Richard

My intercom buzzes.

“Yes, Francis?”

“Mr Haswell, I have the police commissioner on for you.”

“Put him through, please…” The phone clicks… “Richard?”

“Will, good to hear from you. What can I do for you? Do you have any news?”

“I do, Richard, yes. But it’s not good news I’m afraid.”

Damn…

“Go on.”

“I’ve emailed you a report from the authorities in Brazil. Briefly, there was an explosion in a hotel room in São Paulo; a booby-trapped lavatory would you believe. It took out several rooms and there were a lot of casualties. Two bodies were taken from the room. One was a member of the hotel staff. The other was a guest. The passport identifies him as one Harry Hughes: English. But take a look at the photograph and tell me what you think.”

My mouth sours…

Christ…

If it is…

“Can you hold, Will, while I pull up the email.”

“No problem. Take your time.”

Tap… Tap… Tap… Click…

Password…

Scroll…

Click…

Crap!

I breathe in. Let out air.

“Yes, that’s him. He’s clever with the hair and the glasses. It’s quite subtle and you wouldn’t see it on a casual glance, but that’s him…”

“Richard?”

do I

… Or Charlotte?

“Richard? Are you alright?”

Klempner was in the past… But the courage he’s shown… The way he behaved when Charlotte was abducted…

What a waste…

to call by and tell Mitch

better than that. I’ll tell her. Or I’ll tell James and Michael, and get

If there’s anything I can do, you know where

“Thanks, Will.”

*****

in his office next door to mine. He

“James?”

bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing. “I feel

don’t know that for

cent for sure. I gave Juliana the wedge to crack his defences. It’s almost certainly down to me.” He breathes in, then out again. “No. The

At least for a while.

Could this be worse? At least it’s closure and she knows what she’s

can all keep a closer

we’re spying on her. But we could make up her old room again, so it’s there as an option if she

Shall we go. Deliver the news face-to-face. I’ve already asked Francis to cancel appointments for both

his jacket

*****

Klempner

and grunting, I raise a hand to shield my eyes for a few seconds. By the time I’m

her usual bag, stuffed with God-knows-what, and as usual, colour-co-ordinated to her outfit. “Good afternoon, Larry. How are

and the lipstick is too bright for her.

do you wear sunglasses

a fashion statement.”

my weight from one side to the other. I’ve almost ceased to notice the

a brown sludge that would be flattering on

brightly and tosses a potato at me. On auto-pilot, I catch the miserable thing mid-air before it hit the deck but, despite the

Lunch?

packet from her lunch box, unwrapping some fragrant dainty, then appears to realise

Still, I don’t move.

you eat that one now and

the head. I take a bite from the potato, chewing slowly to convince my stomach it’s getting a good meal. What’s galling is that my stomach

“Enjoying that?” she says.

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