and teased him about the extra three stone of weight he carried, he always flew into a rage and told her a tart without a brain would have no idea of the pressures that a senior post in the government brought him. But Olivia knew that the main cause was alcohol, and the expensive dinners he bought his constant stream of lady friends.
He had a broad, chubby face and was acquiring an extra chin. His large brown eyes could have been attractive, but his frightening temper had given them an air of cruelty. All the same, Olivia and Ken had stayed married for nineteen years, and in her own way Olivia loved him, and often lay awake at night while he snored into his pillow, wondering how she could get him to love her back.
“Ianthe chose the duck for you,” Olivia said to him.
“Auntie Katie paid for it,” Kevin said.
“But Ianthe chose the menu,” Katie said quickly. “How is it? Is it good?”
Ken had his mouth full. He gazed coldly at Katie before turning back to Olivia. “You should be cooking your family’s dinner,” he said to her. “You spend more time worrying about Theresa’s bloody child than you do your own.”
Olivia flicked a nervous glance at Katie. “Please don’t swear in front of the children,” she said, topping up her wine glass.
Katie came to her aid. “It’s my fault,” she said. “I asked Olivia if we could have a meeting here. Theresa told me they were holding a fundraising bazaar for disabled children, and we were discussing how we could make it even bigger, and make more money this year.”
Kevin looked at his mother and burst out laughing.
Ken crunched loudly on his duck, but made no comment.
“So I bought the supper as a thank-you,” Katie added.
Ken wiped his mouth with the napkin then lifted a spare rib to his lips and sucked the juice off it.
“Bloody isn’t swearing,” Kevin said to Olivia. “Everyone says bloody.”
“If that’s the kind of company you keep, no wonder you failed all your bloody exams last year,” Ken snapped. “That’s why you’re bloody well having to sit them again, at my bloody expense.”
Ianthe banged her fork noisily on the table and burst into tears.
“Ken...” Olivia wavered between crying and losing her temper. “Please don’t start all that again.” She lifted Ianthe’s hand and stroked it. “It’s all right, darling. Daddy’s just tired.”
Ken threw his half-eaten spare rib into the fingerbowl. The warm water splashed over the sides and into Ianthe’s noodles. She snatched her hand away from Olivia and burst into tears again.
“This food’s disgusting. I’m going out.” Ken stood up and headed for the door. “I hope your charity meeting was successful,” he said over his shoulder to Katie. “My wife is very generous with my money.”
“One of us has to be!” Olivia shouted after him.
Ianthe’s sobbing grew louder, and Katie put an arm around her. “Finish your noodles, they’re delicious,” she said.
Kevin jumped up and ran after his father. “Dad, you have no right to shout like that. Look how you’ve upset Ianthe.”
“Kevin, leave it!” Olivia called after him.
A loud ring at the front door cut her off.
“I’ll go,” Kevin said, pushing past his father. “It’s probably for me anyway. I can’t believe anyone would want to visit you. Or aren’t I allowed to have friends?”
“Not if they’re bringing drugs, you’re not.”
“You should have been a comic, not an MP.” When he’d put a few yards between himself and his father, he added, “Oh no, sorry – it’s the same thing.”
DI Banham, Alison Grainger and Judy Gardener stood on the doorstep, holding up their ID. The door opened to reveal a tall, strikingly good-looking young man.
“Who is it, Kevin,” called a woman’s voice inside the house.
Two women appeared behind him, one well-built and handsome, the other small-boned and fragile, with clear, wide-set blue eyes.
Banham gazed at her, mesmerised. Those eyes were
He had a broad, chubby face and was acquiring an extra chin. His large brown eyes could have been attractive, but his frightening temper had given them an air of cruelty. All the same, Olivia and Ken had stayed married for nineteen years, and in her own way Olivia loved him, and often lay awake at night while he snored into his pillow, wondering how she could get him to love her back.
“Ianthe chose the duck for you,” Olivia said to him.
“Auntie Katie paid for it,” Kevin said.
“But Ianthe chose the menu,” Katie said quickly. “How is it? Is it good?”
Ken had his mouth full. He gazed coldly at Katie before turning back to Olivia. “You should be cooking your family’s dinner,” he said to her. “You spend more time worrying about Theresa’s bloody child than you do your own.”
Olivia flicked a nervous glance at Katie. “Please don’t swear in front of the children,” she said, topping up her wine glass.
Katie came to her aid. “It’s my fault,” she said. “I asked Olivia if we could have a meeting here. Theresa told me they were holding a fundraising bazaar for disabled children, and we were discussing how we could make it even bigger, and make more money this year.”
Kevin looked at his mother and burst out laughing.
Ken crunched loudly on his duck, but made no comment.
“So I bought the supper as a thank-you,” Katie added.
Ken wiped his mouth with the napkin then lifted a spare rib to his lips and sucked the juice off it.
“Bloody isn’t swearing,” Kevin said to Olivia. “Everyone says bloody.”
“If that’s the kind of company you keep, no wonder you failed all your bloody exams last year,” Ken snapped. “That’s why you’re bloody well having to sit them again, at my bloody expense.”
Ianthe banged her fork noisily on the table and burst into tears.
“Ken...” Olivia wavered between crying and losing her temper. “Please don’t start all that again.” She lifted Ianthe’s hand and stroked it. “It’s all right, darling. Daddy’s just tired.”
Ken threw his half-eaten spare rib into the fingerbowl. The warm water splashed over the sides and into Ianthe’s noodles. She snatched her hand away from Olivia and burst into tears again.
“This food’s disgusting. I’m going out.” Ken stood up and headed for the door. “I hope your charity meeting was successful,” he said over his shoulder to Katie. “My wife is very generous with my money.”
“One of us has to be!” Olivia shouted after him.
Ianthe’s sobbing grew louder, and Katie put an arm around her. “Finish your noodles, they’re delicious,” she said.
Kevin jumped up and ran after his father. “Dad, you have no right to shout like that. Look how you’ve upset Ianthe.”
“Kevin, leave it!” Olivia called after him.
A loud ring at the front door cut her off.
“I’ll go,” Kevin said, pushing past his father. “It’s probably for me anyway. I can’t believe anyone would want to visit you. Or aren’t I allowed to have friends?”
“Not if they’re bringing drugs, you’re not.”
“You should have been a comic, not an MP.” When he’d put a few yards between himself and his father, he added, “Oh no, sorry – it’s the same thing.”
DI Banham, Alison Grainger and Judy Gardener stood on the doorstep, holding up their ID. The door opened to reveal a tall, strikingly good-looking young man.
“Who is it, Kevin,” called a woman’s voice inside the house.
Two women appeared behind him, one well-built and handsome, the other small-boned and fragile, with clear, wide-set blue eyes.
Banham gazed at her, mesmerised. Those eyes were
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