why I was out so often.' With a sigh, he said, 'If you want the absolute truth, I had affairs. My duties in the catering branch meant I had more women around me than men, and - well, you know how it is — there are always those who are game for some fun.'
'Did she find out?'
'Not for a while. She had her suspicions, I'm certain. Even so, our sex life was normal. I'm a twice-a-day man, or was, given the opportunity. I think if we'd had the child she wanted, we might still be married, regardless of my playing around. She was so keen to get pregnant'
'I know.'
'The miscarriages did for us. She was weak and weepy and I couldn't handle that at all. I played away more blatantly than before. She found out and angry things were said and we split. Simple as that.'
'Had you spoken since the divorce?'
'Only when necessary. Some couples stay friendly, I know. In our case, it was impossible.'
'You say 'when necessary'. Did you get in touch in the weeks before her death?'
'No.' A fiat denial without a glimmer of guilt. This was not what Diamond had come to hear.
'You're certain? Her diary mentions phone calls and meetings with someone.'
'Not me, old chum.'
The cockiness of that 'old chum' got to Diamond. He went for the kill.
'She called you Ted, I expect?'
'Hardly ever. I was Ed to her.'
'Easy to say now.'
'But true.' Dixon-Bligh widened his eyes. 'Why? Is this important?'
'The diary entries speak of somebody called “T”.'
'And you thought . . .' He flushed deeply. 'Christ, I nearly walked into that, didn't I? No, she didn't call me Ted. Ever. You ought to know that. She must have spoken about me. Did she ever refer to me as anything but Ed?'
'She rarely mentioned you, and then it was always Edward. Never Ed.'
'Never Ted either, I'll bet.'
'I've been looking at witness statements. Various men were seen in the vicinity.'
'Matching me? I don't think so.'
The frontal attack hadn't succeeded. He made a tactical switch. 'Any idea who this 'T' could be?'
'I'd have to think. It's not going to be someone from our Air Force days, surely. No, I'm at a loss.'
'When were you last in touch with her?'
'Must be at least two years ago, some photos of her parents I found among my things. I was running a restaurant, then, living in Guildford. I phoned Stephanie to ask if she wanted them sent on.'
'And that was the last time?'
'Absolutely.'
'Sure you didn't ask her for money?'
Dixon-Bligh shot him a hostile look. 'That's insulting.'
'True. Answer the question.'
'I didn't ask her for anything.'
'Maybe you demanded it.'
'Get lost.'
'You're skint. This place is a comedown from Blyth Road and you owe two months' rent there.'
'They'll get their money. That was a flat, and bloody noisy. This is a house.'
'It's a tip.'
'It's temporary - until I find something better.'
'Not the sort of place I'd expect to find an ex-RAF officer living in. What's the attraction? Are you working now? Something just a bike ride away?'
Dixon-Bligh said, 'What does this have to do with Stephanie's death?'
'Everything. If you're on the skids, and don't like to admit it, you could be lying about not asking her for cash. It's more than likely she was being blackmailed.'
'Blackmailed? What about?'
'Something in her past. Something you're well placed to know about.'
Dixon-Bligh sneered. 'You must have a lower opinion of her than I thought, you filthy-minded git.'
Weeks of bottled-up anger went into the punch Diamond swung at the man. The table tipped up and the chair crashed over. His fist struck the side of Dixon-Bligh's jaw and keeled him against his cardboard boxes with a crunch
