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!

Shock ricochets over her face. “You wanted me as

could put it that way,

To take your revenge on

“You got it right the first time. I wanted you as

is he

Admitting this?

forward too, 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

to stand behind Klempner, poking a baton between his shoulders. “Behave yourself,

the guard's stance; something in his

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

your visitors, you’ll not be getting any more of

excuse

flash sidelong, fury glittering there. Just for

The monster…

before he schools his features to a more normal

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

down,” he

think about what I just saw, but

each other. After long

me something about

into some far distance. “She had a thing

What

had a small tattoo on the back of her shoulder, just there.” He

was artistic? A painter?

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

her, then continues, “She

sits back in her chair.

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

a bit. “Didn't have it down

tone like a desert, “Long

his. “Would you tell me about

he muses. “Perhaps the next time you come

sets. “Why not

will encourage you to visit

“Oh… What else?”

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

for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a raised brow. He glances at me with a questioning eye. I

it up to the grill. “Is that it? The necklace. That

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

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

he turns his attention back to the photo.

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

it under the grill and Klempner

Something precious?

sits staring at

the necklace

is quiet as he looks up. “Your

in

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still friends

But the monosyllable lacks

seem to notice. “When

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

flushes then swallows. “It's the only one I

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

to

want

you.” Klempner sits silently gazing at the image. “I still have that necklace you know. If you like,

Charlotte's voice trembles. “Why

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

didn't let you keep things like that in

it here. But I can have it sent to you. Perhaps at those

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

at a lip. “I used to hate you.

had nothing to do

father...” He stalls then holds up the photo. “Quid pro

really

sneer flirting over his

James stares back.

to out-stare

I

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

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

“Couldn’t what?”

“Mitch was

that supposed

no capacity to

a look like a blade. “While you do? You mean she

back, folding his arms.

my

“I’m

“But she married him?”

not actually necessary to love someone to

want

that far. But yes, I wanted her.

didn’t want you.” Her voice

not convinced of that either. There was something else.

deduce that she

would she have left

sucks air

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

could be carved in stone. I take her hand again, curling warm fingers around her cold ones. “You don't believe in softening the blow

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

want the truth to be

from him. “And whatever led you to

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