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

her mother’s. Mitch pauses in the doorway, brow furrowing as she sees the

to an armchair. “Um… why don’t you sit down,

You’ve heard something?” Her voice

“Please, Mitch, sit down.”

her hand. “Sit by me on

at her daughter. “So you know something I

her elbow with my palm, steering her to the seat. “Mitch, please sit

sidelong, but sits, sandwiched between me and Charlotte, who slips her hand over her

words slow, speaks

indeed, he

into uploading

a locator

Programmed it to backup into the cloud, so that when Klempner replaced his

and then, how James himself was hacked, and that

assume that it is Juliana

talks from behind his hands, “Mitch, I’m sorry. I never intended any of this, but we’ve heard nothing from him. Hickman can’t make

than usual, her complexion sallow. “Are you telling me that woman can trace exactly where Larry is? And he has no idea it’s

Mitch. But yes, that’s almost certainly

tell any of us what you were doing?” Her tone would

James doesn’t reply.

hands clasped over a still flat stomach. “What exactly is

He swallows…

“Tell me, James. What have

She’ll certainly know where he is. 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 usually does, she won’t be able to see much, but she will be

fingertips to his forehead. “Larry uses a top-line model. It’s capable of a

him, trembling,

us anywhere. Hickman, how long is it now since

etch glass then, speaking in a

he normally

Mainly…” He looks towards Mitch… “… it was to

last thing you discussed with

to ask me to obtain the information

says James. “I’d have

his gaze

of me. I’ll book a

Alexanders, I know you mean well, but if Mr

say. “I can handle

Mr Summerford.” Hickman sucks at his lips,

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