I drive. James stretches out his bad leg in the passenger seat. “Well, that was weird,” I comment.
James grunts.
In the rear mirror, Charlotte stares out of the window. “You okay?”
She keeps staring. Tonelessly, “The same thing happened to him as to me. He was scared. He stabbed someone. He ran.”
James swivels in his seat, stabbing a finger towards her. “It is not the same, Charlotte. All aside from the detail that he was responsible for you being in that position, however bad a start to life you both had, you both had choices afterwards. You made choices that turned you into a strong admirable woman. He made choices that took him down the path of slaver and multiple murderer. He could have turned from it at any point and he chose not to do so.”
*****
Michael
I tap on her office door. “Hi, it’s only me.”
Charlotte looks up from her desk. “Is it that time already?”
“Yup. Ready for home?”
“Sure. Let me just…”
My mobile buzzes. It’s Beth.
Not like her to call me out of the blue…
“Hi, Beth. What can I do for you?”
“Hi Michael. Um, could you spare me some time?”
Oh, God…
Not more bloody papers…
have in
right now, Michael. Right now. Can you come? I’m upstairs with James.” She pauses and her voice
tone penetrates. I slip a glance, but Charlotte’s occupied
her.
on my way.” I tap off my phone then, “Um, Beth’s got something she wants me to look at. I think it might be more of those damn papers from her uncle. Can you keep yourself busy
flashes teeth at me, eyes dancing. “What, more of them? Course I can.
I kiss her forehead, squeeze her arm, then head
*****
are both there, wearing identical expressions. Arms folded,
is David, the younger of Mitch’s two
Charlotte’s uncle…
they wouldn’t
even registered
Because of her mother…
that time, I could have cheerfully punched the pair of them, and it must
“Mr Summerford… Michael… May
on
anyone
wife for events that had nothing to do with her. So, still standing, “As you wish. Why are you
my eye. “Yes, I couldn’t speak
time
And he’s gotten more so with age… He wants to control everything. The
what have
“Shelley called me.”
I look around the room. Beth and Richard sit in
something. Stephen wouldn’t even consider her returning. But she still rang from time to time. Stephen
“And the last time?”
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!