Masters & Lovers Box Set Three

Chapter 23

Michael

“Think he’ll be talkative?”

James shrugs. “Who can guess with that bastard?” He casts down. “Charlotte?”

She’s tight, controlled, hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans. “It’s okay. I’m alright.”

Mmmm…

The guard at the counter goes through the usual rigmarole…

Got to have their procedures I suppose…

… sliding the daybook across the counter. He taps a cracked fingernail on the bottom row. “Name and signature there, sir. And some ID, please.”

I hand over my driving license. “I’ll just be a moment.” The guard scans the license, stapling the copy to the rest of his paperwork, passes it back then turns to James. “Now you, sir.”

He repeats the performance with James and Charlotte, then “And your car keys, please.” I hand them over and he hangs them on a keyboard at the back of the reception area. “Thank you, sir. You can go through now.”

The interview room is as dismal as ever…

Can’t they ever give these places some fresh paint?

And a couple of extra light-bulbs…

Footsteps have trailed a path over worn linoleum and the reek of cigarette smoke competes with stale cabbage.

Klempner’s waiting, sitting behind the barrier. His gaze flicks between me and James then settles on Charlotte as she takes her seat facing him. “Thank you for coming.” His expression is schooled flat but polite, his tone just as much so.

She flushes. “You’re welcome.”

The prison-issue clothes are shabby, but well pressed, immaculate, his hair well cut, fingernails trimmed and clean.

He sits with his hands on the counter, fingers interwoven, thumbs circling each other as though this were no more than a job interview or perhaps a niece visiting a favourite uncle.

Ignoring me and James, “And what would you like to talk about today?”

I push the paper up to the barrier. “Does that mean anything to you?”

His gaze flicks to mine then to the paper. He leans in, looking more closely. “An address? Should it?” He radiates boredom.

Faked?

“I found it in the police files. Supposedly it was the last known address for Charlotte’s mother.”

Klempner’s cheek twitches...

… Yes, faked…

“I’m guessing you visited?” he says. “What did you find?”

“We tried to visit, but the address no longer exists and hasn’t for a long time. There’s a supermarket and a car park on the site now.”

Klempner sucks his teeth. “It may have been a dead end to begin with. Bech was fairly creative about muddying the records. It was a good part of what he did; keeping the dogs sniffing in the wrong direction...”

A shudder runs through Charlotte, seated next to me. Klempner’s gaze flickers to her, his face a blank. Under the counter, I lay a hand on her thigh and she settles.

“So the address was bogus in the first place?”

“I don’t know.” Klempner inhales. “It probably was. I lost track of her. And Bech…” He pauses.

“What?”

“Nothing, just thinking.”

“About what?”

His head tilts back. He regards Charlotte under lowered lids. “Bech wasn’t happy about Mitch,” he says eventually. “It’s possible he tried to misdirect me too.”

“I thought he was your reliable henchman?”

“And who told you that?”

Assumptions…?

Charlotte breaks in. “Bech… Corby as I knew him… He knew my mother? He didn’t like her?”

“No, he didn’t. But then, Bech didn’t really like anyone but Bech. He had his own agenda.”

“Which was?”

“Making himself very wealthy.”

“So why did you work with him?”

“He was efficient… most of the time anyway. He generally had good ideas and could put them into practice. It was his suggestion that I send you to that farm up north.”

She inhales sharply.

She okay?

I try to take her hand in mine, but she tugs it away.

“But why? I thought I was going to be punished for murder, but I woke up there.”

“Murder?” Klempner frowns. “Why would you think that?”

“Supervisor Jenkins…” she suddenly swallows her words.

“Jenkins was hit by a truck. Why…?”

Better stop this…

I interrupt. “So why did you send her to that farm?”

He ignores me, addressing Charlotte. “Jenkins was dead. I had to get you out of the way. Left to his own devices, Bech would almost certainly have killed you. Or arranged that you died. I wanted you alive.”

“So you sent me to the farm and set a spy on me? Why there?”

He taps a forefinger, the nail click-clicking on tired formica.

“I wanted you to grow up like your mother.”

Christ!

over her face. “You wanted me as a substitute

could put it

what? To take your revenge on me? Because she left

folded arms, his face almost touching the grill. “You got it right

he

Admitting this?

hisses. “Fallen in love with you? Is that what you mean? After the way

behind Klempner, poking

is something in the guard's stance; something in his

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

go upsetting your visitors, you’ll

an excuse

flash sidelong, fury glittering

The monster…

a more normal expression;

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

lays a hand on Charlotte’s. “Calm down,” he murmurs. “It’s

about what I just saw,

and Klempner eye-ball each other. After long seconds he says,

“Will you tell me something about my

some far distance. “She had a thing for

thing? What

had a small tattoo on the back of her shoulder, just there.” He reaches back, tapping behind himself. “And she’d painted

A painter? A

teeth. “Almost eerily so

Klempner regards her, then continues, “She always seemed to be wearing

sits back in her

sucks in his cheeks,

a bit. “Didn't have it down as a pyjamas kind of

tone like a

lift to his. “Would you tell

the next time you

face sets. “Why not

encourage you to visit

“Oh… What else?”

one too, a butterfly

opening and closing. Then she dives for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a

up to the grill. “Is

stiffens, looking more closely. “Well, what are the chances? Where the hell did you get hold of

The missing persons file on my father.” Her hand is shaking. “Is that it? The necklace she’s

turns his attention back to

Charlotte passes it to him.

slides it under the grill

Something precious?

then sits

the necklace you were talking

as he looks

in

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

still friends

the

doesn’t seem to notice. “When was

are slow. “Towards the end, before... before...” He holds up the

flushes then swallows. “It's the

icy. “It's a copy of the original. James can

to James. “You're sure?” He nods without

you want it, you

at the image. “I still have that necklace you know. If you like, you can

Charlotte's voice trembles. “Why do you

But your father gave it to your mother. Since she's

thought they didn't let you keep things

But I can have it sent to you. Perhaps at those Haswell offices where you spend so

hand from mine. “Why would you

chews at a lip. “I used to hate you. That's

I had nothing to

the photo. “Quid pro quo.

really it?”

his arms, a sneer flirting over his mouth,

James stares back.

to

did I

did it fail?

before speaking. “It ended like that, yes. But... there was something about her well before then. As though

“Couldn’t what?”

“Mitch was damaged

supposed to

no capacity

like a blade. “While

back, folding his arms. “No, she

loved my

tilts. “I’m not convinced

“But she married him?”

actually necessary to love someone to marry

you want to

wanted her.

want you.” Her voice

of that either. There was something else. Something stopping her from… from

deduce that she had

have left

sucks air through

knew I had you. She knew where you would be.

stone. I take her hand again, curling warm fingers around her cold ones. “You don't believe

you came to talk; to ask me what happened. Do you want the truth or do you

whispers. “I want the truth to

“And whatever led you to think life is like

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

Comments ()

0/255