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!

wanted

put it

your revenge on

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

he saying all

Admitting this?

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

poking a

is something in the guard's stance; something in

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

your visitors, you’ll not

for an excuse to cut

sidelong, fury glittering

The monster…

a more normal expression;

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

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

just saw, but my thoughts are cut

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

drains from her. “Will you tell me something

unfocusing, seemingly looking into some

thing? What do you

on the back of her shoulder, just there.” He

A

He sucks at his teeth. “Almost eerily so actually. She could have made a living

continues, “She always seemed to be wearing butterflies

back in her chair.

in his cheeks, looking amused. “What’s so surprising about

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

tone like a desert,

his. “Would you tell

he muses. “Perhaps the next

sets. “Why

encourage you to

“Oh… What else?”

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

her mouth opening and closing. Then she dives for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a raised brow. He glances at me with a

it up to the grill. “Is

“Well, what are the

missing persons file on my father.” Her hand is shaking. “Is that

he turns his attention back to

snaps fingers at the photo. Charlotte passes it to

the grill and Klempner

Something precious?

sits staring

that the necklace you were

as he looks

him in

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still friends

But the

notice. “When was it? Where

are slow. “Towards the end, before... before...”

flushes then swallows. “It's

Her flesh is icy. “It's a copy of the original. James can make

tighten into mine. She swings to James. “You're sure?” He nods

you want it, you

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

Charlotte's voice trembles. “Why do you

father gave it to your mother. Since she's not here, I suppose that makes it

“I thought they didn't let you keep things like that

didn’t say I have it here. But I can have it

bolt upright, dragging her hand from mine. “Why would you

chews at a lip.

had nothing to do

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

really it?” asks

a sneer flirting

James stares back.

to out-stare a

I hear

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

that, yes. But... there was something about her well before then. As though

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch was

supposed

no capacity to

“While you do?

back, folding his arms. “No,

loved my

tilts. “I’m not convinced

“But she married him?”

actually necessary to love

want to marry

far. But yes, I wanted her. I

want you.” Her voice

was something else. Something stopping her

you deduce that she had

have left you at

sucks air through

counter. “She knew I had you. She knew where you would be. But she never came for

carved in stone. I take her hand again, curling warm fingers around her cold ones. “You

ask me what happened. Do

want the truth to be

drain from him. “And whatever led you to think

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