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!

face. “You wanted me as a substitute

it that way,

what? To take your revenge on me?

face almost touching the grill. “You got it right the first time. I wanted you

is he

Admitting this?

her face almost meeting his save 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 was little? It’s been over twenty years. You’re obsessed.

stand behind Klempner, poking a baton between his

something in the guard's

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

If you go upsetting your visitors, you’ll not be

for an excuse

flash sidelong, fury glittering

The monster…

schools his features to a more normal expression; apparent passivity… “Yes,

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

“Calm down,” he murmurs. “It’s past.” It’s

I just saw,

eye-ball each other. After long seconds he says, “So what would you like to

drains from her. “Will you tell me something about my

into some

A thing? What do

her shoulder, just there.” He reaches back, tapping behind himself.

was artistic? A painter? A good

realistic.” He sucks at his teeth. “Almost eerily so actually.

regards her, then continues, “She

sits back in her chair.

He sucks in his cheeks, looking amused.

it down

a tone like a desert,

his. “Would you tell

muses. “Perhaps the next time you

face sets. “Why

encourage you to visit

“Oh… What else?”

with one too, a butterfly that is. A little silver thing. Just a trinket, but she

Then she dives for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a raised brow. He glances

to the grill. “Is that

are the

my father.” Her hand is shaking. “Is that it?

his attention back to

to the guard who snaps fingers at the photo. Charlotte passes it to him. He gives it

the grill and Klempner

Something precious?

then sits

the necklace you were talking

is.” His voice is quiet as he looks

in the

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still

the monosyllable lacks

“When was it? Where

end, before... before...” He holds up

flushes then swallows. “It's

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

swings to James. “You're

you want it,

“I still have that necklace you know. If you like,

voice trembles. “Why do

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

let you

don't. I didn’t say I have it here. But I can have it sent to you. Perhaps at those Haswell offices where you

“Why

at a lip. “I used to

had nothing

holds up the photo. “Quid pro quo. You give me something. I

really

a sneer flirting over his mouth, staring

James stares back.

to

did I

“Why did it fail? Between you and my mother? Because she was

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

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch

supposed to mean.

no capacity

blade. “While you

folding his arms.

loved my

head tilts. “I’m not

“But she married him?”

not actually necessary to love

you want to

get that far. But yes, I wanted her. I wanted her to

you.” Her voice

something

that, you deduce that she had no

have left

sucks air through

the counter. “She knew I had you. She knew where you would

again, curling warm fingers around her cold ones.

ask me what happened. Do you want the truth or do you want

whispers. “I want the truth to be a

whatever

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

Comments ()

0/255