The Lucifer Network by Geoffrey Archer Page A

expression, when Sam turned to face her, was wary again. Her body which had probably once been as trim as her daughter’s had lost its shape. As the kettle began to sing behind her, he noticed that the Mr Blobby wall clock above her head showed five minutes after six. Julie’s tardiness was beginning to jar.
    â€˜Harry’s letter, Maeve,’ he asked briskly, ‘I don’t suppose you have it to hand?’
    â€˜No I don’t,’ she answered firmly. ‘Julie has it somewhere safe. She wanted to show it to you herself. She won’t be long.’
    The kettle clicked. Maeve Jackman turned to make the tea and Sam settled on the flower-patterned sofa. The room was light and airy. The books on the shelves were few and mostly with bright covers, suggesting they were for the boy. A colour photo of Liam in a brown card frame, taken in a mass session at school, stood on top of the TV.
    â€˜Good picture of the lad,’ Sam commented as the boy’s grandmother set a tea tray down on the coffee table, then sat in an armchair opposite him.
    â€˜It’s nice, isn’t it? He’s a bit of a handful, but we do our best for him, despite there being no man around.’ She poured from a silver pot into bone china cups. ‘Fortunately he’s in a home where there’s two women who are well used to that situation.’
    â€˜Liam’s father . . .?’
    â€˜Brendan. He was a useless so-and-so.’ Her brow wrinkled contemptuously. ‘Long gone. And changed his name a few times since, I shouldn’t wonder. Sugar?’
    â€˜No thanks.’
    â€˜A bad lot, that man was. The worst sort of Irishman, and that’s saying something. Believe me. I come from the country myself so I know.’
    â€˜He doesn’t send Julie any money for Liam?’
    â€˜That’s a joke! He was gone the day after she told him she was going to have his baby. Not a word since.’
    â€˜That must have shaken her up.’
    â€˜It wasn’t a good time for her, Simon, that’s for sure.’ She watched him sip at the tea. ‘Are you married?’
    â€˜No. No woman’ll have me, I’m afraid.’
    She laughed politely. ‘That I don’t believe. But you’ll have your reasons, no doubt.’
    Sam looked at his watch. Ten past six.
    â€˜Don’t fret. She’ll not be long now because Liam’ll be desperate for his tea. And anyway, you mustn’t begrudge Julie her relaxation. Life hasn’t done her too many favours, you know.’
    â€˜I’m sure you’re right.’ He reined in his impatience. It was true that a few more minutes wouldn’t matter.
    Maeve Jackman leaned forward and lowered her voice, despite there just being the two of them there. ‘Between you and me, she’s never had a man that didn’t let her down. Doesn’t stand up to them, that’s the trouble. Tries too hard, you know what I mean? To my mind it’s all because of Harry running off when she was a baby, though she won’t admit it. Always makes out she didn’t care that much about her daddy, but whenever he made one of his little visits to us, she was all over him. If he’d told her he wanted to step on her, she’d have lain on the floor and let him do it.’
    Sam nodded. He could imagine her as a child, constantly seeking her father’s approval. ‘So Harry’s death must have . . .’
    â€˜. . . upset her a lot more than she’s saying, yes. To be honest with you, she should have gone to the funeral. But she said she’d only go if I did, and there was no chance of that. Somebody had to stay and look after Liam. And anyway, I had no feeling for the man any more.’
    â€˜No, I don’t suppose you did,’ Sam murmured.
    â€˜You know, Julie really has had more than her fair share of life’s rough face, Simon. She got in with a bad lot at college. Drinking and clubs and all