He looked puzzled at that and JB interrupted. ‘He means his girlfriend, his bird. Or at least that was the idea until circumstances interrupted.’
They asked me if we’d seen anything, and I told them about the bikers from the night before, and seeing Bertram by the grave before the alarm was raised, but nothing else suspicious. No fleeing murderers for example. They took notes. ‘Thank you Mr Sharman,’ said Smoothy. Next, he was going to say don’t leave town.
‘OK. Just one thing, don’t leave town.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’
‘Can Mrs Whitechurch stay with you tonight?’ asked Haircut. ‘Next door is still a crime scene.’
‘Of course,’ said JB. ‘There’s three bedrooms.’
‘And the dog?’
‘We’re animal lovers,’ I added.
‘Good.’
After the cops had left allowing Edna to fetch night things, fre
