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…

to the poorer end of town… the red-light district…

Nothing hangs together.

at my elbow, nodding down to my

“Sim. Thank you.”

“Senhor Hughes…” He stabs a finger at my page. “You not go this place. Is

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

bad. Many bad men

tipo de bad

in close. “One time, since many years, this city….” He sweeps his arms out in circles all around… “…all bad place. Much…” He

I say. “Much

vigorously. “Sim, muita

he nods. Then I mime injecting

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

bad woman too? A

“Prostitutes, sim. But há sim one

bad woman.

spread, he rocks his hand… “… Not so many. Bad men gone. Not like other cities. Since two years, bad men here again. And this woman is baddest. She is…” He splutters for a moment… “She same as prostitute. She

is sounding

Juliana…

her name? What does she look

stares at

again. “The bad woman…

upheld, he shrugs. “Ninguém sabe. Ela

What does she look

Again, that blank stare…

head… “Tall?” …

forefinger at me, then at my city guide, repeating, “Bad place. Bad people. You

through. “You like o museu de arte, Senhor Hughes?

let him ramble on, nodding as he jabs fingers at places where ‘Nice turista man is safe.’ But

missed a trick: an obvious trick: ten minutes 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 interpreting the language than I do understanding

now, delving into the newspaper archives, I know what I’m looking

search term… Sao Paulo organised crime… Then as an afterthought, add,

blinks: 139,000, 000 results, starting with a Wikipedia

Hmmm…

Narrow it down…

tap in another search. Names of criminal gangs

time, but some more useful

gang is enticing recruits with

The Evolution of the Most Lethal