"You're worried about your mother, aren't you?" he asked. It was a question that didn't need asking for it was obvious but by way of an icebreaker, it worked.
"Absolutely, yes. I mean, wouldn't you be?"
Tom nodded.
"Do you think this is really all about my aunt's activism?"
"You're not convinced?"
"It's not that, not really," Justin said, his eyebrows knitting together. "It's just that… she's been so heavily involved in environmental issues… over the years, that it just seems odd that it's now. I mean, there's nothing new that I'm aware of. Certainly nothing that would lead to an outcome such as this. Unless…"
"Unless?" Tom asked. Justin met his eye.
"Unless… she was keeping something from us."
Tom waited patiently to see if he would say anything more. Perhaps the suggestion might tease a memory from the back of his mind he hadn't felt important until now. Nothing was forthcoming.
"Can I ask a personal question related to your family?"
"Yes, of course. Ask away."
"Your mother… living here with her sister as they do," Tom said, "how did that—"
"Come about?" Tom nodded.
"My father passed away a number of years ago. I was in my early thirties at the time, an only child," he said, tilting his head to one side. "Mother didn't cope well. My father was always one to handle the finances, all of their affairs really, whereas my mother ran the house. As it turned out, my old man didn't have the nous required to handle money. It would appear I'm not a chip off the old block."
"You work in finance?"
"Yes, yes. Risk assessment mainly. I manage financial risk for a credit broker. It's not very interesting but it pays the bills," he said with a smile.
Now the flushed cheeks had settled since his arrival, Justin Howell looked older than his years. He may manage finances well but it would appear he wasn't as competent when it came to managing stress.
"Anyway," Justin continued, "when my father died it left Mother in a bit of a bind. The life insurance wasn't quite what we believed it to be and, once all was said and done with the estate, Mother wasn't left with much. Miriam and I weren't in a position to help. We were just starting out. Aunt Mary lived here." He gestured in a circular motion with his hand, indicating the house. "She allowed Mother to move back in with her. Up until that point, she'd only been rattling around in this place all by herself. It was a pleasant fit."
"You said your aunt never married. Is this the family home?"
"Oh yes, absolutely. This old place has been in the family's possession for four generations."
"There must be wealth in that side of the family then," Tom said. "If you don't mind me asking?"
Justin shook his head. "Significant wealth, yes. At least our ancestors were incredibly privileged. As a family, we are quite proud of our heritage. I think that's why Mother reverted to her maiden name, probably at the request of Aunt Mary – looking back. Howell never sat well with mother, or my aunt for that matter." Tom found that curious but didn't question it. Those of a certain generation tended to stick with their married name regardless, in his experience, even if the marriage ended in an acrimonious dispute. He dismissed the thought as Justin continued. "However, as is often the way with these things, as said wealth is passed down the line it only has to come into the hands of one or two colourful characters to have a detrimental impact on the prospects of future generations." He looked around as if he could see through the walls to the exterior. "The estate used to be far more substantial than it is now, you know. Much of the land nearby, stretching up to that of the Bayfield used to be farmed and managed by our family. Those were the days!"
Tom smiled at the comment.
"Are there other siblings? Or your aunt, I'm presuming she didn't have any children."
"No, no, it's just Aunt Mary here. She was the eldest of the two. Grandpa never said so, at least not as far as I know, but he resented the fact he only managed to sire daughters. He loved them, don't get me wrong, it's just that he always wanted a son to carry forward the family name. He was very traditional in that respect."
"Is that why Mary inherited the house?"
Justin's expression cut a rueful smile. "Very astute, Inspector."
Tom inclined his head. "I'm a detective. It goes with the warrant card."
"Yes, Aunt Mary, being the eldest, inherited Grandpa's estate in its entirety. I should imagine that was one reason she never felt the pressure to marry, such as it was. She was a… formidable woman, you might say. Downright stubborn is another description! I wasn't aware of her infatuation – that's a little presumptuous of me – I wasn't aware of her love affair with this David fellow. I've often wondered if her tastes were leaning in a different direction altogether. Hearing all of this casts her in a rather different light now. Perhaps she never met anyone who made her feel that way again. Sad really, isn't it?"
"I agree," Tom said, raising his eyebrows. "Although I would like to think there is more than one person out there for each of us."
"Just not at the same time," Justin said, raising his own eyebrows in reply.
"Hopefully not. Come on, let's return to the others. I appreciate your candour, Mr Howell."
Chapter Five
"Okay, Eric, talk me through the list of possible suspects," Tom said, placing a cup of coffee and a small brown paper bag on the desk in front of the constable. Eric's eyes lit up and he opened the bag, keenly examining the contents. It was a cinnamon bun, topped with sticky icing, and Eric's
