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
could put it that
revenge on me? Because she left
almost touching the grill. “You got it right the first time. I wanted you as a substitute for
he
Admitting this?
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
stand behind Klempner, poking a baton between his shoulders. “Behave
guard's stance; something in his
He dislikes Klempner?
Really dislikes him?
Something personal?
And Klempner’s face…
you’ll not
excuse
fury glittering there.
The monster…
a
Apparent meekness.
Apparent obedience.
All fake.
What’s going on?
“Calm down,” he
want to think about what I just saw, but my thoughts are cut
shuffles in her chair. She and Klempner eye-ball each other. After
tell me something about my mother?” There’s pleading in her voice. “Something
inclines, eyes unfocusing, seemingly looking into some far distance.
thing? What do you
liked butterflies. 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 her
was artistic? A painter? A good
He sucks at his teeth. “Almost eerily so actually. She could have made a living as
words. Klempner regards her, then continues, “She always seemed
sits back in her chair.
sucks in his cheeks, looking amused. “What’s
mumbles a bit. “Didn't have it down as a pyjamas kind of
like a desert, “Long
eyes lift to his. “Would you tell me about
muses. “Perhaps the next time you come to
sets. “Why
encourage you
“Oh… What else?”
distant look again. “She wore a necklace with one too, a butterfly that is. A little silver thing. Just a trinket, but she was fond of
sits back, her mouth opening and closing. Then she dives for her bag, scrabbling inside. Klempner watches the performance with a raised brow.
something; the photograph, holding it up to the grill. “Is that it? The
glances, then stiffens, looking more closely. “Well, what are the chances? Where the hell did you get hold of
in some old records… The missing persons file on my father.” Her hand is shaking. “Is that it? The necklace she’s
eyes narrowing, then he turns his attention back
snaps fingers at the photo. Charlotte passes it to him. He gives it a
slides it under the grill and Klempner takes
Something precious?
sits staring at
necklace you were talking
His voice is quiet as he looks
in the
“Yes, that’s Conners.”
still
the monosyllable lacks
to notice. “When was it? Where
before... before...” He holds up the
“It's the only
flesh is icy. “It's a copy of the original. James can make
She swings to James. “You're sure?” He nods
you want it, you
image. “I still have that necklace you know. If you
voice trembles. “Why do
it to your mother. Since she's not here, I suppose that makes it rightfully
wavering, “I thought they didn't let you
I didn’t say I have it here. But I can have it
“Why would you take that
sits back, chews at a lip. “I used to
something I had nothing
holds up the photo. “Quid pro quo. You
that really
his arms, a sneer flirting over his mouth, staring him
James stares back.
to
I
did it fail?
a long pause before speaking. “It ended like that, yes. But... there was
“Couldn’t what?”
shrugs. “Mitch
that supposed to
had no capacity to
“While you do? You
folding his
loved my
head tilts. “I’m not
“But she married him?”
to love someone
you want to marry
wanted her. I wanted
want you.” Her
not convinced of that either. There was something else. Something stopping
that, you deduce that she had no capacity
she have left you at
sucks air through
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
to ask me what happened. Do you want the truth or do
the truth to be a fairy
whatever led you to think life is
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Novel Masters & Lovers Box Set Three has been updated Chapter 23 with many climactic developments What makes this series so special is the names of the characters ^^. If you are a fan of the author Simone Leigh, you will love reading it! I'm sure you won't be disappointed when you read. Let's read the novel Masters & Lovers Box Set Three Chapter 23 now HERE.
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Chapter 23 novel Masters & Lovers Box Set Three