“How perfectly terrible!” she said.

“What?”

“For a girl to be strangled that way.”

I didn’t say anything.

“Probably some sex maniac,” she said, and shivered. “I hate to think of things like that.”

I took a cigarette case from my pocket. “Want one?”

“Please.”

She took a cigarette, guided my hand with the tips of her fingers as I held the match. Then I lit up one of my own and walked over, to stand looking out of the window.

Abruptly I turned around.

She had opened the paper to the sporting page and was studying the racing news.