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!

over her face. “You wanted me as a substitute for her?

it that

To take your revenge on me? Because she

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

is he saying

Admitting this?

leans 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

in the guard's

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

upsetting your visitors, you’ll not

an excuse to

fury glittering there. Just for

The monster…

his features to a more

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

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

what I just

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

from her. “Will you tell me something about

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

What

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

artistic? A painter?

his teeth. “Almost eerily so actually. She could have made a living as an artist had

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

in her chair.

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

bit. “Didn't have it down

a tone like a desert, “Long

“Would you

“Perhaps the next

sets.

you

“Oh… What else?”

“She wore a necklace with one too, a butterfly that is. A little silver thing. Just a trinket, but she was fond of

and closing. Then she dives for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance

to the grill. “Is that it? The necklace. That she’s

closely. “Well, what are the chances? Where the hell did you get hold

missing persons file on my father.” Her

then he turns his attention back to

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

slides it under the grill and Klempner

Something precious?

sits staring

the necklace you were

is.” His voice is quiet as he looks

in

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still

But the monosyllable

seem to notice. “When was

before... before...” He holds up the photo. “Can I keep

“It's the only one

flesh is icy. “It's a copy of

She swings to James. “You're sure?” He nods without

want it, you can have

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

Charlotte's voice trembles. “Why

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

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

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

her hand from mine. “Why would you take

back, chews at a lip. “I

had

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

that really it?”

flirting over his mouth, staring him

James stares back.

to out-stare

did I hear

it fail? Between you and my

like that, yes. But... there was something about her

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch

supposed to mean.

no capacity to

blade. “While you do? You mean she didn't

sits back, folding his arms. “No, she

my

“I’m

“But she married him?”

actually necessary to love someone

want to marry

yes, I wanted

want you.” Her voice drips

was something else. Something stopping her from… from giving

that she had no capacity to

have left you at

air through

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

again, curling warm fingers around her cold

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

truth to be

seems to drain from him. “And whatever led you to

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