Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Klempner

Over the next day or so, I visit a dozen establishments, all chosen for having been header addresses on invoices received, and apparently paid, by Finchby.

I find myself calling by two more bar-restaurants, a ladies’ shoe shop, a bookseller, a cut-price budget outlet, two fruit and veg stalls and a liquor store.

None of them seems even remotely likely as an export outlet for organised criminals. The only even slightly illegal behaviour I encounter comes from my last call: a jeweller.

By now, my doubts are sprouting. I’m almost out of options and I’ve found nothing that takes me any closer to tracking psycho-Juliana.

WTF’s going on here?

In the jewellery store, the proprietor skulks at the back. Then, seeing me browsing his stock, thinking I might find something for Mitch, he tries to pass off a locket, gold-plated but base metal, as the genuine article.

He cringes satisfactorily as my fingers grip his neck, squeezing just enough to cut off his air for a few seconds. I’m not serious about doing him any real harm, but I leave his store of over-priced crap whistling.

But still, my disquiet crawls…

What am I missing?

I arrived in Sao Paulo believing I had plenty of leads to track, as I first thought, Baxter, then his blood-besotted paramour, Juliana. But I’ve used up my leads and I’m rapidly running out of ideas.

Juliana’s still out there, shrieking for my blood. And she’s as likely as not to go looking for her own peculiar brand of vindictive entertainment with someone else connected if it’s not actually with me.

Mitch…

Jenny…

Think…

A quick check of my messages: a confirmation from Hickman that all’s well over there...

Wearing the ring?

A warm glow, having nothing to do with the weather, floods my chest and face.

What to do?

how I

strolling out, running on autopilot, letting

in hand. Instead, letting my thoughts drift, I wait for inspiration to well up

in a city of twenty

But nothing suggests itself.

consciously, but looking around, coming to, I find I’m standing outside Antonio’s. The old man cracks a smile

not fooling myself that the beer clears my thinking, but nothing else is working for me. I

as I make my way to the table, then scuttles off, returning in

from a bean, I chew the salty nibble, tossing the skin to a nearby pigeon Another swallow and I’m reflecting that the moist heat

I’d miss the

That mountain…

views… The

Be honest…

I’m missing Mitch.

daughter… My granddaughter… The casual camaraderie of her

Three husbands?

Haswell

?

the hell do I judge

Mitch…

are you

with

tap open the mobile, into my

very little in my files of this kind. I enjoy travelling, playing the tourist, but seldom bother with the camera. I prefer taking the time to see the places I visit: capture them in my head. The few times I’ve bothered taking snaps,

this one

of simply fiddling with my phone,

Greener than any gem I could give her. Greener than Spring leaves. Greener than

could lose myself

the table. His eyes crease, if it were possible, even more. “Very

his words warm me inside. “… My

“Lady here? Sao Paulo?”

here.

home to lady