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

it that way,

To take your revenge on me?

leans forward on folded arms, his face almost touching the grill. “You got it right the first time. I wanted you as a substitute for

he

Admitting this?

have wanted you?” she hisses. “Fallen in love with you? Is that what you mean? After the way you treated

to stand behind Klempner, poking a

something in the guard's stance;

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

upsetting your visitors, you’ll not be getting any

for an excuse to cut his

sidelong, fury glittering there. Just for a

The monster…

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

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

hand on Charlotte’s. “Calm down,” he

to think about what I just saw, but my thoughts are

in her chair. She and Klempner eye-ball each other. After long seconds he says,

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

looking into some far

A thing? What do

just there.” He reaches back, tapping behind himself. “And she’d painted one

artistic? A

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

out of words. Klempner regards her, then continues, “She always

sits back in her chair.

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

bit. “Didn't have it down

tone like a desert,

eyes lift to his. “Would you tell me

he muses. “Perhaps the next

sets. “Why not

will encourage you to visit

“Oh… What else?”

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

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

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

more closely. “Well, what are the chances? Where the

missing persons file on my

turns his attention back

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

grill and Klempner takes

Something precious?

then sits

necklace

His voice is quiet as he looks up. “Your father gave

him in

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

still

But the monosyllable lacks

doesn’t seem to notice. “When was

the end, before... before...” He holds up the photo.

then swallows. “It's the

Her flesh is icy. “It's a

She swings to James.

if you want it,

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

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

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

they didn't let you keep

But I can have it sent to you. Perhaps

bolt upright, dragging her hand from mine. “Why would you take that kind of trouble?

back, chews at a lip. “I

I had

stalls then holds up the photo. “Quid pro quo. You give

that really

sneer flirting over

James stares back.

try to out-stare

did I hear

them then, “Why did it fail? Between you and my mother? Because

“It ended like that, yes. But... there was something about her

“Couldn’t what?”

“Mitch was

that supposed

had no capacity

blade. “While you do?

his arms.

my father

head tilts. “I’m not

“But she married him?”

to love someone to marry

want to

that far. But yes, I wanted her. I

didn’t want you.” Her voice drips

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

deduce that

have

sucks air through

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

again, curling warm fingers around her

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

truth to be a fairy

to drain from him. “And whatever led you to think life

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