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!

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

could put it that

revenge on me? Because she

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

is he saying all

Admitting this?

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

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

is something in the guard's stance;

He dislikes Klempner?

Really dislikes him?

Something personal?

And Klempner’s face…

visitors, you’ll not be getting any more of

an excuse to cut his

glittering there. Just for

The monster…

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

Apparent meekness.

Apparent obedience.

All fake.

What’s going on?

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

to think about what I just saw, but my

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

me something about my

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

A thing? What

She had a small tattoo on the back of her shoulder, just there.” He reaches back, tapping behind himself. “And she’d painted one on the wall of

artistic? A painter? A good

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

then continues, “She always seemed

sits back in her chair.

cheeks, looking

mumbles a bit. “Didn't have it down

tone like

lift to his. “Would

next time you come to see

face sets. “Why not

encourage you to visit

“Oh… What else?”

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

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

it up to the grill. “Is that

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

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

eyes narrowing, then he turns his attention back to the photo. “I'd like

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

the grill

Something precious?

then sits staring

the necklace

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

in the

“Yes, that’s Conners.”

still

the

to notice. “When was it? Where was

“Towards the end, before... before...” He holds up the photo. “Can

swallows. “It's the only one

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

into mine. She swings to James. “You're sure?”

if you want

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

trembles. “Why do you have

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

thought they didn't let you keep things like that

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

bolt upright, dragging her hand from mine. “Why would you take that

at a lip. “I used to

had nothing

“Quid

that really

his arms, a sneer flirting over his

James stares back.

to

did I hear

it fail? Between you

long pause before speaking. “It ended like that, yes. But... there was something

“Couldn’t what?”

shrugs. “Mitch

that supposed to

no capacity to

a blade. “While

sits back, folding his arms.

my father

head tilts. “I’m not convinced

“But she married him?”

to love someone to marry

you want to marry

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

you.” Her voice drips

There was something else. Something stopping

from that, you deduce that she

would she have

sucks air

resting on the counter. “She knew I had you. She knew where you would be. But she never came for you. I believed she would.

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

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

truth

to drain from him. “And whatever led you

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