Judy put the two mugs down on the table and pushed the packet of sugar toward Tim. “You know, I never expected you to spend so long over this. I really am grateful.”
He took two spoonfuls, scattering crystals over the table, and stirred them slowly into the black coffee as, far away below, the street door banged. Footsteps began climbing the flights of stairs toward the studio.
“I’m sorry I can’t see the whole project through.” Tim smiled at her. “Perhaps, if I’m honest, I spent longer than necessary. I wasn’t looking forward to spending this evening on my own. Caroline is packing and washing her hair and convincing her mama she is not going to join a guru and never be seen again. I’m meeting her at the airport tomorrow afternoon.”
Judy glanced at him. There was a touch of humorous sympathy in her eyes. “We could split a take-out dinner if you like-” She looked up in surprise at the sudden knocking on the studio door.
Tim climbed to his feet. “You’re on,” he said. “Chinese or what?” He pulled open the door and stepped back abruptly as Sam thrust his way past him into the room.
Judy jumped to her feet at the sight of him.
“Sam?” Her voice was frightened. “What are you doing here?”
Sam had stopped dead as the door swung back against the wall. He looked swiftly from Judy to Tim and back, then he smiled. “So.” He took a deep breath. “You two?”
“Get out, Sam.” Judy put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know what the hell you’re doing here, but get out. Do you hear me? If you don’t, I’ll call the police again!” Her voice was unnaturally shrill. “You are not welcome in my studio.”
“Come on, Sam.” Tim took a step toward him. “You heard what Judy said. Just leave quietly, there’s a good fellow.”
Sam laughed. “There’s a good fellow,” he mimicked mockingly. “Oh, no, my friend, not this time. This time I think we have some scores to settle, some scores that go back a very long way.” As he stepped menacingly toward Tim, Judy turned and dived into the bedroom. She grabbed the phone, but Sam was immediately behind her and with a quick jerk he had torn the wire from the wall.
“No more police, Judith, my dear,” he breathed. “I think we can manage very well without them this time.”
Judy went white. “You’re crazy, Sam,” she shouted. “Crazy!”
Behind Sam, Tim had appeared in the doorway, and for a moment none of them moved. Then Sam threw down the end of the wire. “It was you I came to see, Judith. I seem to remember we had an unfinished piece of business to settle. Each time I leave Joanna I have this urge to come here, it seems. To visit another whore. All women are whores. Even my mother, or she would never have had another child. A whore to my father!” He took a deep breath, controlling himself with an effort. “You should be flattered that I share my brother’s taste in beautiful women. As you do, of course.” He turned to Tim. “I’m almost glad you are here, so I can deal with you once and for all. My wife’s eldest daughter, remember…?” His eyes were suddenly blazing with emotion.
Judy backed away from them as Tim eyed him warily. “Forget it, Sam,” Tim said coldly. “Forget it. It’s all in your imagination.”
“Is it?” Sam took another step toward him. “Joanna doesn’t think so.” He laughed.
“If you’ve been near Jo again-” Tim suddenly squared his shoulders. Though of much lighter build than Sam, he topped him by several inches. “If you’ve touched her, I’ll kill you, so help me God!”
“Of course I’ve touched her.” Sam sneered. “Did you think I would leave her alone? She admitted everything, you know. How she had cheated me. How she slept with you. I beat her for it, did she tell you? And if I beat her, what more should I do to the lousy bastard who seduced her!” He was only feet from Tim now.
Tim backed away hastily. “Sam, for God’s sake, calm down. Let’s talk about this.”
“Not this time. I sat back and let it happen long ago. I pretended I didn’t know. I watched people snigger and laugh behind their hands and call me cuckold. I could do nothing about her fornication with the king, but you-you are a different matter. I was never entirely sure. She was too clever for me in the past, but now things are different. Now I am in control. And now I know the truth.” He picked up the brass candlestick from the low chest near him and held it up menacingly. “You are going to pay for what you did, de Clare!”
“No!” Judy screamed as he lifted his arm.
Tim, his face white, dodged back toward the bedroom doorway. As he did so his foot caught on the Persian rug that covered the polished boards. He staggered for a moment, then he slid sideways, crashing against the edge of the door.
Sam laughed. “Now I have you, de Clare! On your knees like your paramour!” He raised the candlestick high above his head as Judy launched herself at him, catching his arm. As they wrestled for a moment Tim slipped slowly onto his hands and knees, then on down to the floor. There was an ugly bleeding gash from the door latch on his temple.
Abruptly Sam let his arm fall. He stood staring down at Tim.
“Tim?” Judy threw herself down on her knees beside him. “Tim, are you all right?” She raised a white face toward Sam. “He’s unconscious.”
For a moment Sam did not move, then almost reluctantly he squatted down beside Tim and felt below his ear for his pulse. Judy held her breath. She felt very sick.
“He’s okay,” Sam said at last. His voice was calm again. “But you’d better call an ambulance in case.” He stood up. “I’m sorry. I lost my temper.”
Judy backed away from him. “You lousy shit!” Her eyes were blazing. “Get out of here, Sam! Get out, or I swear I’ll see you go to prison for the rest of your life. You should be in a straitjacket!”
She ran to the bed and grabbed the phone, then with a sob she flung it down. “I’ll have to go and call from the apartment downstairs. Shall I put a pillow under his head?”
“No, don’t touch him.” Sam was still standing looking down at Tim’s inert body. After a moment he pulled a blanket off the bed and tucked it around him, then he looked at Judy. “You’d better phone quickly,” he said.
Music echoed out of the open windows in Berkeley Street as the party warmed up. Jane was sitting on Jim Greerson’s lap when the phone rang and for a while neither bothered about it. Then finally Jane leaned forward and picked up the receiver.
“Nick?” she called. “Anyone here seen the boss man? There’s a guy here on the end of the line says it’s an emergency.”
Nick materialized at last, a glass of champagne in his hand. He was grinning. “A phone call at this hour? It’s probably a complaint.” He pulled himself onto the desk. “Hello?”
On the other end of the line the voice of Judy’s downstairs neighbor launched into an excited and apologetic monologue. For a moment Nick listened, puzzled, then abruptly he stood up. “An accident, you said? Who’s hurt?”
“I don’t know,” the unknown voice at the other end was out of breath. “A very nice gentleman, very tall. He hit his head. Miss Curzon went with him. They took him to St. Stephen’s…”
Judy was sitting alone in the dimly lit hospital waiting area. Her eyes were red with crying.
“What happened?” Nick put his arms around her and held her close.
She shook her head and sniffed. “They think he’s cracked his skull. They’ve taken him up to the operating room.”
“Who?” He pushed her away from him so he could see her face. “Who is hurt, Judy?”
“Tim. It’s Tim Heacham!”
“Tim?” Nick stood quite still for a moment. “But for God’s sake, what happened?”
“He came over to take some photos of my paintings and your brother arrived. He threatened Tim, and…” She began to sob again.
“Sam hit him?” Nick sat down abruptly next to her.
