Murder... Now and Then by Jill McGown Page A

too?’
    â€˜Really, Charles—’
    â€˜Well, that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? No one’s ever seen him like this – except maybe Valerie?’
    â€˜I didn’t say that!’ She flushed slightly, and tried to rise again. ‘I’m going to have it out with him,’ she said.
    Charles increased the pressure on her arm. ‘Sit down, Gerry,’ he said. ‘I won’t allow you to make a scene in here.’
    She sat down again, and he relaxed a little.
    â€˜You speak to him then,’ she said.
    Charles didn’t want to speak to him, but his behaviour really was so remarkable that someone ought to say something, he supposed. He finished his wine, and took another glass from one of the girls. ‘All right,’ he said.
    Max stood on his own, looking out of the window at the darkening sky.
    â€˜Don’t you think you should go to see how Catherine is?’ Charles asked.
    â€˜With two doctors and Zelda attending her, she would seem to be being adequately looked after,’ said Max, not turning round.
    â€˜People are talking about it,’ Charles said.
    â€˜Oh, and that’s the worst thing that can possibly happen, isn’t it, Charles? People talking. My God, how will I ever get over the shame of it?’
    Charles drank some wine before he spoke. He really didn’t want a scene, but Max was spoiling for a row, and if he wanted one, he’d damned well get one if he wasn’t careful.
    â€˜You did know, did you?’ he asked. ‘About Holyoak being Catherine’s stepfather?’
    â€˜Oh, yes,’ said Max, his voice low and angry. ‘I knew. I found out yesterday.’
    Ah. Charles could see that could have led to marital discord. But it didn’t really explain the way he had behaved today. Hitting her? Ignoring her when she fainted? ‘Don’t you even want to know how she is? he asked.
    â€˜She fainted. She’ll get over it.’
    â€˜I think you could be showing a little more concern.’
    Max turned to look at him. ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Is she ill?’
    â€˜Well, she has been seeing Gerry for some time …’
    â€˜She’s always had trouble with that! It’s hardly life-threatening.’
    â€˜Always?’ said Charles, emboldened, perhaps, by the extra glass of wine which he had now almost finished, stung by Max’s attitude, and angry. Very angry. ‘Or just since the abortion?’
    Max stared at him. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ he said.
    Lloyd let himself into the flat, throwing his coat over the telephone table. It wasn’t enough to have one phone these days. He’d got one in the hall, one in the sitting room, and one in the bedroom. The flat wasn’t the size of twopence; Judy made fun of him about that. Judy came out to meet him, picked up his coat and hung it up tidily on the coat rack.
    â€˜It went on long enough,’ she grumbled, kissing him. ‘This was supposed to be a day off. How did it go?’
    â€˜Well – it was all a bit odd,’ he said.
    â€˜Oh?’ She stood aside as he headed for the kitchen. ‘ How?’
    â€˜He announced some sort of reunion with his estranged stepdaughter, who promptly fainted dead away,’ said Lloyd, surveying the fridge. ‘Lamb chops?’ he asked.
    â€˜Lovely,’ she said. ‘I’ll make them, if you like.’
    â€˜No, thanks,’ he said, with a grin.
    Judy and food were virtual strangers to one another. She could cook breakfast, and did a fair steak and chips, but there her talent, and her appetite, seemed to end. She ate if there was food going, but if there wasn’t, she didn’t seem to bother. Lloyd looked at his waistband, and wished that he was like that.
    â€˜So then what happened?’ she asked, coming into the kitchen. ‘Don’t leave me in suspense.’
    â€˜Her husband took no notice of