Hot Revenge Box Set 2

Richard

James and Klempner, heads close, voices low; they stand together at the end of the hall discussing something… I assume Finchby…

The bell rings. I don’t feel quite comfortable answering the door in someone else’s home, but James waves me on, his eyes flicking between me and Klempner.

I open the door to find myself face to thunderous face with Will Stanton.

For a second or two, I hesitate, blocking the view down the hall. Deliberately raising my voice, “Will… Good to see you.” I glance back. Klempner exchanges an alarmed look with James.

“Richard...” Will Stanton's voice booms through the house. “May I come in?”

In the hallway, Will stands, legs akimbo, hands clasped before him, holding his hat, eyes darting in all directions. James, all casual good manners, strolls down, hand proffered. “Will, thank you for calling by. What can we do for you?”

Will awards him an old look. “Nice eye patch, James. How did you come by it?”

James sucks at his teeth. “Why don’t you come into the lounge. We can talk there.”

James takes his armchair. Will accepts the seat offered him on the couch, but his face is set. “The eye, James. What happened?”

“We received a ransom demand for Charlotte. Richard here provided the money. I delivered it. The kidnappers weren’t gentle in their handling of me.”

Will absorbs this. “You have Charlotte back?”

“Yes. She’s safe upstairs, along with my new daughter.”

“Congratulations.” It’s a happy word, but thunder rolls over Will’s upper reaches. He turns to me. “And what were you doing last night, Richard? While this was going on.”

“I had my own difficulties. Elizabeth went into premature labour… The upset, you know. The stress. She and Charlotte are very close.”

“Ahhh…” Will nods slowly, scratching at an ear. “Is everything…?”

“Elizabeth is fine now. The doctors halted the contractions. But she is resting. I trust you are not going to ask me to disturb her? The doctors were very clear that she must be free from stress over the next few weeks. Would you like some coffee? Tea?”

“No, thank you, Richard.” He clasps his hands, winding thumbs one around another. “I have to ask you both what you know about events at one Club Electric last night. Down by the old docks.”

James takes a moment to reply. “Charlotte’s kidnapper was the owner of that establishment; Finchby.”

“Is that right? And you went there… Why?”

“To deliver the ransom money and get Charlotte back.”

“You realise that I cannot condone paying ransom. It’s playing into the hands of…”

Fire blazes in James’ eyes. “I do understand that. It wasn’t your wife in labour and puking her guts up…” Abruptly, as if by the flick of a switch, his calm returns. “As it emerged, they had no intention of releasing Charlotte. And they were planning to sell the baby for organs…”

Will’s mouth works. He swallows. In a calmer tone, “You said they, not he. Was Finchby working with someone else?”

“Yes. A man called Baxter.”

“So, what can you tell me about the fire which has gutted the building and the escape of some forty or so apparently trafficked women and boys from the premises?”

So does his voice. “Forty? As many

all the details. Most of them speak no English.

background, I’m sure you understand where we, both of us, stand on the subject of human trafficking and slavery. As to the fire… I don’t imagine Finchby had too many friends in

was with

“He was.”

mention

not reached that point of the

“Anyone else with you?”

“Such as?”

“I couldn’t say.”

blank of expression as

if he

him hard. James holds the

a cat in

The Mayor is giving me hell. That end of town

give you a hard time? A most disreputable establishment has been very effectively closed down. An organised crime ring has been taken apart. I would have thought Mayor Vandervoort would be delighted about it all. Certainly, he’ll be

cheeks, but the ghost of a smile haunts there. “I'll suggest that

even to the press…” He rocks a hand… “Strong policies. Powerful policing… Leadership at the top.” His voice trails away.

change of subject, you asked me to look into the situation in Thailand, with

Oh, Good Lord…

Now what?

“That's right.”

this to me, I had concerns. Young wife. Young baby. Thailand has a reputation

“So it does.”

you requested, I made some enquiries for you.”

“And…?”

Thailand has been a busy place over the last several months.” That smile isn’t a ghost

“Busy? In what way?”

crusade against organised

James leans forward, intent.

human traffic. Although it's in the nature of things that the trade in illegal drugs, protection

is trying hard to keep

with his fingers. “Do

shifts in his seat. “It began with a number of… of the more unpleasant variety

of entertainment they

each case, the bodies were deposited in some highly public place, in one case on the frontage to

lies folded, waiting to be read. "I don't recall seeing anything about this in the papers or on the

what they’re like with foreign news. But in Thailand and the area, it made the

steeples fingers, face intent. “On the first occasion, it was treated as a simple robbery with murder. But after the third such incident, the ripples were damaging the trade. It was becoming known that a visit to the country

point, our... vigilante... turned his

me. “Really? Don’t stop there. This is

identify at least twelve such cases. There may be more. Whoever our assassin is…” He pauses again, holding eyes with James… “… he started with the big

piece, and systematically, someone has

others will

for example,