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.
arrives, clean of any expression. He takes an armchair at the back of the room; leaning
returns with Mitch, one arm hooked through her mother’s. Mitch pauses in the doorway, brow
his throat, then gestures to an armchair. “Um… why don’t you sit down, Mitch.
Is it about Larry? You’ve heard something?” Her voice snatches.
“Please, Mitch, sit down.”
her hand. “Sit by me on the
a glance at her daughter. “So you know something I
in, cupping her elbow with my palm, steering her to the seat. “Mitch, please sit down. James needs to talk and
but sits, sandwiched between me and Charlotte, who slips her hand over
slow, speaks like
indeed, he
uploading James’ Trojan to his
Set a locator
into the cloud, so that when Klempner replaced his mobile, he would be automatically
and that
assume that it is Juliana behind
hands, “Mitch, I’m sorry. I never intended any of this, but we’ve
complexion sallow. “Are you telling me that woman can trace exactly where Larry
Mitch. But yes, that’s
us what you
James doesn’t reply.
carefully, precisely, hands clasped over a still flat stomach. “What exactly
He swallows…
octave. “Tell me, James.
She’ll have 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
a top-line model. It’s capable of a lot. But
stares at him,
Hickman, how long is it now since
James a look that would etch glass
he normally contact
about once a day. Different times. Different pattern. Mainly…” He looks towards Mitch… “… it was
thing
to ask me to obtain the information regarding the
asked me,” says James. “I’d have been happy to help with
swings his gaze to
because of me. I’ll book a flight
mean well, but if Mr Klempner has encountered the kind of trouble that he
I say. “I can
Hickman sucks at his
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