Chapter 4

Joseph began his tale.

"I'm the only child of two only children. I have no cousins, no uncles or aunts. There are some more distant relatives, but I hardly know them. The older couple in the photo are my parents.

"I did an engineering degree and then went to work for my father in his company. It makes highly accurately machined components for all sort of household appliances, car engines, even some aircraft parts. We were very successful and life was good.

"I had met Susan in my last year at university She was two years older than I was, and we married two years after I started work. I was so happy. We bought a small house, and a year later Sonia was born. That's Susan and Sonia in the other photo. Life was wonderful for the next two years.

"Then my father was in an accident at work. He was pig-headed and didn't take enough care. I watched the machine pull him in and mangle his arms and head. He survived for two days in a coma and died.

"My mother went to pieces; she was a wreck, and she didn't get any better. They were deeply in love all their lives together. I was all she had and so I had to look after her while running the factory. I neglected Susan and Sonia I know. I thought Susan understood, for she never complained.

"Mum lasted six months and then she took her own life with an overdose. Her suicide note blamed me for my father's death.

"Now I went to pieces. So soon after coping with running the factory solo I had to sort out the after-effects of her death – coroner's inquest, funeral, selling their large and rambling house and furniture.

"I was going through hell, and I thought I had Susan's support. We made love, I played with Sonia when I could. It was all too much for me, and I had no family and no one to share the grief and work with. Susan and Sonia were my only support.

"One evening during the following year when I got home, she had gone and taken Sonia with her. She had found someone else. I later found out he had found her and worked hard to wean her off me. He had money and time, and while I had plenty of money, time was something I did not have at all then.

"His name was Trevor. He was an executive in a large consulting firm, very competitive. I learned that from a friend who knew of him. Everything about Trevor was big, I was told, and he was arrogant with it. I was to find that out for myself.

"I was desolate. She made no contact, and I got the divorce petition after a week. No explanation; no discussion. The reason for the marriage breakdown was my unreasonable conduct in spending all my time on the business. I got a good friend who was a lawyer to handle things.

"He advised me not to fight it but to return the acknowledgement 'no contest'. He pointed out that I would lose a great deal of money fighting the divorce, and even then I would lose.

"There was money wrangling, which my friend took care of, refusing to give her the house, since she had moved out and was living with Trevor, disputing the amount of spousal support for the same reason, but agreeing to child maintenance. She wanted half my wealth and half the business, that was disputed also.

"Then I got a visit from Susan. She arrived in his car, though he stayed in it while she came to the house.

"She was not sorry: it was all my fault. She told me Trevor was more of a man than I was, he was forceful, dominant, a go-getter. She found his control over what she did exciting. I had been a wimp, doing everything she wanted; he did what he wanted and told her what to do. A real man.

"Trevor thought that she should get half the business. Of course he would take control and run it, since I had no experience of the cut and trust of business life. I would have my shares and be paid a salary. Angela, I could not believe what I was hearing.

"I simply said no. It flummoxed her. What did I mean, no? What I said. The company was mine by virtue of a trust, had been in the family for three generations and was successful. She told me Trevor said it was failing. I told her he was a liar. She got angry.

"She calmed down and came to the next demand. Trevor thought that Sonia should have his name once they got married, and that I should fade out of her life. It would be better for her to have one father figure. If I agreed, he would drop his demand for half the company! I leave you to work out what he was after."

"He wanted to win; to take all your dignity, deprive you of your little girl."

Joseph nodded.

"Again I said no. Susan said Trevor told her if I didn't agree I'd be sorry. He had powerful friends and high powered lawyers. They would take it from me and more. I laughed at her.

"She left, saying I'd had my chance. Well, the dispute over money dragged on, but the divorce continued, and a few weeks later, I received the Decree Nisi. You know what that means?"

"The divorce is not final: it's the court saying it can go ahead?"

Again Joseph nodded. He paused in his tale, and went to get more tea. When he returned, Angela was eager to hear more.

"Well?" she said. "What happened? Did you win in the end?"

"No," he said bleakly.

"He won?"

"No, he killed them."

"Pardon?" she was shocked: it was so sudden and stark.

"He apparently insisted on a big party to celebrate the divorce, or at least the first step. It was at an expensive restaurant with her family and he invited me. I didn't go."

She laughed at the idea. Joseph smiled and continued.

"He got drunk at the party but insisted on driving Susan and Sonia home, Susan was heard asking him to allow her to drive, but no, Mr Macho had to drive.

"He went off the road at speed and hit a tree. Susan and Sonia were killed outright; the left side of the car was flattened against the tree. He was slightly injured, being on the right, and he survived."

"Oh, Joseph," she whispered compassionately, "how dreadful!"

"The first I heard about it was when Roberta, or Bobby as everyone called her, Susan's sister, came knocking on my door. She was in tears as she broke the news. Then, a week later, she was back. She was very timid and frightened of my likely reaction. Trevor had refused to pay for the funeral – he said he was not married to Susan, and didn't see why he should pay. Bobby was sent by Susan's family to ask me if I would pay since they hadn't got much money."

Joseph laughed at the recollection. "Bobby was terrified; she actually cowered once she got it out!"

"And?"

"Susan was still my wife – the divorce wasn't absolute – and little innocent Sonia was my daughter. Of course I gave them a good funeral. They were buried together. I went to the service and the burial, though the family organised it. I carried Sonia in her little white coffin. You might remember it because of Sonia: it made the local TV news."