symptoms and become a high-profile actress so swiftly after her stay in the Drury?’
    ‘She had been reasonably successful before she was admitted, but I never said that she was fully recovered, probably the contrary. But she was admitted as a private patient, she was never sectioned and therefore could leave whenever she wished to.’
    ‘Did she ever tell you who the father of the baby was?’
    He shook his head.
    ‘Was it either of the actors you said visited her?’
    ‘I doubt it.’
    ‘Did she ever mention anyone when you were with her? You must have talked about it?’
    ‘We did. Amanda was raped, Detective Travis.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘That was what she eventually told me, but by whom I have no idea.’
    ‘Did she report it?’
    ‘If she did, she never mentioned it to me.’
    ‘But surely she must have! She gave you no hint of who it could have been?’
    ‘Detective Travis, if Amanda did report it, then it must be on police files. It took a number of sessions before she admitted to me that she’d had a termination, then another session before she broke down and told me she was unable to have any children. It wasn’t until shortly before she left the clinic that she admitted to having been raped. As I said to you, I was more concerned with her mental state than any addiction problems. Amanda was a very damaged soul and I felt that she did require further treatment, which is why I tried to persuade her to come to see me after she left the Drury.’
    ‘You said earlier that your secretary contacted her. Are you now saying that you personally talked to her?’
    ‘No, I did not. It was my secretary. When I said persuade, it would have been unethical for me to approach her personally, but Julie, my secretary, did, I think, call twice. Then, as I said earlier, Amanda made appointments but never turned up.’
    ‘When she called to make an appointment, did you speak to her?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Even though you have said she was a damaged soul and didn’t turn up for appointments, you never made any approach to see her.’
    ‘No, I did not.’
    Anna jotted down a few notes and then looked up.
    ‘Did you find her attractive?’ she asked.
    He shook his head. ‘You know, I think I can see where you are going or trying to go with your questions. I did not have any kind of relationship with her, bar a professional one. Yes, she was an exceptionally attractive young girl and she was also a very needy one. I felt concerned for her mental stability, although she made great steps forward at the Drury in such a short time, and was willing to listen and take advice. To my mind though, she was on very shaky ground and I felt that it would be only a matter of time before she broke down or began self-harming again, if she didn’t have professional help. I wanted to give it, but as I have already said, Amanda chose not to keep her appointments.’
    ‘It must have been strange for you, to see how successful she was becoming.’
    ‘It wasn’t strange at all. I have said how attractive she was; in fact, Amanda was exceptionally beautiful, like a rare creature. I think her acting talents were also very well-honed and she was capable of hiding her feelings and giving a very good performance of normality, but her protective shell was very thin and could, I estimated, crack open at any time . . .’
    ‘Knowing this, why didn’t you persist in trying to see her?’
    He shook his head. ‘Impossible. It was her own choice to come and see me or not, and she chose not to. Perhaps her successful career helped her self-esteem.’
    ‘The two visitors, other than her parents, to the clinic, were Scott Myers and Rupert Mitchell?’
    ‘I believe so. Now, I’m sorry to have to stop you there but I have a patient. If there is anything else?’
    Anna stood up and put her notebook away.
    ‘You’ve been very helpful, thank you.’
    As Suchet ushered her to the door, he asked her if she had met with Amanda’s