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 think

autopilot, letting the mind roam

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

woman in a city of twenty

But nothing suggests itself.

to, I find I’m standing outside Antonio’s. The old man cracks a smile and hastily wipes down a tabletop before pulling out a chair and, brows

nothing else is working for me. I might as well enjoy a drink. “Obrigado.

as I make my way to the table, then scuttles off, returning in under a minute with a glass jug, dripping condensation,

my throat. Slipping the skin from a bean, I chew the salty nibble, tossing the skin to a nearby pigeon Another swallow

thought I’d miss the

That mountain…

The clean

Be honest…

I’m missing Mitch.

I’m missing all of it. My daughter… My granddaughter… The

Three husbands?

Haswell fit

?

do I judge that

Mitch…

are you doing

with Jenny

open the mobile, into my images,

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

one is

was taking the photo. Indeed, I made a show of simply fiddling with

could give her. Greener

myself in

come to with a start: Antonio leans across, setting a basket of bread on the table. His eyes crease, if it were possible, even more. “Very beautiful lady, senhor.

tap the phone closed, but his words warm me inside. “…

“Lady here? Sao Paulo?”

here.

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