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.
He takes an armchair at the back of the room; leaning back, arms folded, legs outstretched, crossed at
in the doorway, brow
then gestures to an armchair. “Um… why don’t
about Larry? You’ve heard something?”
“Please, Mitch, sit down.”
hand. “Sit by me
her daughter. “So you know something
“Mitch, please sit down. James needs to
sandwiched between me
skin sheened, his words slow, speaks
As indeed,
was fooled into uploading James’ Trojan
Set a
it to backup into the cloud, so that
himself was hacked, and that virus now has
only assume that
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
me that woman can trace exactly where
But yes, that’s
any of us what you
James doesn’t reply.
still
He swallows…
rises an octave. “Tell me, James.
control of Klempner’s mobile. If the phone is capable of doing 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
presses fingertips to his forehead. “Larry uses a top-line model. It’s capable of a lot. But
him, trembling, stroking
us anywhere. Hickman, how long
James a look that would etch glass
often did he normally
pattern. Mainly…” He looks towards
thing you
me to obtain the information
James. “I’d have been happy to
his gaze to James.
trouble because of me. I’ll book a flight and get over
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
go,” I say. “I can
Summerford.” Hickman sucks at his lips, rubs his nose. “Do you speak
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