Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Chapter 32

Richard

I turn the wheel, swing through the gates. “I know that it’s only an illusion, but it feels good to get back to something like normal life, doesn’t it. Just doing a day’s work. Driving home.”

Gravel crunches under the tires as we pull up. James clicks his tongue. “You’re not wrong there.” He rubs a forefinger over the top of his nose. “I’ll admit, I was worried about the effect the business with Klempner was going to have on Charlotte. All the forward progress the three of us made since we first met. It was feeling as though everything was going to be blown out of the water… Ahhh… Michael must be there ahead of us. The lights are on.”

“He’s left the door standing open too,” says James. “It’ll be letting the weather right through the house. Might as well not bother with the damn heating.”

We step inside. James closes the door behind us with a bang. As it slams, a voice drifts down the hall.

“James, is that you?”

Together, we halt in mid-stride. “That wasn’t Michael’s voice,” I say.

“It sounded like Stanton,” mutters James. “What the hell would he be doing here with no-one else around?”

I mutter back. “Good question.” Then more loudly, “Will? Is that you? Where are you?”

“Richard? I’m in the lounge.” There’s a touch of panic in his voice. “And hurry the fuck up, will you.”

What the hell?

James and I exchange glances. Setting briefcases on the hall table, we enter the lounge together…

… to find Will pressed back into the far corner of the room.

My old friend stands, bolt upright, arms folded up and well out of the way, head pulled back. His eyes are rimmed white against the coffee of his skin. To one side, he’s hemmed in by a dresser. To the other, a table blocks his exit. His face lights up as we enter. The reason for the odd posture lies close by his feet.

Head resting on outstretched paws, apparently relaxed, Bear is doing his best impression of a fur rug, if rugs emanated a low continuous rumble, something along the lines of distant thunder.

Will shifts and the rumble grows louder, the thunderstorm rolling overhead. A ridge of fur rises between Bear’s shoulders and Will freezes once more. “Can you call your dog off, please.”

James’ face cracks. He spins, sucking in his cheeks, then straightens his face and turns back. “Bear…” He snaps his fingers. “C’mon Bear. It’s fine.”

The huge dog swings his head around, looking over one shoulder, disbelief radiating from every hair.

James strides forward, scratches him behind the ears. “It’s alright, Bear. C’mon, Good boy. The Two-Legs have come home now. You’re off-duty.”

Bear rumbles another low threat towards our police commissioner, then slowly, reluctantly, stands and pads away. Flopping down by the hearth, he angles himself to watch the intruder.

Will straightens up, tugs down his jacket. “That’s one helluvan animal you’ve got there. Could be viewed as dangerous.”

brow. “Did he do you any actual

wasn’t going to let me

Keeping the intruder under control until the

the

no. From Bear’s point of view, I’d say

Klempner I’m here

“The information he requested?”

right.” Will slants a cautious glance across to Bear, still watching him with a baleful glare, then lays a file on the table, pulling out a variety of documents. “Could you call Hickman in,

the case, but I’ll call him.” James takes

he mean?

Or at least, Hickman has, and he was the

in touch with

“No.”

frowns. “I hardly dare say it, but I find myself

*****

in, all nonchalance. He nods politely.

it still the case that you are

face falls. “I’m afraid

what I have learned,

“I believe I have the information your employer requested. All the men in the photos you provided except two are known criminals. However…” He stabs

Will speaks, jotting notes on a

been made to arrest him and to get him… and those he works with… into court… witnesses dry up, die

all attempts to bring this man and his cohorts to

exactly is Santos wanted

through Racketeering and Protection, but Santos is also involved in Vice

“Who are these associates he

Brazil as a whole has a historical problem with crime, corruption and all that goes with it. In the

had dropped dramatically and the homicide rate, in particular, plummeted from a high of 52 per 100,000 Paulistanos in 1999 to only 6 per 100,000. However…” He

organised crime reared its head again in the form of rivals gangs competing for the opportunities available in the country. Usually, they were headed by men who had been long-term career criminals and simply slipped the justice net over the years. But

a dozen such gangs…” He rocks his hand back and

over the numbers?” asks

the identities of the gangs and their members are slippery, at least to outsiders. Some of the smaller groups amalgamated through the gang leader

other cases, it was outright gang warfare and the wholesale murder of the members and

is, as you say, interesting,” says Michael, “but what does it have to do with

that,” says Will. “Bear with me. I should say by

all this is coming around to our Juliana’s involvement somewhere? She’s been assassinating

to worry about collateral damage. The explosion that wiped out most of the Facas gang… The ‘Knives’ as they called themselves… resulted from an explosive device placed

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