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…

course, Beth. When did you have in mind? I'm free tomorrow afternoon if

Michael. Right now. Can you come? I’m upstairs with James.” She pauses and her voice

a glance, but Charlotte’s

to her.

I tap off my phone then, “Um, Beth’s got something she wants me to look at. I think it

I can. Give me a buzz when you’re

her forehead, squeeze her arm, then

*****

wearing identical

Beth, is David,

Charlotte’s uncle…

wouldn’t

even registered her

Because of her mother…

punched the pair of them, and it

stands awkwardly. “Mr Summerford… Michael… May I

depends on why

again. “First,” he says, “please don't tell anyone else in the family I'm here. Especially

events that had nothing to do

“Yes, I couldn’t speak with Stephen there that time

time since then. I left my

been. And he’s gotten more so with age… He wants to control everything. The

have you come to

“Shelley called me.”

and Richard sit in rigid silence. James’

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

“And the last time?”

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