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!

her face. “You wanted me as a substitute

put it that

your revenge

face almost touching the grill. “You got it right the first time. I wanted you as

he saying

Admitting this?

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.

moves 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…

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

an excuse to cut

sidelong, fury glittering there. Just for

The monster…

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

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

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

to think about what I just saw,

her chair. She and Klempner eye-ball each other. After long seconds he says, “So what would you like to

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

head inclines, eyes unfocusing, seemingly looking into some far distance. “She had

thing? What do

just there.” He reaches back,

was artistic? A painter? A

“Almost eerily so

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

sits back in her

pyjamas.” He sucks in his cheeks,

have it down as

like a

to his. “Would you tell

he muses. “Perhaps the next time you come

face sets. “Why not

encourage you

“Oh… What else?”

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

watches the performance with a raised brow.

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

then stiffens, looking more closely. “Well, what are the chances?

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

her, his eyes narrowing, then he turns his attention

Charlotte passes it to him. He

it under the grill and Klempner

Something precious?

then sits staring

that the necklace

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

him in

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

you still

the

seem to notice. “When was it? Where

end, before... before...” He holds up

then swallows. “It's the only one I

icy. “It's a copy of the original. James

mine. She swings to

if you want it, you can

still have that necklace you know. If you like, you

voice trembles.

mother. Since she's not here, I

let

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

her hand from mine. “Why would you take that kind

a lip. “I used

something I had

the photo. “Quid pro

really it?” asks

a sneer flirting over his mouth, staring

James stares back.

try to

I hear

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

holds her eyes for a long pause before speaking. “It ended like that, yes. But... there was something about her well

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch

that supposed to mean.

had no capacity to

a look like a blade. “While

sits back, folding his arms. “No,

loved my

head tilts. “I’m not convinced of

“But she married him?”

actually necessary to love someone to marry

want to marry

far. But yes, I wanted her.

want you.” Her voice

that either. There was something else. Something stopping

from that, you deduce that she had

would she have left you at

air through his

forward again, folded arms resting on the counter. “She knew I had you. She knew where you would be. But she never

hand again, curling warm fingers around her cold ones. “You don't believe in softening the blow

talk; to ask me what happened. Do you want the truth

truth

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

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