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…
in mind? I'm free
I mean right now, Michael. Right now. Can you come? I’m upstairs with James.” She
penetrates. I slip a glance, but Charlotte’s occupied with something on her laptop, not
to her. Just come
I'm 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
them? Course I can. Give me a buzz when you’re
forehead, squeeze her
*****
there, wearing identical
sitting by Beth, is David, the younger of Mitch’s
Charlotte’s uncle…
wouldn’t acknowledge
registered
Because of her mother…
house that time, I could have cheerfully punched the pair of them, and it must show on my
“Mr Summerford… Michael… May
depends on
tell anyone else in the family I'm here. Especially Stephen. My
to do with her. So, still
I couldn’t speak with
could have phoned me any time
He’s inflexible. Always has been. And he’s gotten more so with age… He wants to
Kimberley, what have you
“Shelley called me.”
room. Beth and Richard sit in rigid
times over the years. At first when she wanted to come back home. She said she was frightened by something. Stephen wouldn’t even consider her returning. But she still rang from time to time. Stephen always hung up on her and she called less as time went on. Eventually, she stopped
“And the last time?”
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