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…

you have in

I’m upstairs with James.” She pauses and her voice lowers. “Are you

but Charlotte’s occupied with something

anything to her. Just come

she wants me to look at. I think it might be

I can.

her arm, then head for the

*****

both there, wearing identical expressions. Arms folded, eyes narrowed,

Beth, is David, the younger of Mitch’s two

Charlotte’s uncle…

wouldn’t acknowledge

registered

Because of her mother…

cheerfully punched the pair of them, and it

Michael… May I

on

equally awkwardly, and seats himself again. “First,” he says, “please don't tell anyone

sit. I 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 you would like to tell

doesn’t meet my eye. “Yes, I couldn’t speak with Stephen there that

time since then. I

And he’s gotten more so with age… He wants

Kimberley, what have you

“Shelley called me.”

the room. Beth and Richard sit in rigid

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

“And the last time?”

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