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…

poorer end of town… the red-light

Nothing hangs together.

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

“Sim. Thank you.”

He stabs a finger at my page. “You not go this place. Is bad place for nice English

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

bad men there. And badder

ears prick. “Woman? Que tipo de bad men

man grimaces then pulls a chair across to sit close by me. His voice lowers and he leans in close. “One time, since many years, this city….” He sweeps his arms out in circles all around… “…all bad

I say.

He nods vigorously. “Sim, muita violência.

he nods. Then I mime injecting myself…

He leans closer yet. “…And the womans para prostitutas.” He takes the book from me, closes it, then slaps it down on the table. “Bad

woman too? A

nodding. “Prostitutes, sim. But há sim one bad

bad woman. What

“… 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 has man.

sounding deeply

Juliana…

name? What does she look

stares at

again. “The bad woman… A

upheld, he shrugs. “Ninguém sabe.

does

Again, that blank stare…

my head… “Tall?” … Then lower… “Short? Alta? Baixo?

Bad people. You not go there. I show you

Senhor Hughes? We have many artista famoso

he jabs fingers at places where ‘Nice turista man is safe.’ But my

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

archives, I know what I’m

Sao Paulo

results,

Hmmm…

Narrow it down…

in another search. Names of criminal gangs sao

results, this time, but some

gang is

of the Most Lethal Criminal Organization