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…
did you have in mind? I'm free
you come? I’m upstairs with James.” She pauses
slip a glance, but Charlotte’s
say anything to her. Just come
she wants me to look at. I think it might be more of those damn papers from her uncle. Can you
eyes dancing. “What, more of them? Course I can. Give me a buzz when you’re done, and
her forehead, squeeze her arm, then head
*****
there, wearing identical expressions. Arms folded, eyes
sitting by Beth, is David, the
Charlotte’s uncle…
they wouldn’t
registered her
Because of her mother…
left their house that time, I could have cheerfully punched the pair of them, and it must show
Michael… May I call
on why
anyone else in the family I'm
see no reason to welcome this man who rejected my wife for events that had nothing to do with her. So, still standing, “As you wish. Why are you here? Is there something
doesn’t meet my eye. “Yes, I couldn’t speak with Stephen
any time since then. I
with age… He wants to control everything. The first thing he did was
Kimberley, what have you come to
“Shelley called me.”
room. Beth and Richard sit in rigid silence. James’ eyes,
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
“And the last time?”
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!