Dead Man's Dinner - Una Gordon Page 0,37

to get it working. Again Derwent's voice filled the room. It soon became clear that every time Guy had beaten him in a business deal it had been tantamount to driving a stake into Derwent's heart. Once again Derwent's hatred blistered off the tape, but it didn't upset Melissa in the least. She knew what a cut throat business Guy had been in. It had been dog eat dog and if Derwent hadn't been able to stand it too bad.

“You thought everyone coveted your wife,” Derwent went on. “I thought she was a tramp no better than a prostitute.” Melissa paused in eating her toast only long enough to make a rude noise in the direction of the radio. “When she came to see me she tried to seduce me.” Here he laughed. “I was never interested in women and if I had been I wouldn't have been interested in that old bag trying to act the sex kitten.”

“Sod you!” retorted Melissa.

“What did she tell you when she got home? I bet she didn't admit she'd failed. Probably you sat there waiting for me to pay up for services rendered.” Again he laughed. “But I did pay up, didn't I?I remember how anxious you always were about your health. How I wish I could have seen your face when you heard the Aids rumour. You probably.......”

The rest of Derwent's tirade was lost on Melissa as she flung the radio against the wall. “It was you.....you bloody murderer. Guy had his faults, but he was my husband. We understood each other and you killed him.” The broken radio lay in the sink with water slowly dripping on it and Melissa sat with her head on the table as she sobbed violently, her tears dripping on her unfinished toast. Derwent had never expected to be this successful with Guy. How pleased he would have been.

…................................................................................

Gary also recognised the envelope on his doormat that Saturday morning and he slipped it into his pocket. Once again Diana was very pregnant and he didn't want anything to upset her. He had to wait until later in the day when she took Colin for a walk in the park.

Like Gresham, Gary was amazed at the venom in Derwent's voice as he explained why he hated Gary. “I taught you all you knew about stocks and shares and you deserted me.” Gary, in fact, had thought that Derwent didn't want to be bothered with him any more and had ceased asking him for advice, thinking he'd better manage on his own and not be spoonfed for the rest of his life, but obviously Derwent resented this and Gary felt a twinge of conscience that he had failed to let Derwent know how grateful he had been for his advice.

People don't treat me like that and get away with it,” went on Derwent, “so when I heard the rumour that you might be infertile, I thought up my little plan. I hope it worked. I hope your marriage is now in smithereens. Why should you be happy after the way you treated me?” Gary was surprised. After all he hadn't even meant to upset Derwent and he was glad Derwent's plan hadn't worked, but he remembered how he had felt that night after he'd first read the card. He had never felt so desperately unhappy in his life. The mental anguish he had suffered had lasted for a long time, but that would not have been enough to satisfy Derwent. He had wanted a total breakdown of their marriage. Gary felt sorry for Derwent. Even with all his wealth he was not a happy man. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth had not made him immune from petty jealousies. Who would have thought he would be worried about someone like Gary not paying him enough homage – because that's what it amounted to?

Gary had been born and brought up in a small Midlands town. He had done reasonably well at school owing more to hard work than brain power. He had gone to a redbrick university where he'd obtained a reasonable degree. From a firm in Birmingham he'd progressed to a bigger firm in London and it was then that he had first come in contact with Derwent. Gary had known no one when he first came to London, so he accepted all social invitations eagerly, hoping to build up a circle of friends. He wasn't the type to think of trying to build up a