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 a substitute

it that way,

what? To take your revenge

arms, his face almost touching the grill. “You got it right the

is he saying all

Admitting this?

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.

to stand behind Klempner, poking

is something in the guard's stance; something in

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

you’ll not

an excuse

fury glittering

The monster…

before he schools his features to a more normal expression;

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

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

about what I just saw, but my thoughts

her chair. She and Klempner eye-ball each other. After long seconds

you tell me something about my mother?” There’s pleading in her

looking into some far distance. “She had a thing for

A thing? What

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

was artistic? A

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

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

back in her

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

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

a tone like a

“Would you

“Perhaps the next time you come

sets. “Why

you to visit

“Oh… What else?”

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

scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a raised brow. He glances at me with

photograph, holding it up to the grill. “Is

what are the chances? Where the hell did

persons file on my father.” Her hand

he turns his attention back to the photo. “I'd like a closer

Charlotte passes it to him. He gives it a cursory

slides it under the grill and Klempner

Something precious?

sits staring

the necklace you

Yes, it is.” His voice is quiet as he looks up. “Your father gave

him in the

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still

the

to notice. “When was it? Where

the end, before... before...” He

“It's the

“It's

to James. “You're

if you want it, you can have

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

trembles. “Why do you

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

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

I have it here. But I can have it sent to you. Perhaps at those Haswell offices where you spend so

from mine. “Why would you take that kind of trouble?

back, chews at a lip.

something I had nothing to do

photo. “Quid

that really

flirting over his mouth,

James stares back.

try to out-stare a

I hear

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

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

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch was damaged

supposed to mean.

had no capacity

blade. “While you do? You

sits back, folding his arms. “No, she

loved my father

“I’m not convinced of

“But she married him?”

actually necessary to love

want

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

didn’t want you.”

There was something else.

you deduce that she had no capacity

she have left you at

sucks air through

arms resting on the counter. “She knew I had you. She knew

could be carved in stone. I take her hand again, curling warm fingers around

thought you came to talk; to ask me what happened. Do you want the truth or do you want a fairy

want the truth to be a fairy

him. “And whatever led you to think life is like

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