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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