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.
the back of the room; leaning back,
doorway, brow furrowing as she
clears his throat, then gestures to an armchair. “Um… why don’t you sit down,
about Larry? You’ve heard something?” Her voice
“Please, Mitch, sit down.”
Charlotte takes her hand. “Sit by
know something I don’t? How do you get to find out before
please sit down. James
sidelong, but sits, sandwiched between me and Charlotte, who slips her
words slow, speaks like one making
indeed, he
into uploading James’ Trojan
a locator on
it to backup into the cloud, so that
hacked, and that virus now has
we can only assume that it is Juliana
behind his hands, “Mitch, I’m sorry. I never intended any of this, but we’ve
woman can trace exactly
But yes,
us
James doesn’t reply.
still
He swallows…
“Tell
it, then she has control. 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 able to
a top-line model. It’s capable of a lot. But he doesn’t have
him, trembling, stroking
breaks in. “This doesn’t get us anywhere. Hickman, how long is it now since you last had contact with
that would etch glass then, speaking in a monotone, “Five days
often did he normally contact
Different times. Different pattern. Mainly…” He looks towards Mitch… “… it was to ask after Miss
was the last thing you
obtain the information regarding the
says James. “I’d have been happy to help with
swings his gaze to James.
trouble because of me. I’ll book
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’ bad
go,” I say. “I can
at his lips, rubs
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