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?”

It might sound ridiculous. We know the man Klempner was 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

What a waste…

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

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

do, you know where to

“Thanks, Will.”

*****

is in his office next door to

“James?”

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

know that

sure. I gave Juliana the wedge to crack his defences. It’s almost certainly down to me.” He breathes in, then out

we shouldn’t tell her. At least for a while. After the birth. She

already stressed out with waiting and hoping. Could this be worse? At least

So we can all keep a closer eye on her?

“That might make her feel we’re spying on her. But we could

Deliver the news face-to-face. I’ve already asked

he tugs his jacket

*****

Klempner

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

usual, colour-co-ordinated to her outfit. “Good

today; very gaudy, very Latin. The dress fits too tightly and the lipstick is too bright for her. Although that

you

a fashion statement.” Her

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

visible, with her face plastered under a brown sludge that would be flattering on

She smiles brightly and tosses a potato at me. On auto-pilot, I catch the miserable thing mid-air before

Lunch?

appears to realise I’ve not moved. She nods down to the potato. “Go on. Eat it. It’s fine. Keep me

Still, I don’t move.

one now and behave

over 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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