Michael
“James, we have to tell her. Given her condition, Mitch has to know. ”
He exhales slowly, avoiding my eye. “Yes, she does. I’ve… been avoiding it…”
“Hoping it would go away? That Klempner would contact us out of the blue and we could warn him? That just like that, everything would be alright?”
“Something like that, yes.”
“If Mitch doesn’t have all the facts, she can’t make proper decisions. She’s going to need support. And part of that support is to give her the truth. It’s not doing her any favours to be kept in the dark.”
“You’re right of course.” James squeezes his eyes closed, presses at a temple. “Let’s get it over with. Can you get everyone together. We’ll need the family with her for this.”
*****
Richard and Beth drop what they are doing, joining us in the lounge. Georgie appears shortly afterwards, strolling in from the hotel with a speculative look in her eye.
Elbow resting on the chair arm, I talk behind my hand to James in the next seat. “You think it’s a good idea to have Georgie here?”
“She’s family too,” he snaps. “And she was also targeted by that maniac woman. So, yes, she should be here.”
Turning away from me, he flips open his mobile, giving the screen a couple of taps. “Hickman? Yes, it’s James. Could you join us in the house, please… Yes, right away.”
I bite down on my doubts. Georgie sits off to one side, silently waiting, regarding me from under lidded eyes as she sees me watching her.
But it’s James’ call…
His daughter…
His problem…
Or at least, the problem he created…
Charlotte perhaps has similar reservations. She meets my gaze for a long moment, her attention broken as James speaks. “Charlotte, could you fetch your mother, please. Tell her I need a word.” He stares at his feet for a moment, then, “Don’t say more than that. This has to come from me. Try to keep her calm.”
Sucking at her lips, Charlotte nods and heads out.
James paces the room, looking as though he’s just been asked what he would like for his last meal.
Richard pushes a glass into his hands. “Calm down. We all know it wasn’t intentional.”
James knocks back half an inch of golden liquid, then thrusts the glass back at Richard. Legs akimbo, his back to the fire, he stares moodily into space, cracking his knuckles.
clean of any expression. He takes an armchair at the back of the room; leaning back, arms
pauses in the doorway, brow furrowing as she sees the gathering.
his throat, then gestures to an armchair. “Um… why don’t you sit down, Mitch.
What is it? Is it about Larry? You’ve heard something?”
“Please, Mitch, sit down.”
takes her hand. “Sit by me
know something I don’t?
to the seat. “Mitch, please sit down. James needs to talk and it’s not going
me sidelong, but sits, sandwiched between me and Charlotte, who slips her hand over her
his words slow, speaks like one making a
As indeed, he
Klempner was fooled into uploading James’ Trojan
Set a locator on
to backup into the cloud, so that when
and that virus
we can only assume that
I’m sorry. I never intended any of this, but we’ve heard nothing
paler than usual, her complexion sallow. “Are you telling me that woman can trace exactly where Larry is?
But yes,
you to tell any of us what you were doing?” Her tone would blunt
James doesn’t reply.
precisely, hands clasped over a still flat stomach. “What exactly
He swallows…
an octave. “Tell me, James. What have you
his log-ins, passwords and his entry codes. She’ll be able to use the camera and the microphone. If he carries it in his pocket as he usually does, she won’t be able to see
“Larry uses a top-line model. It’s capable of a lot. But he doesn’t have control of it. She
him,
anywhere. Hickman, how long is it now since you last had
heavyset man gives James a look that would etch glass then, speaking in
he normally contact
about once a day. Different times. Different pattern. Mainly…” He looks towards Mitch… “… it was to ask
was the last thing you discussed
was to ask me to obtain the information
James. “I’d have
gaze to James. “Your
trouble because of me. I’ll book a flight and
him short, but his voice has lost its edge. “Mr Alexanders, I know you mean well, but if Mr Klempner has encountered the kind of trouble that he can't handle…” He raises brows nodding down to James’
I say. “I can
Hickman sucks at his lips, rubs his nose. “Do you
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