Resolutions Read Online Free PDF Page A

have afforded her anyway. She wore jeans and a black, three-quarter length coat, but he’d have made a bet that both bore labels his wife would have drooled over and even he may have heard of.
    â€˜Back in the day,’ he mused to himself, filing the copies of Carolyn Johnson’s paperwork. Back when being a DeBarr actually meant something. He chuckled at his own fantasies. Having money wasn’t the same thing as having class, and the young woman he had just encountered seemed well in possession of both.
    Ten minutes later, the little hatchback pulled up in front of Peverill Lodge. The blonde-haired woman calling herself Carolyn Johnson took a moment or two to compose herself before getting out, suddenly taken by surprise at the attack of nerves. Rina was the one person in the world who still daunted her, but, even had someone put a gun to her head and demanded the reason, she could not have explained why. Would she be home? Knowledge of the routine in the Martin household told her that lunch would be over, that the Peters sisters would most likely be having their afternoon nap, and that Rina would be busying herself with something or other that probably involved sticking her nose into someone else’s business.
    Which, after all, was precisely why ‘Carolyn’ had come back to see her.
    Hooking her black leather bag off the passenger seat, she got out of the car, crossed the road to Peverill Lodge and rang the bell. Somewhat to her surprise, it was Rina who opened the door, and to her great satisfaction it was several seconds before the older woman recognized her.
    Then understanding dawned. ‘Hello, Karen,’ Rina said. ‘I had an odd feeling you might turn up some time soon. You’d better come in.’
    Mac was at the same time back on home ground and also feeling the trepidation and strangeness of being an outsider. Somehow he had expected things to have changed, but the front desk was still scuffed and in need of a polish, and still scarred with rings left from hot mugs. The green lino still looked as if Noah might have made use of it for bedding down something with sharp claws, and he would have sworn the same youths still waited on the uncomfortable benches.
    The desk sergeant, a man Mac did not recognize, glanced up with an enquiring smile as Mac entered the reception area. Behind the man, through a frosted glass screen, Mac could see silhouettes moving as officers assembled for the briefing. Alec must have been looking out for him because he appeared just as Mac was about to introduce himself to the desk sergeant. Alec buzzed him through the half-glazed door.
    â€˜Everything all right?’ he asked quietly.
    â€˜Everything’s fine,’ Mac assured him and surprised himself by finding this was almost the truth.
    â€˜What is it you want?’ Rina asked.
    â€˜Direct as ever.’ Karen was amused.
    â€˜Of course. I see little point in prevaricating. Do you take sugar?’
    â€˜One, please. Thank you.’ Karen took the china cup and saucer from Rina, aware as she did so that the cup rattled gently against its rest. She lowered it on to her knees, wondering if this use of china was a Rina Martin ploy to test her nerve. Who needs lie detectors when you have bone china? ‘I came back to see George,’ she said. ‘He’s my brother. I want to know he’s OK.’
    â€˜You could have phoned if that was all. You have my number. I promised to keep an eye on him and I have.’
    â€˜I want to see him.’
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜Why not? I have a right to come and see him.’
    Rina shook her head. ‘No, my dear, you don’t. Your rights ended when you left. George’s rights are paramount now, and he has a right to get on with his life.’
    â€˜He’d know I’d not abandon him.’
    â€˜He never felt you had. Karen, George understood completely why you had to leave in such a hurry. He’s not a fool and