The Marriage K.L. Slater (classic romance novels TXT) 📖

when we all used to hang around together. I’d sometimes have people round to the house and Coral was one of them. My dad would ferry us around if he was in the right mood, but that was it. They didn’t really know her. Not like they knew Jesse.’

Irma cleared her throat. ‘And the boy, Ellis? What will happen to him now his mother has died?’

‘He’ll live with us, of course,’ Tom said. ‘We’re his family now and we’ll do fine once we get all this out of the way.’ He indicated the detectives, the room they were in. ‘He’s a good lad. Been through a lot.’

‘Indeed,’ Irma said slowly, noticing the unexpected pride in his face. Some men might resent the boy’s presence, having to take him in at this crucial stage in a new relationship. But despite Ellis’s anger towards him for what had happened to his father, it struck Irma that Tom looked as though he was looking forward to having him around.

Rather curious, really.

Fifty-One

Tyra repeated the interview legalities, introducing herself and Irma again. ‘We have some questions about your relationship with Coral and the family, if that’s OK, Mrs Wil … Billinghurst,’ she said, correcting herself at the last moment.

‘Bridget is fine.’

‘Thank you. We understand you and Coral were quite close, is that right?’

‘Well, she was the mother of my grandson, so yes,’ Bridget said, a little tightly. ‘I’d like to think that if she were here now, she’d tell you I’d been a big support to her after Jesse’s death.’

‘You mean emotional support?’ Irma said.

Bridget smiled. ‘I mean emotional, financial, practical. She told me more than once that she didn’t know what she’d have done without me.’

‘I see,’ Irma said. ‘Would you say you’ve helped raise Ellis? Sort of taken Jesse’s place as a parent figure, in a way?’

‘Absolutely,’ Bridget said without hesitation.

Irma got the distinct impression that Bridget Wilson – Billinghurst – was a determined, independent woman. She knew about her charity work, the way she’d fought for Jesse’s image after his death. She admired her for that. And yet she sensed an edge of steel that she’d seen before in people who would do almost anything to get what they wanted. Sometimes not constraining themselves within legal boundaries.

‘What was Tom’s relationship with Coral?’ Tyra asked.

Bridget frowned. ‘Tom didn’t have a relationship with Coral.’

‘Maybe not after Jesse’s death, but the two of them used to be in the same friendship circle, I understand?’

‘That was years ago, when they were still kids.’ Bridget sniffed.

‘Perhaps he tried to get a little closer to her when he came out of prison?’ Tyra suggested.

‘Tom didn’t like Coral, OK?’ Bridget snapped, and then seemed to realise that what she’d said didn’t sound good in light of what had happened. ‘They didn’t get on, for obvious reasons.’

‘Mr Billinghurst told us he’d felt resentment from both Coral and Ellis,’ Irma added. ‘I suppose it might have made the atmosphere at home quite unpleasant.’

‘We expected all that,’ Bridget said in an off-hand manner. ‘That’s why we got married in prison, to force them all to deal with it.’

‘Including Jill Billinghurst?’ Tyra asked.

‘Especially her.’ Bridget wrinkled her nose. ‘Interfering, bitter woman. It was my son who died, yet you’d think she was the one doing all the grieving.’

‘Grieving the loss of her son for ten years in prison, I’d imagine,’ Tyra said. ‘It’s a long sentence.’

‘Yes, but now he’s out. He gets a new life while Jesse is still six feet under in the cold earth. I’ll never get my son back.’ It was a startling moment, and silence cloaked the room before Bridget spoke again. ‘That’s what Jill needs to realise.’

‘If you don’t mind me saying so, you seem quite … bitter about Jill Billinghurst,’ Tyra said softly.

‘The woman annoys me, that’s all. She’s so controlling. Tom is nearly thirty years old and she still wants to call the shots in his life. She thinks I’m out to destroy him, use him for my own ends. You know, older woman, younger man kind of thing.’

‘Mr Billinghurst told us he popped out on the afternoon Coral died,’ Irma said. ‘Can you tell us what time he left and where he said he’d been?’

There was a clear hesitation from Bridget. ‘I can’t really remember the timing of it; I was busy in the house and I’d been out and about myself.’

‘He went back to the gym to pick up something he’d forgotten?’ Tyra prompted.

‘That’s what he said, yes.’

‘We’ve checked and the gym is about a ten-minute drive each way,’ Tyra said. ‘And yet Tom was out of the house quite a bit longer than that.’

‘I didn’t really give it much thought. As I said, I was busy.’

‘After our visit, though, you must have talked about where he’d been?’

Bridget pulled a face. ‘We were reeling from the news that Coral had died, and my priority was Ellis. Tom said he went to the gym and that was good enough for me.’

Irma sensed a reluctance on Bridget’s part to talk about her husband’s alibi. She said, ‘Ellis and Tom’s relationship. How would you describe it?’

Bridget rolled her eyes. ‘Fraught, tense. Tom has tried to make inroads with Ellis, but he’s been difficult. Like we expected.’

‘Ellis will live with you and Tom now Coral has passed away?’ Tyra asked.

Bridget nodded. ‘Tom’s been brilliant with him, never raised his voice or got annoyed. He seems to have a real affection for him.’

‘That’s unusual. I expect most men would find Ellis’s anger towards them a little disconcerting.’ Irma’s interest was piqued again.

‘Not Tom,’ Bridget said, looking pleased with herself. ‘He’s all for us being a little family unit. He said it’s what he’s always dreamed of having.’

Fifty-Two Tom

When they left the police station, Tom turned to Bridget.

‘We’ll pick Ellis up and then I’ll drop you both off at home. I’m going back to see my mum.’

‘What?’ Bridget’s eyes burned into his. ‘Tom, this is no time to go running back to your mother’s apron