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?”

I

… Or Charlotte?

“Richard? Are you alright?”

in the past… But the courage he’s shown… The way he behaved when Charlotte was abducted… And when he knew there was a threat to Mitch. And James. There was a real human inside there somewhere, fighting to get out. And now… his chances

What a waste…

like me to call by and tell Mitch myself? Give her the

tell James and Michael,

I can do, you know where

“Thanks, Will.”

*****

in his office next door to mine. He

“James?”

eyes squeezing. “I feel terrible. This is all

know

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 question is, how do I

shouldn’t tell her. At least for

hoping. Could this be worse? At least it’s closure and she knows what she’s dealing with. She’ll

back into the house? So we can all keep a closer eye on her?

on her. But we could make up her old room again,

we go. Deliver the news face-to-face. I’ve

he tugs his jacket straight. “You’re right. Time to face

*****

Klempner

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

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

Latin. The dress fits too tightly and the lipstick is too bright for her. Although that might

you

statement.” Her

my knees up to relieve the strain on my fettered ankle, hands loosely clasped around my legs, I do shift a little, moving my weight from one side to the other. I’ve almost ceased to

plastered under 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 clenching in my gut,

Lunch?

lunch box, unwrapping some fragrant dainty, then appears to realise I’ve not moved. She nods down to the potato. “Go on. Eat it. It’s

Still, I don’t move.

eat that one now and behave yourself,

potato, chewing slowly to convince my stomach it’s getting a good meal. What’s galling is

“Enjoying that?” she says.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255