In Between by Kate Wilhelm Page A

all his friends and family. No hidden grudges or anything else. No one except Alex had reason to kill him.”
    She put her hand on her mother’s arm and Marilyn jerked away and rose. She walked to the glass door and stood facing out. “We were going to keep up the façade, our bogus marriage, for the sake of appearances. I learned what was going on eight years ago. I was going to leave then but he talked me out of it. Keep up an appearances, start a new life in Zurich. We bought property there, opened a bank account, spent time there. Entertain his friends here, teas, dinner parties, openings, shows… I’m good at that, you know, the perfect hostess. Everything that shouts the good life to the whole damned world, and then next year, just one year from now, go to Zurich together and say goodbye. He’d go his way, I’d go mine. Free, rich, untouchable… Just one year more.”
    She turned to look at Louise, and was herself no more than a dark silhouette against the bright morning light. “A year ago Alex came to visit, and I found him in Malcolm’s study, at his computer, his home computer, not the laptop. He told me it was time to move to Switzerland. That’s all he said, but I knew what he meant.”
    â€œDid you tell Father?” Louise asked, her voice strident, harsh.
    â€œNo. I told myself it was unimportant, that Alex wasn’t anyone to fear. We thought it would be an internal threat, a whistle blower, perhaps one of the scientists. Some of them were unhappy about the work. Then the manuscript came. Malcolm didn’t tell me, but he was furious, a madman. I didn’t know why until his eruption at dinner. That’s why I tried to find him last night, to talk to him, to tell him it was time to leave. I wanted to tell him I would leave within the week, with or without him. But he wasn’t in the office.” She took a step or two into the room, and sank down into her chair again. “That’s what I want Harmon to arrange. The day after the funeral, I will be on a plane.”
    Louise jumped up and knelt before Marilyn. She took her mother’s hands in hers and said, “That book won’t be published! It won’t. Alex killed his father, my father, and he’ll go to prison for the rest of his life. No one will publish a work like that from a deranged man who turns on his own father! He’s the only one in the world with a reason to kill him. Motive, opportunity, that’s all they need.”
    Marilyn pulled her hands free and drew back farther in her chair. “He had no motive. The will? He hasn’t taken a cent from us for over eight years and swore he never would take money earned by poisoning the earth and its creatures, including people. He came to the house eight years ago and they had a terrible fight over the work. That’s when I learned what they were doing, when we made our own plans to get out in good time. Only we didn’t. Time ran out. But Alex did not have a reason to murder his father!”
    Before Louise could respond, the door opened and Royce entered. Louise jumped to her feet. “How did it go?”
    â€œOkay. No problem. He wants you.” He gave Marilyn an uneasy look, then said to his wife, “Honey, you came here with Marilyn and helped her get ready for bed, and you gave her a sleeping pill. You knew how upset she was. You stayed with her until she was sleeping and then you came next door to where I was in bed waiting for you. Clear?”
    â€œLike mud,” Louise muttered. “Where’s Alex?”
    â€œOut on the walkway. The cops are saving him for last.”
    Louise tugged at her blouse, straightened her shoulders, and walked past him to the door to the adjoining room.
    â€œEnough?” Lori asked Sam.
    â€œMore than. Let’s see how Alex is holding up.”
    They went through the glass door to the walkway and spotted Alex at the far end sitting on the top