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?”

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

What a waste…

Richard… Would… would you like me to call by and tell Mitch myself? Give her the official

I’ll tell her. Or I’ll tell James and Michael, and get one of them to

do, you know

“Thanks, Will.”

*****

is in his office next door to

“James?”

the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing. “I feel

know

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 tell

At least for a while. After the birth.

away.” He tugs at his chin. “She’s already stressed out with waiting and hoping. Could this be worse? At least it’s closure and she knows what she’s

should move her back into the house? So we can all keep a closer eye on her? Elizabeth and Charlotte may well prefer

a thumbnail. “That might make her feel we’re spying on her. But we could make up her old room again, so it’s there as an option if

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

his jacket straight. “You’re right.

*****

Klempner

raise a hand to shield my eyes for a few seconds. By the time I’m blinking back to normality,

as usual, colour-co-ordinated to

and the lipstick is too bright for her. Although that might not show on the

do you wear

a fashion statement.” Her voice

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 notice the cold striking up from

under a brown sludge that would be flattering on some young woman of

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, I don’t

Lunch?

some fragrant dainty, then appears to realise I’ve

Still, I don’t move.

blinks, then, “If you eat that one now and behave yourself, I’ll give you

it over the head. I take a bite from the potato, chewing slowly to convince

“Enjoying that?” she says.

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