LITMIR.BIZ

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newspaper to one side with disgust. ‘I don’t know how they got hold of Kevin’s photo, but his face is plastered all over the front page again.’

      ‘I don’t care what they say. It was self-defence, it had to be. My son would never do something like that.’

      ‘I don’t think the jeweller could have put up a fight. He’s an old man and lucky to be alive.’

      ‘There must have been someone else with Kevin and he did it.’

      ‘Not according to the police. Christ, Dolly, he was caught in the act, and he was the only one there.’

      ‘Shut up, Bernie! Instead of standing up for Kevin, it sounds like you’ve already decided he’s guilty.’

      ‘I’m just facing the facts.’

      ‘I’m telling you he didn’t do it!’ Dolly cried, but she remained seated, for once not lashing out at her husband.

      Pearl had been surprised by her father-in-law’s reaction to the news. He’d shown no sympathy for his son, his thoughts for the poor old jeweller, whom Kevin had bludgeoned almost to death. She shuddered, still hardly able to believe that her husband was capable of doing such a thing.

      Someone was banging on the front door. Seeing that both her in-laws were ignoring it, Pearl made her way downstairs. Tentively she opened the door.

      ‘Mrs Dolby?’ a man said. ‘I’m a reporter from the Sketch and—’

      ‘Go away!’ Pearl screamed, cutting off the man’s words as she slammed the door in his face.

      The letterbox lifted. ‘Have you any comment about the new accusations against your husband?’

      New accusations! What new accusations? For a moment Pearl stood rooted to the spot, but then she turned, racing back upstairs. ‘Bernie! There’s a reporter outside and he said something about Kevin facing new accusations.’

      ‘Christ, that can only mean the jeweller’s snuffed it. Kevin must be facing a murder charge now.’

      ‘No. Oh, no!’ Dolly sobbed.

      They soon found out when, following another loud banging on the door, Pearl went to the window to see a costermonger walking away. She crept downstairs to find that today’s newspaper had been shoved through the letterbox.

      After reading it they were all stunned. A young woman had seen Kevin’s photograph in the paper, coming forward to accuse him of rape and battery.

      ‘I don’t believe it,’ Dolly cried. ‘She’s telling lies, she must be, and how come we’re the last to hear of it?’

      ‘Why would she lie about something like that?’

      ‘I don’t know, Bernie, but it ain’t true. Maybe she’s jumped at a chance to make money by selling a trumped-up story to the newspapers.’

      ‘That seems a bit unlikely.’

      ‘My son is not a rapist,’ Dolly snapped. Her eyes flicked to Pearl and she added venomously, ‘Kevin was all right before he married you.’

      Pearl had been reading the report again, but now she dropped the newspaper before rushing, gagging, from the room.

      It wasn’t long before Bernie heard Pearl being sick and looked at his wife with disgust. Dolly was grasping at straws, and rather than face the truth about Kevin, she was using Pearl as a scapegoat. She had to find an excuse for her precious son’s behaviour, but to lay the blame on Pearl was bloody ridiculous. With a small shake of his head, Bernie went after his daughter-in-law, finding her just leaving the bathroom. The poor kid looked awful, ashen, as she dragged a hand across her mouth. ‘Are you all right love?’

      ‘I … I’ve been sick.’

      ‘Yeah, I know, but listen, don’t take any notice of Dolly.’

      Pearl nodded sadly and he saw a tear rolling down her cheek. ‘I … I think I’ll go to my bedroom for a while.’

      Bernie returned to the living room, his mouth set in a grim line. ‘Dolly, I don’t think it’s fair to blame Pearl. She’s really upset.’

      ‘It’s no more than she deserves. Kevin changed when he married her. He became a nervous wreck and hardly left the flat. God knows what that girl’s been doing to him.’

      ‘You’re mad, woman! Read the newspaper report again and check the dates. Huh, Kevin’s nerves! It all makes sense now. He did it, Dolly. He raped that woman, and was scared of being caught. That’s why he’s been staying in so much. He was too bloody frightened to show his face!’

      Dolly reared to her feet and Bernie stiffened, expecting a clout. ‘Why do you always think the worst of him?’ she yelled. ‘He didn’t do it! That woman’s lying. I know she is.’

      Bernie kicked off his slippers and reached for his shoes. ‘All right, I’ll go down to the station and we’ll see what they’ve got to say about it.’

      ‘We’re going to see Kevin tomorrow and we’ll hear the truth from him.’

      As Bernie finished tying his laces he felt something snapping inside. Kevin had been caught almost beating an old man to death and he had no doubts about these latest accusations. ‘No, Dolly, you’re going to see him, not me. I never want to set eyes on him again.’

      ‘But he’s your son!’

      ‘I was only there at the conception. I’ve had no hand in bringing him up. You saw to that.’

      Dolly raised her hand but this time Bernie didn’t flinch. For the first time in years he felt no fear, and uncaring of the consequences his voice rose. ‘I’ll tell you something else. Pearl has just been sick and if you ask me that girl deserves an apology.’ And on that note he strode from the room.

      When Bernie left the café he saw that the market was thronging with life, and there was no way he could avoid being seen. Someone shouted his name but he ignored it, keeping his head down until he was out of sight. Christ, he’d known his son had a weak character, but had never dreamed he was capable of such violence. If anything, he had thought him a coward, a mummy’s boy, and his stomach twisted. Had his home environment caused it? Had Kevin seen too much and it had somehow turned his mind? Bernie shook his head, refusing to believe it. He’d heard of worse parents, ones that neglected, starved or beat their children, yet none had turned out like Kevin. No, the boy must have been born like it, he and Dolly bringing a monster into the world.

      Pearl heard Bernie going out, but remained sitting on the side of the bed, her hands clutched between her knees. It wasn’t her mother-in-law’s accusation that had made her sick. Like Dolly, she couldn’t believe that Kevin had raped and beaten a woman, but as she read the newspaper report, a memory surfaced. Before their marriage, when Bessie had been ill in bed and they were alone, Kevin had virtually attacked her too, the sex violent. She remembered how frightened she’d been, Kevin calming her fears with excuses, ones that she had believed … until now.

      She groaned, rocking back and forth. It was as if her eyes had opened and she was seeing Kevin for the first time. The man she thought herself in love with didn’t exist. Yet even as these thoughts crossed her mind, Pearl knew she was fooling herself. There had been many times when she had worried about his Jekyll and Hyde character but, loving him, she had chosen to dismiss her fears.

      Pearl had no idea how long she sat there, her thoughts twisting and turning, but then Bernie poked his head around the door.

      ‘Come into the living room, Pearl. I’ve been down to the police station and I’ve got some news.’

      She rose to her feet, following Bernie into the living room.

      Dolly’s head snapped up as soon as she saw her husband. ‘What did the police say?’

      ‘They wouldn’t tell me much, but one copper was a nice bloke and took me to one side. He said

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