something about a man breaking in and tying her up. She told me the man had gone, but I had a quick look round to make sure she was right.’
‘And I presume he had?’
‘Long since, I should think,’ said Miller, ‘but he hadn’t half made a mess of the place.’
‘And you’re quite sure that she said the man had already left?’ said Dave.
‘Absolutely.’
‘Changing the subject,’ I said, ‘what sort of couple were the Gregorys?’
‘Normal, I s’pose,’ said Miller. ‘Kept themselves to themselves, if you know what I mean. Sharon’s away a lot on account of her being an air hostess, and Cliff’s an accountant, I think. He seems to do most of his work on a computer at home. And he certainly knows his stuff when it comes to computers. He fixed mine once when it went belly-up on me. Plumbers and computers don’t always mix well. You can’t fix a computer with a blowlamp. Give me water and pipes every time.’
‘Did they get on, Cliff and Sharon?’ It struck me that an air hostess and an accountant seemed a strange match. But it takes all sorts.
‘As far as I know. Mind you, they were an odd couple. She’s what I’d call a party girl. Loved getting around, so I’ve heard, but old Cliff was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. He’d rather stay at home watching TV and making his model aeroplanes.’
‘Did they have disagreements about their social life? Or lack of it.’
‘I never heard them arguing, if that’s what you mean. Mind you, Sharon spends a lot of time away on account of her job.’
‘Sharon Gregory said that you and your wife were very good friends with her and her husband.’
‘Really? I don’t know where she got that idea from. We hardly ever spoke to them. We’re just neighbourly, if you know what I mean. Pass the time of day whenever we see them. The usual sort of thing.’
‘She also told us that her husband was a heavy drinker. Did you know anything about that?’ I knew, from what Henry Mortlock had said, that this was unlikely, but I was interested to hear if Sharon had ever complained that her husband drank to excess.
‘I find that hard to believe somehow. I asked Cliff if he fancied going for a drink down the local pub once, when Sharon was away, but he turned me down. He said he didn’t drink much and didn’t like pubs anyway. As a matter of fact, we invited him and Sharon in for a drink last Christmas Eve and Cliff only had the one glass of champagne. No, he’s not a drinker in my book. Leastways, not unless he’s one of those secret alcoholics. They’re a bit devious from what I’ve heard. I knew a bloke once—’
‘Can we get back to the point, Mr Miller?’ Dave held up his hand. ‘Sharon’s a good-looking girl, isn’t she?’ he asked, intent on finding out whether she was not averse to the occasional affair.
‘She certainly is,’ said Miller warmly. ‘And she’s a bit of a flirt is Sharon.’
‘What makes you think that, Mr Miller?’ I asked.
‘Well, when she’s not in uniform, she always dresses in a way that’s sure to get her noticed. And just to be on the safe side, I wouldn’t take a chance on being alone with her if I could possibly avoid it. As a matter of fact, she rang me one morning about a month ago and said she couldn’t turn off the shower and could I go round. She said Cliff was out and she didn’t know what to do.’
‘And did you go round?’
‘No, I wasn’t prepared to risk it. If she’d just got out of the shower there’s no telling what I might’ve walked into, so to speak. I sent the missus instead; she’s nearly as good at dealing with that sort of thing as I am. But on the whole, I’d say the Gregorys were an ideal couple. Mind you, it probably helps with them not being thrown together all day and every day.’
‘Mrs Gregory told us that she was naked when you found her.’
‘Yes, she was.’ Miller gave a droll chuckle.
‘But she said she couldn’t remember whether she was still naked when she
‘And I presume he had?’
‘Long since, I should think,’ said Miller, ‘but he hadn’t half made a mess of the place.’
‘And you’re quite sure that she said the man had already left?’ said Dave.
‘Absolutely.’
‘Changing the subject,’ I said, ‘what sort of couple were the Gregorys?’
‘Normal, I s’pose,’ said Miller. ‘Kept themselves to themselves, if you know what I mean. Sharon’s away a lot on account of her being an air hostess, and Cliff’s an accountant, I think. He seems to do most of his work on a computer at home. And he certainly knows his stuff when it comes to computers. He fixed mine once when it went belly-up on me. Plumbers and computers don’t always mix well. You can’t fix a computer with a blowlamp. Give me water and pipes every time.’
‘Did they get on, Cliff and Sharon?’ It struck me that an air hostess and an accountant seemed a strange match. But it takes all sorts.
‘As far as I know. Mind you, they were an odd couple. She’s what I’d call a party girl. Loved getting around, so I’ve heard, but old Cliff was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. He’d rather stay at home watching TV and making his model aeroplanes.’
‘Did they have disagreements about their social life? Or lack of it.’
‘I never heard them arguing, if that’s what you mean. Mind you, Sharon spends a lot of time away on account of her job.’
‘Sharon Gregory said that you and your wife were very good friends with her and her husband.’
‘Really? I don’t know where she got that idea from. We hardly ever spoke to them. We’re just neighbourly, if you know what I mean. Pass the time of day whenever we see them. The usual sort of thing.’
‘She also told us that her husband was a heavy drinker. Did you know anything about that?’ I knew, from what Henry Mortlock had said, that this was unlikely, but I was interested to hear if Sharon had ever complained that her husband drank to excess.
‘I find that hard to believe somehow. I asked Cliff if he fancied going for a drink down the local pub once, when Sharon was away, but he turned me down. He said he didn’t drink much and didn’t like pubs anyway. As a matter of fact, we invited him and Sharon in for a drink last Christmas Eve and Cliff only had the one glass of champagne. No, he’s not a drinker in my book. Leastways, not unless he’s one of those secret alcoholics. They’re a bit devious from what I’ve heard. I knew a bloke once—’
‘Can we get back to the point, Mr Miller?’ Dave held up his hand. ‘Sharon’s a good-looking girl, isn’t she?’ he asked, intent on finding out whether she was not averse to the occasional affair.
‘She certainly is,’ said Miller warmly. ‘And she’s a bit of a flirt is Sharon.’
‘What makes you think that, Mr Miller?’ I asked.
‘Well, when she’s not in uniform, she always dresses in a way that’s sure to get her noticed. And just to be on the safe side, I wouldn’t take a chance on being alone with her if I could possibly avoid it. As a matter of fact, she rang me one morning about a month ago and said she couldn’t turn off the shower and could I go round. She said Cliff was out and she didn’t know what to do.’
‘And did you go round?’
‘No, I wasn’t prepared to risk it. If she’d just got out of the shower there’s no telling what I might’ve walked into, so to speak. I sent the missus instead; she’s nearly as good at dealing with that sort of thing as I am. But on the whole, I’d say the Gregorys were an ideal couple. Mind you, it probably helps with them not being thrown together all day and every day.’
‘Mrs Gregory told us that she was naked when you found her.’
‘Yes, she was.’ Miller gave a droll chuckle.
‘But she said she couldn’t remember whether she was still naked when she
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