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The Will and the Widow

Good Morning, Midnight (Reginald Hill Edition)

Sue-Lynn Maciver’s affair, financial expectations, and changing inheritance turn grief into a personal and legal crisis.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
A Private AffairA Private Affair from "Good Morning, Midnight". A Private Affair A concealed relationship Sue-Lynn Maciver has an affair with her doctor, Tom Lockridge.
A Private Affair A concealed relationship Sue-Lynn Maciver has an affair with her doctor, Tom Lockridge. Their relationship gives each a personal stake in keeping their connection undisclosed. The perfect cover The doctor’s access to the household appears ordinary, while the affair creates risks for both his professional standing and the police inquiry.
The Widow’s ExpectationThe Widow’s Expectation from "Good Morning, Midnight". The Widow’s Expectation News of the death Sue-Lynn learns that police are looking for her husband and goes to Moscow House.
The Widow’s Expectation News of the death Sue-Lynn learns that police are looking for her husband and goes to Moscow House. She expects to see him or learn what has happened. Shock and anger When told he is dead, she insists on seeing the body. Her controlled appearance conceals a volatile response to both loss and the family gathering around her.
The Will RevealedThe Will Revealed from "Good Morning, Midnight". The Will Revealed A reduced inheritance Sue-Lynn learns that Pal changed his will about six weeks earlier, leaving her only a small sum.
The Will Revealed A reduced inheritance Sue-Lynn learns that Pal changed his will about six weeks earlier, leaving her only a small sum. She threatens the solicitor and contemplates challenging the document. A possible explanation She and Lockridge look for evidence that Pal was mentally unfit when he made the change. The search is both legal strategy and an attempt to recover the future she expected.
The Photograph ArrivesThe Photograph Arrives from "Good Morning, Midnight". The Photograph Arrives An ugly confrontation Mary Lockridge brings Sue-Lynn a photograph proving her affair with Tom.
The Photograph Arrives An ugly confrontation Mary Lockridge brings Sue-Lynn a photograph proving her affair with Tom. The image is dated around the time of Pal’s death and is delivered with a forceful punch. A new vulnerability The affair explains neither murder nor suicide, but it exposes Sue-Lynn’s private life and makes Lockridge’s concealment a police concern.
An Unsettled FutureAn Unsettled Future from "Good Morning, Midnight". An Unsettled Future A contested estate The changed will promises a prolonged legal battle.
An Unsettled Future A contested estate The changed will promises a prolonged legal battle. Lockridge believes medical evidence might help Sue-Lynn challenge it, but his own conduct undermines his position. Loss beyond money Sue-Lynn has lost her husband and may lose financial security, while her affair is now known to investigators. Her grief is inseparable from anger and self-interest.
Before March 20, 2002
March 20, 2002, evening
March 21–22, 2002
March 22, 2002, morning
March 23, 2002