Reckless Endangerment(11)

Again Sharon made a syntactic error and that prompted a question.

‘Where were you born, Sharon?’ I asked.

‘Oh, I’m a Home Counties girl.’

‘Yes, but where exactly?’

Sharon paused before replying. ‘Basildon,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s in Essex.’ She spoke reluctantly, as though her birthplace was something of which she should be ashamed.

‘What happened next?’ I asked.

‘He grabbed hold of me.’

‘But hadn’t he already got hold of you?’ Kate paused and waggled her pen in the air. ‘You said that he’d put his hand over your mouth.’

‘Yes, but then he held me really tight.’

‘How did he do that?’ I asked. ‘Did he take hold of your arms?’ I was beginning to have doubts about this story. I had interviewed many victims of violent crime, and to my experienced ear her account sounded as though it had been carefully rehearsed. It was much more detailed than I would have expected. Then again, shock has some strange effects. Perhaps she was babbling on in a mistaken attempt to be helpful.

‘At first, yes. He held me really tight,’ she said again. ‘I was terrified. Then he swung me round and got hold of me by the waist. At least, I think he did, but it all happened so fast. He picked me up – he was very strong – and carried me into the hall, stood me down and then forced me on to the floor. Then he tied me up and stuffed a rag in my mouth. It was dreadful, Mr Brock. I was frightened to death. I was sure he was going to rape me.’ Sharon looked down demurely as she spoke of her apprehension. ‘Or even attack me with a knife,’ she added, looking up again. ‘It was all quite awful. I was choking a bit and I think I must’ve fainted, but I can’t remember how long I was out.’

‘Did he have a knife, then?’ I asked. ‘You said you thought he might attack you with one.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Sharon, ‘but don’t people like that usually carry a knife?’

‘Is it true that you’re an airline stewardess?’ asked Kate. From the dramatic fashion in which Sharon Gregory was describing the events of the night, it had crossed Kate’s mind that the woman might be an actress.

‘Yes, I am. But we’re actually called airline cabin crew. I’m usually on the long haul to Miami out of Heathrow.’

‘Getting back to this assault, Sharon, exactly how did this man tie you up?’

‘He knelt down and put a knee in my back and forced my arms behind me and then he tied my wrists and ankles together and then he—’

‘Hold on. Slow down a minute.’ Kate was recording Sharon’s account on a statement form as fast as she was able to write in an attempt to keep up with the woman’s story.

‘Did he bring this rope with him?’ I asked.

Sharon Gregory appeared to be nonplussed by the question. ‘I suppose he must’ve done,’ she said eventually. ‘I honestly don’t know where it came from.’

‘Go on.’

‘The next thing I heard was him crashing around the house as though he was searching for something.’

‘Did you see him leave?’

‘No, but I think I must’ve fainted again. When I came round I managed to push the gag out of my mouth with my tongue and I started screaming at the top of my voice.’

‘Didn’t you think that this intruder might still be in the house and would come back to attack you, or even kill you?’

‘I wasn’t thinking. Anyway, a few minutes later Sid came in through the front door and untied me.’

‘My sergeant has spoken to Mr Miller,’ I said, ‘and Miller claims that you told him that the man had already left. Is that true?’

‘Did I say that? I really don’t know. I was so confused and frightened by the whole business that I didn’t know what I was saying half the time.’

‘How did this man get in?’ I asked.

‘I don’t really know,’ said Sharon. ‘Through the front door, I suppose.’

‘Wasn’t it locked, then?’

‘I thought it was.’ Sharon looked directly at me. ‘I leave that sort of thing to my husband. He always makes sure the house is secure.’

‘Who closed the downstairs windows?’

‘I did. My husband forgot.’

‘Did he perhaps also forget to lock the front door?’

‘I suppose it’s possible. I didn’t think to check.’

‘Did the intruder take anything?’ asked Kate, switching the subject again.

‘My jewellery,’ Sharon replied without hesitating.

‘How did you know that? You were tied up.’ Kate stopped writing and looked up, smiling to mask her suspicion – a suspicion that was growing stronger as Sharon’s account unfolded.