“Marion didn’t need to work while she was with Street. He had more than enough money for both of them. Marion returned to work as soon as we married, and apart from taking maternity leave when Stephanie was born, she carried on in full-time employment until the day she died.”
“Did you know Graham Street before you met Marion?” asked Gus.
“I’d seen him around,” said Theo. “We didn’t move in the same circles. He was several years older than me. That alone always puts distance between people, but several of the crowd Street went around with had both class and money. The rest, including Street, were tolerated because they had money. People such as that live in a different world, Mr Freeman. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed out of all recognition over the years.”
“There was quite an age gap between you and Marion,” said Lydia, “did that concern you?”
“Why should it?” asked Theo.
“Well,” said Lydia, “on that Saturday evening you first met, what caused Marion to stare? You were in your late thirties, handsome, and well-dressed, based on the man I see in front of me this morning. Perhaps, she hoped you were her next meal ticket?”
“I walked into the bar with other people, but I was buying my own drink,” said Theo. “A woman who was only interested in the size of my bank balance would have discounted me straightaway. No, Marion might have preferred an older man, but she knew I wasn’t as well off as Graham Street. Within a few weeks, we knew we wanted to be together. I’d been in love before, but not like that. I knew Marion was the one for me.”
“Did you have any reservations about taking on the responsibility for both mother and son?” asked Gus.
“Not at first,” said Theo. “Marion met with Street and their solicitors frequently as the divorce went through. Graham threatened to stop proceedings altogether when he learned we were keen to set a date for our wedding. Street was a swine. He persuaded Marion to accept a derisory cash settlement in return for not delaying things further. After the divorce, Street washed his hands of Martyn altogether.”
“Graham Street wasn’t interested in his only son?” asked Gus.
“He had several children, with different women, Mr Freeman. I thought you would know that.”
“We’re digging into his background as part of this fresh investigation, Mr Reeves,” said Gus. “Twenty years had passed since the divorce, and our colleagues didn’t consider Graham Street had any part in your wife’s death. Graham Street’s alibi checked out, and they looked elsewhere for her killer.”
“That’s as maybe,” said Theo Reeves, “but there was another reason he wanted to rid himself of Martyn. There was nothing wrong with the boy physically, but he struggled at school. He was a slow learner. I soon became an expert in what that term meant, Mr Freeman. His IQ score classed Martyn as having a borderline intellectual disability. Thirty years ago, students like Martyn did not qualify for special services, special education, or even an individual learning plan. Marion and I did our best, but we couldn’t bridge the gap between Martyn’s academic achievements and his peers. When Stephanie started school, my focus was on my real first child. It might have seemed cruel, but that was what happened.”
“How did Martyn’s condition affect your relationship with Marion?” asked Lydia.
“It brought us closer together if anything,” said Theo. “Marion needed my help with Martyn. She knew Street would never have lent a hand. The trick was to convince Martyn that whatever level he achieved in a subject was an enormous success. There were never recriminations because he fell way short of what Stephanie achieved on the same task a few years later.”
“Did Martyn and Stephanie get on well?” asked Lydia.
“Stephanie knew there was something amiss with her older brother when she was a toddler. Because of the way we treated Martyn, Stephanie protected him when we weren’t around.”
“When other children picked on him,” said Lydia, “and made fun of him.”
“Not while Stephanie was about they didn’t,” said Theo. “Stephanie came home with a few bruises where she had stepped in to tackle an older boy or girl who bullied her brother.”
“Did that closeness and protective nature remain throughout their childhood and teenage years?” asked Gus.
“As far as I could tell, yes,” said Theo. “Of course, when Martyn left school at sixteen, things altered somewhat. We were fortunate to find him the job at Wilton House. Martyn loved working in the open air, carrying out all manner of maintenance across the estate. His boss gave Martyn something different to do every day. Martyn found a place where he could be happy.”
“Stephanie attended the grammar school,” said Gus. “I imagine Martyn’s secondary education took place elsewhere?”
Theo Reeves nodded.
“Did you go to the school for parent’s evening events?” asked Gus.
“Once or twice,” said Theo. “More often than not, Marion went alone. We tried our best, but there was never any real improvement.”
“Where is Stephanie now?” asked Gus, nodding towards the photograph on the mantlepiece.
“The school thought it fairer for Stephanie to defer her A-levels until later in the year. She was in no state to sit them a matter of weeks after her mother’s murder. Stephanie passed her three exams with good grades, but during the long wait, before she could reapply for a university place, the fight went out of her. Before I knew it, the boot was on the other foot, and Martyn was looking out for his sister. He’d make sure she got home from the pub despite her being falling-down drunk. The anniversary of Marion’s death was a particularly challenging time.”
“When did Martyn move out?” asked Gus.
“You must remember that at the time of the murder, Martyn was already twenty-three, Mr Freeman,” said Theo Reeves. “Marion and I both hoped
