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supposed to persuade her to stand down and time’s running out. I suggest you get hold of your brother and remind him of that.”
    “Bryan’s dead.”
    Howard blinked. “Dead? When? How?”
    Jake just stared at him, a light burning in his eyes that made Howard think uncomfortably of the glow from some other-wordly furnace.

CHAPTER FIVE
    The clock on the wall which Matt had inherited with the office, told him that it was a quarter after six. He checked his watch. The clock had gained twenty minutes since the day before. He figured it was time for him to leave anyway and he rose and stretched. Outside he heard footsteps climbing the stairs, and somebody knocked at the door. When he opened it Ella stood outside looking uncertain
    “Come on in.” He stood aside, delighted to see her. He’d been contemplating calling her that night, though he didn’t want to appear over eager. Slow down boy, he’d cautioned himself. He’d begun to think a great deal about Ella, but he didn’t want to push things too quickly, for either of them, so having her turn up at the office was a pleasant surprise.
    “I didn’t know if you’d still be here at this time.” She looked around with a faintly curious air.
    “Swamped with work.”
    She looked doubtfully at his desk where a moment ago he’d been doing a crossword puzzle.
    “Okay, so I lied. Actually I was just thinking about leaving. How about you and I get a drink someplace?”
    She shook her head. “I can do better than that. Why don’t you come to the house for supper later. Unless you had something else planned?”
    “Not a thing,” he said. “Just tell me where and when.”
    She told him where she lived and said to come by around seven. They walked down the stairs to the street together. He thought she seemed distracted, as if there was something bothering her and he wondered if there had been some other reason for her visit to his office.
    “Is everything okay Ella?”
    She looked at him and for a second she appeared to hesitate, then she nodded. “Everything’s fine. I’ll see you tonight.”
    “You can count on it.”
    He arrived a few minutes early, showered and dressed in a clean shirt and jeans, clutching a bottle of white burgundy in one hand. He’d briefly considered wearing a jacket and maybe even a tie, but just imagining the look Henry would give him had changed his mind. The fact he’d even considered it, however, had brought home to him that like it or not, Ella had found her way under his skin. He wasn’t complaining. She was intelligent, good company, and lovely, not to mention that he liked her a lot. He guessed he just hadn’t been expecting to feel this way about anyone. At her door he acknowledged a faint nervousness, like a kid on his first date, and he smiled at his own foolishness. He knocked and when the door opened Ella stood framed by the soft light of a lamp behind her.
    “Hi. I’m not too early?”
    “No, come on in.” She led the way down the passage to the living room. “I hope you don’t mind but my mom is going to eat with us. I thought it’d be nice for her to meet you. She doesn’t get out much these days.”
    “I’d like to meet her too,” Matt said. “Especially if she’s anything like you.”
    She smiled at the flattery and took the wine when he offered it. “Make yourself at home.”
    There were photographs on the mantel. The room was comfortable, even if the furniture was worn. It had a pleasant lived-in feel, and the cooking smells coming from the kitchen made his mouth water. Ella went to open the wine, and while she was gone he looked at a picture on the wall. A child stood with two adults. The child appeared to be a boy though the image was a little blurry and it was difficult to tell. The man was tall and lean, his eyes shadowed. Ella came back and handed him a glass of wine.
    “My parents.”
    Matt looked again. “This is your father?”
    She sipped from her glass, her eyes on the picture. “Yes. He