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

put it that way,

To take your revenge on me? Because she

“You got it right the first time. I wanted

is he saying all

Admitting this?

for the barrier. “You imagine I would have wanted you?” she hisses. “Fallen in love with you? Is that what you mean? After the way you treated me when I

poking a baton between his shoulders.

the guard's

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

you’ll not be

excuse to

glittering there. Just for

The monster…

schools his features to a more normal

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

he murmurs.

what I just saw,

chair. She and Klempner eye-ball each other. After long seconds he says, “So what would

rage drains from her. “Will you tell me something about my mother?” There’s pleading

eyes unfocusing, seemingly looking into some

A thing? What do

liked butterflies. She had a small tattoo on the back of her shoulder, just there.” He reaches back, tapping

A painter?

I saw of her work was very good. Very realistic.” He sucks at his teeth. “Almost eerily so

Klempner regards her, then continues,

in

pyjamas.” He sucks in his cheeks, looking amused. “What’s so surprising about

it down as a pyjamas kind of

a tone like a desert,

to his. “Would you tell me about

next time you come

face sets. “Why

you to

“Oh… What else?”

too, a butterfly that is. A little silver thing. Just

she dives for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a raised brow. He glances at me with a questioning eye. I shrug. He avoids James’

photograph, holding it up to the grill. “Is that it? The necklace. That she’s

closely. “Well, what are the chances? Where the hell did you

in some old records… The missing persons file on my father.” Her hand is shaking. “Is

at her, his eyes narrowing, then he turns his attention back to the photo.

snaps fingers at the photo. Charlotte passes it to him. He gives it a cursory inspection, then

slides it under the grill and

Something precious?

then sits

that the necklace you were talking

voice is quiet as he looks

in the

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still

But the monosyllable lacks

doesn’t seem to notice. “When

are slow. “Towards the end, before... before...” He holds up the photo. “Can I keep

“It's the only one I

a hand over hers. Her flesh is icy. “It's a

into mine. She swings to James.

want it, you can have

you.” Klempner sits silently gazing at the image. “I still have

have it?” Charlotte's voice trembles. “Why do you

to your mother. Since she's not here, I suppose that

didn't let

don't. I didn’t say I have it here. But I can have it sent to you.

dragging her hand from mine. “Why would you take

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

something I had

photo. “Quid pro quo. You give me something. I

really it?”

arms, a sneer flirting over

James stares back.

to out-stare

did I hear

two of them then, “Why did it fail? Between you and my mother? Because she was afraid of

for a long pause before speaking. “It ended like that, yes. But... there was something about her well before

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch was

supposed to mean.

no capacity

look like a blade. “While you do? You mean she didn't

sits back, folding his arms. “No, she

my father

“I’m not convinced of

“But she married him?”

to love someone to marry

you want

But yes, I wanted her.

want you.” Her voice drips

was something else.

you deduce that

have left you at

sucks air through

forward again, folded arms resting on the counter. “She knew I had you. She knew where you would be. But she never came for you. I believed she would.

hand again, curling warm fingers around her cold

thought you came to talk; to ask me what happened. Do you want the

truth to be

“And whatever led you to think life is

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