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?”

‘bland’. So does his voice. “Forty? As many as

don’t have all the details. Most of them speak

were escaping with Charlotte, Michael and I released the others we found imprisoned. Given Charlotte’s 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 there

Michael was with

“He was.”

didn’t mention

reached that point of the conversation

“Anyone else with you?”

“Such as?”

“I couldn’t say.”

face as blank of expression

he ever

at him hard. James

have been a cat

cracks first. “You should know James…. You too Richard… The Mayor is giving me hell. That end of town does not have a good reputation, even at the best of times. After

apart. I would have thought Mayor Vandervoort would be delighted about it all. Certainly, he’ll be able to claim

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

statement to that effect. Perhaps even to the press…” He rocks a hand… “Strong policies. Powerful policing… Leadership at the top.” His voice trails away. He sits back in his armchair, eyes steady on Will, forefinger pressed

a complete change of subject, you asked me to look into the situation in Thailand, with a view to a holiday there I believe?

Oh, Good Lord…

Now what?

“That's right.”

a finger across his chin… “… when you first mentioned this to me, I had concerns. Young

“So it does.”

as you requested, I made some enquiries for you.” A smile ghosts

“And…?”

opposite number over there, Thailand has been a busy place over the last

“Busy? In what way?”

that someone has launched a crusade against organised crime over there… The syndicates.

James leans forward, intent.

nature of things that the trade in illegal drugs,

is trying hard to keep his

winding motion with

of… of the more unpleasant variety of

sort of entertainment they can’t

in some highly public place, in one case on the frontage to

read. "I don't recall seeing anything about this in

with foreign news. But in Thailand and

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 might result

apparently collecting his thoughts, then, “At that point, our... vigilante... turned his attention away from the customers and onto

glances with me. “Really? Don’t

and rings have been assassinated. We can 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

systematically, someone has

doubt…” I say… “… others will

there is an odd reluctance to do so. With the Garcias family for example, first, the father was executed… in his own villa… by a marksman from a range of over