A Well-deserved Murder (Trevor Joseph Detective series) by Katherine John

‘Could you give me the names and addresses of any of Kacy’s friends?’
    ‘She didn’t have any,’ Mark snapped.
    ‘Mark, please,’ his mother admonished. ‘Kacy was highly strung. You two never got on.’
    ‘Face it, Mum, she was a nasty snobbish bitch. She never kept a friend for more than a month or two when she was in school. When she joined the civil service she lived with that bloke for years but only because he put up with her bullying. When he finally broke away from her and found a woman he wanted to marry Kacy refused to move out until he paid her off, even though she hadn’t put a penny into his house …’
    ‘How dare you!’ George’s face glowed bright red. ‘To say such things about your sister when she’s not even buried …’
    ‘You think it would be better to wait until she’s under the ground?’ Mark challenged him. ‘Dear God, she picked you all right. A wet wimp, who did everything she ordered you to because it made you look respectable and hid the fact that you were gay. Not that’s there’s anything wrong with being gay. My best mate is. But coming out wouldn’t suit you, would it, you bloody hypocrite, because your minister wouldn’t like it? And you’d miss being a big man in your chapel …’
    George left his chair. ‘Kacy was right to want to keep you at bay, Mark. You’re poisonous. You envied us.’
    ‘Envied!’ Mark sneered. ‘How long did it take her to drive a wedge between you and your brother and the rest of your family? One week after the wedding? Two? I heard the way she talked about your brother. How he refused to give her the share of the antiques he took from your parents’ house after your mother died. She even wanted your mother’s jewellery when the poor women had died before you two got together. She was a greedy grasping …’
    ‘How dare you …’
    ‘I dare because you’re a stupid bastard who can’t see what’s under his nose. Kacy was a tart who’d sleep with anyone who fancied her, not that there were many …’
    Peter jumped up and caught George’s fist before it connected with Mark’s face. ‘This isn’t helping anyone, Mr Jenkins, Mr Howells.’
    Trevor saw Peter steeling himself to take a blow but Mark stepped back. Peter waited a few seconds then released George’s hand.
    ‘You’re right, copper. This isn’t helping anyone. As I said, I live next door, house on the right as you walk up the garden. If you want me, come round. I work in the garage in the back. You going to be much longer?’ Mark went to the door.
    ‘Hopefully not,’ Trevor answered, ‘why?’
    ‘I don’t want my missus looking after his,’ Mark pointed at George, ‘brats longer than she has to.’ Mark left the room. They heard him talking to the children in the next room.
    ‘Mark and Kacy never got on,’ Mrs Jenkins wiped tears from her eyes. ‘But then that’s normal in families where there’s an older sister and younger brother. Kacy felt she had to look after Mark and he didn’t like her telling him what to do.’ She looked up at Trevor. ‘She was a wonderful wife and mother.’
    ‘Wonderful,’ her husband echoed uncon-vincingly.
    Trevor glanced at George who was sitting in the chair studying his fingernails. He didn’t even nod agreement to his in-laws’ praise.
    ‘This is filth.’ Mrs Jenkins flung the magazine Trevor had given her on the floor. It fell open at the page featuring Kacy. She turned aside and burst into tears. ‘Our Kacy would never do anything like that,’ she choked out between sobs. ‘We brought her up to be a decent girl.’ She stared at George. ‘You …’
    ‘I’ve already told them that Kacy wouldn’t have had anything to do with a disgusting magazine like that, Mary.’
    Mr Jenkins bent down, retrieved the magazine and stared at the page. It could only have been for a few seconds but even that was too long for his wife.
    ‘How dare you look at such obscenity, and with your daughter’s face plastered