The Lazarus Secrets by Beryl Coverdale Page B

one. It was the biggest mistake I ever made, for her and for me. Yes, she was beautiful and yes, I thought I was madly in love with her but I wasn’t. I didn’t even know her and she turned out to be selfish and unfaithful and didn’t even love our son. Believe me even if she hadn’t died, the marriage was over. The only good thing to come out of the whole mess was Jules and you became his mother and you’ve loved him as much as Heather and our other children.”
    â€œBut these nightmares Max, they started when I told you about David and they’re not going to go away until you face up to what happened to you during the War. Won’t you at least talk to me about it? I’ve never asked you before because we agreed to forget the past, but now the past is reaching forward and destroying your relationship with your son. I think you must talk to him otherwise he’s going to go through life with this tremendous guilt hanging around his neck.”
    Max sounded exasperated, “My having a heart attack had nothing to do with David joining the navy. How many times do I have to say it? I told you and him at the time, I’d been feeling ill all day. Can you imagine what it’s like listening to someone tell you the details of how they raped and murdered a ten-year-old girl and then face her parents? For a stress factor that’s pretty high.”
    â€œDon’t get defensive Max and don’t raise your voice. You’re getting agitated at the very mention of this problem. If you can’t talk to me or to David perhaps you should talk to some else,” she hesitated, “someone professional, a psychiatrist or someone.”
    â€œNo,” he said emphatically, “I did that during the war and it created as many problems as it solved but I’ll write to David. He has nothing to feel guilty about. I’m very happy he’s found his niche in life. Now please put the photograph back where you found it and try to remember that although I don’t tell you nearly often enough, I love you more than anything or anyone I’ve ever loved and always will.”

Chapter Ten
    The archives were beneath a high street bank in Winchester town centre and accessed through an unmarked door from a car park at the rear of the building. The entrance looked insignificant, as if it might be a back door to the bank, but was in fact heavily reinforced and led to a completely separate building monitored by surveillance cameras. Darrington pressed a buzzer on the door and a voice using his rank and name asked him to enter. The door clicked open to admit him then closed quietly but firmly behind him and a narrow staircase led him down to an ultra-modern, brightly lit underground complex.
    A small woman with birdlike eyes and short, greying hair sat at a large reception desk behind which stretched rows of shelving filled with files. “My name is Alice Bevis,” she said in the scratchy voice Darrington had heard over the intercom. “I’m the superintendent in charge of the archives and this is a copy of the regulations. Please read them very carefully, as they are very important.”
    Darrington took the sheet of paper and smiled at her, but she peered at him over large spectacles that were attached to a gold chain hanging around her neck, and did not smile back.
    â€œYou may access green files at any time,” the scratchy voice continued. “I’m aware of the nature of your investigation so I’ve taken the liberty of placing the pertinent files in the office allocated for your use.” She indicated with her hand to a door behind him. The office had glass panels facing out onto the reception area through which Darrington could see a large wooden desk, a chair and filing cabinets and cupboards all of which looked brand new. “Should you require any other green files, Miss Derbyshire, our filing clerk will get them for you, but red files must be