Murder... Now and Then by Jill McGown

to give him any kind of control. But the recession had weakened both the company and her resolve, and he had finally bought her out. A move dictated by the heart and not the head, but he would make it work. Margaret’s health had grown steadily worse, and he had judged the time right to move back. He had done it for Margaret not for her ungrateful daughter.
    He had known what Catherine’s reaction would have been if he had done it all openly, so he had sent Anna ahead, to put all the pieces in place before he came himself.
    â€˜I suppose you think it’s odd that I haven’t gone up to Catherine,’ he said. ‘But she and’ – with difficulty, he used the man’s first name – ‘Max seem to have had some sort of …’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Geraldine.
    â€˜I think perhaps I shouldn’t interfere,’ he said.
    Geraldine gave a brittle smile. ‘That’s what Charles says,’ she said. ‘Isn’t it, Charles?’
    â€˜Well – husband and wife, you know,’ said Charles.
    â€˜Has he even asked how she is?’ said Holyoak.
    Charles Rule got out of answering as they were interrupted by the man Holyoak had come to think of as Anna’s policeman, so much of her time had he monopolized.
    â€˜I’d better be off, Mr Holyoak,’ he said. ‘ Thank you very much – I’m glad we weren’t needed.’
    Holyoak had to see the man off the premises; he nodded an apology to the Rules, and forced a smile as he followed Chief Inspector Lloyd to the lift.
    â€˜I’m going to speak to Max,’ said Gerry, making to get up from the table. ‘Find out what’s going on.’
    Charles caught her arm, and shook his head. ‘ Even if we’re right, it’s none of our business,’ he said.
    â€˜You sound like those people who live next door to battered children,’ she said.
    â€˜She was hardly’ – Charles realized that the words were carrying – ‘battered,’ he continued, lowering his voice. ‘And you said she denied it anyway. Whatever’s going on, I’d rather it wasn’t discussed here.’
    â€˜I’m worried about her. I don’t want Max going home with her in this mood – I’ve never seen him this angry.’
    Charles sighed. ‘ I have,’ he said. ‘Once or twice.’ It took a lot to rouse easy-going Max to anger, but it wasn’t totally unheard of. Hitting a woman was. ‘But it’ll blow over, whatever it is,’ Charles said, more confidently than he felt. ‘It’s probably something to do with this business about her stepfather.’ He looked at Gerry, watching for her reaction when he asked the question he was about to ask. ‘You didn’t know, did you?’ he said.
    â€˜Know what?’
    â€˜That Holyoak was Catherine’s stepfather?’
    She looked uncomfortable, ‘Why would I have known?’ she asked, asking another question instead of answering his.
    â€˜You treat her mother,’ he said. ‘I thought …’
    â€˜Oh,’ she said. With relief. ‘ No. I didn’t know.’
    â€˜Do you think Max knew?’ he asked. ‘Before Holyoak made the announcement?’
    â€˜I … I don’t know. He must have done, surely.’
    â€˜It might explain why he’s behaving like this,’ said Charles.
    â€˜It doesn’t explain what happened before he made the announcement,’ said Gerry. ‘And he has to have hit her, Charles,’ she added, in a low voice. ‘Whatever she says. What else could those marks be? And it worries me. I’ve never seen him like this – neither have you, or Zelda—’
    Charles dismissed her fears with an impatient wave of his hand. ‘You’re getting as bad as she is,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you just pop over and ask him if he’s going to murder this wife