Hot Revenge Box Set 4

The meal goes smoothly enough, albeit with a lot of negotiating the rapids and under-currents of good manners and courtesy.

Beth’s pregnancy proves a safe topic of discussion, with none of the pitfalls and booby traps lying in wait if we talk about anything closer to home. Mitch is a star, repeatedly shifting the conversation back onto the imminent birth of Beth’s and Richard’s new son.

Later, in a quiet moment with Michael, “My apologies,” I say. “Tact isn’t one of Georgie’s virtues. It never was.”

His answering smile is wry. “Like father, like daughter.”

*****

Klempner

Two weeks and… nothing…

Not a whisper. Nothing I can find.

Sitting in the corner of Antonio’s, I’ve spent a pleasant afternoon, but frustration gnaws at me. Hickman reports that all is well, but…

Has Juliana given up?

?

Not fucking likely…

Antonio’s cafe has become somewhat of a routine. Misgivings nudge me, reminding me that I shouldn’t develop such habits…

… Making myself vulnerable…

But, with nothing to go on, what the hell else can I do?

On the other hand, there has to be some reason for the address to have been used in Finchby’s invoices.

Perhaps I just need to wait.

But what am I waiting for?

How long can I keep doing this?

Still, in the meantime, while I wait for my mystery to unravel, the old man is genuinely good company. And also, a mine of local information.

Finishing a cup of the excellent coffee, I consult a local guide, comparing my list of addresses to a local map, looking for some pattern, seeking inspiration…

Access to road…

Access to the ports…

Whereabouts of police stations…

of town… the

Nothing hangs together.

elbow, nodding down to my empty coffee cup. “Mais café,

“Sim. Thank you.”

slide my cup across the table, and he glances at my guide. “Senhor Hughes…” He stabs a finger at my page. “You not

remembering that I ‘can’t speak the language’… “What’s

place very bad. Many bad

tipo de bad men and

sweeps his arms out in circles all around… “…all bad place. Much…” He falters then holds out two fingers making a Bang Bang

violence,” I say. “Much

“Sim, muita

nods. Then I mime injecting myself… “Cocaína…? E outras

the womans para prostitutas.” He takes the book from me, closes it, then slaps it down on the table. “Bad place, Senhor. And bad men.” He wags a finger at me.

woman too?

“Prostitutes, sim. But há sim one bad

bad woman.

ten year, Sao Paulo good city. People not die…” Fingers spread, he rocks his hand… “… Not so many. Bad men gone. Not like other cities. Since two years, bad men here

is sounding

Juliana…

name? What does she

at

bad woman… A mulher má…

“Ninguém

mystery? What does

Again, that blank stare…

raising my hand to my head… “Tall?”

shrug. But he waves a forefinger at me, then at my city guide, repeating, “Bad place. Bad people. You not go there. I show you

de arte, Senhor Hughes?

places where ‘Nice turista man is safe.’

later I’ve signed up for subscriptions on a variety of Brazilian newspapers, or at least, their English editions. I can read Portuguese, but it doesn’t come so naturally as reading in English. I spend more of my time

into the newspaper archives, I know what I’m

an experimental search term… Sao Paulo organised

results, starting with a Wikipedia

Hmmm…

Narrow it down…

Names of criminal gangs sao

results, this time, but

Brazil’s largest gang is enticing

The Evolution of the Most Lethal Criminal Organization