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break-in, otherwise they might have remained undetected for a few days, possibly until my father’s colleagues became suspicious about his absence. A few days is a bit of an exaggeration – they would probably have phoned him at home on Thursday but definitely by Friday if he had not phoned in sick by then … so two days at the outside.’
    â€˜The incident happened on the Tuesday evening of that week?’ Ventnor clarified.
    â€˜Yes,’ Middleton confirmed. ‘The post-mortem found the bodies were immediate pre-rigor mortis … and I received the news later that Wednesday when I was well under the influence. I had played cricket for Durham University’s second eleven against Liverpool, who were the visitors. Our first eleven managed to hold Liverpool’s to a draw, but we lowly second eleveners were well and truly trounced. I remember it all so clearly. Liverpool won the toss and put us into bat. We were all out for a very unimpressive one hundred and twenty. Liverpool declared at one hundred and thirty for the loss of just three wickets, so that was the end of us. I went into the changing rooms for a shower and then we got the booze in. Liverpool were celebrating and we were not celebrating, but it was all good-humoured, and in the middle of all that my name was called out over the tannoy. I was required urgently at the porter’s lodge. Two police officers managed to break the news to me despite my having consumed many pints of strong beer by then.’ Noel Middleton fell silent. ‘So, yes, the burglary and murders took place the Tuesday of that week. Very easily verified … but yes … it happened on the Tuesday evening of that week, and the bodies were found by Mrs Graham the following morning.’
    â€˜We’ll have to speak to her.’ Ventnor glanced at Carmen Pharoah, who nodded in agreement. ‘Twenty years … if she is still with us. How old was she at the time?’ Ventnor asked.
    â€˜I recall her as being in her middle years,’ Middleton replied. ‘I remember her as a slightly built woman who seemed to fill the house by her sheer energy of movement. Like a molecule bouncing around inside its naturally allocated space, I recall her as being a veritable whirlwind of a cleaning lady. You know, when she came, my sister and I would leave the house just to get some peace, to get out of her way. As children we would escape into our vast adventure playground if it wasn’t raining or too cold, in which case we’d go up into the attic where I had a train set and she had her doll’s house. In later years, our teenage years, we’d escape into York, either together or with our friends, she with hers and I with mine.’
    â€˜So she was a long-term employee?’ Carmen Pharoah queried. ‘It sounds as if she was.’
    â€˜Yes …’ Noel Middleton pursed his lips and glanced up towards the beams on the ceiling. ‘Yes, I dare say that you could call her a long-term employee. She came each Wednesday for about fifteen years except on holiday times, Christmas and Easter, and except when she was away on her annual summer holiday or when we were on ours. But other than those occasions, unless she was unwell she came to clean our house each Wednesday for about fifteen years. She’d cycle here and back home again … can you believe? But I suppose many people do in the east of England, it being so flat, on the right-hand side of the Tees-Exe Line. I recall that she would arrive shortly after nine thirty in the morning and work through until about five p.m. with an hour for lunch which Mother prepared for her and which she ate alone in the kitchen. Father, being the man he was, was adamant that she was never to sit down and eat with the family. He was head of the household in the time-honoured manner and each person had their place. As I have said, he was a traditionalist. But anyway, Mrs Graham came to the house