Share
Chapter 138: Confidants, Part 17
Related chapters
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 139: Champions, Part 1
James"I killed a man."Charlotte's voice is barely above a whisper, but her words ricochet inside my head. Reflexively, my chair grating backwards over the expensive flooring, I stand, staring down at her, thunderstruck.Richard's eyes follow me, solemn and giving no clue to his thoughts. His voice impassive, "Go on."She doesn't look at me, or at him. Her eyes are wide and staring, seeing other times, other places perhaps. And her skin has a pallor beyond her usual paleness."I was fourteen. It was at the home. There was a man…" Her words stumble, and she swallows hard, licking her lips. Richard reaches for a jug and pours water. "As the girls got older, and sometimes the boys.... they would take them away...."Richard slides a glass of water across his desktop to her, and she gulps it down, spluttering between swallows."He took me out, tried to get me into his car. He was telling me that I was being taken to a party where.... He was enjoying telling me what they we
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 140: Champions, Part 2
MichaelAs I step from the elevator into the lobby, the sniffing Charlotte tucked under my arm, Ross meets me....Of course…… he was there the other night, when we learned about Blessingmoors....How much do they tell him…?His voice low, "I moved your car to the rear underground; more private for you." He nods down to the weeping Charlotte. "Come on, I'll show you where it is."I get her in the passenger seat, then move around to the driver's side. Ross says, "I heard you all talking about Blessingmoors the other night." He touches my arm. "Try not to worry. From what Francis told me, I think Mr Haswell has decided to help her, and she's not going to have a more powerful ally than that...."Trying to speak quietly enough for Charlotte not to hear me, "If she's up for a murder charge, I don't think he can help with that, can he?"Ross shrugs. "We all know the stories about Blessingmoors. I'll give long odds it was self-defence...."*****RICHARDJames paces the r
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 141: Champions, Part 3
James"The bones of her story stand up, but there are some differences," comments Will Stanton, police commissioner, waving a yellowed report, one of many from the stack of fading files and folders he has with him."It was before my time in the job, but the records show that Charles Jenkins, supervisor at Blessingmoors, died while in pursuit of one Jennifer Conners, then a fourteen-year-old… um.... inmate, of Blessingmoors. Whilst giving chase he was hit by a truck, pulled under, then dragged some distance."He takes another fading paper, brown at the edges, from the top of the stack, pushing it across to Haswell. "The autopsy lists cause of death as multiple injuries resulting from that event. No mention is made of any stab wound."The girl was recaptured two days later and returned to Blessingmoors as per the normal practice at the time. This was not the first time she had been in police hands. She had made numerous attempts to run away and was described as a trouble-maker: d
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 142: Champions, Part 4
MichaelShe looks back over her shoulder, then turns for a better view. "It's a bit ramshackle. I don't remember it looking like that.""No, we're around the back side. I think they ran out of money for their renovations. They don't get so many tourists up here, the last few years, after the Crash."I have to say this…But how? Without upsetting her?.... Babe, I'm here....I always will be...."Charlotte, I can't begin to guess what's going through your head right now...."Her head held low, she looks up at me. Her hair is partially covering her face, swept there by the breeze, and I wonder if she is deliberately allowing it to stay there, hiding her expression.".... You must feel that all your worst dreams have returned to haunt you...."Her eyes are glossing again, but this needs to be said.She must know this........ know it in her bones....".... but understand this: if your worst fears were to come true, and I don't believe they will, but if they did…
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 143: Champions, Part 5
Michael"What's funny?" I ask."I've never seen you in PJs before.""I thought it was more appropriate right now; didn't want you to feel pressured.""I don't.... Michael, thank you.""For what?""For being here."I kiss her forehead. "Always." She's feeling better, but she looks awful. "Would you like me to run you a bath? You'll feel better if you're clean.""That would be nice."There's no shortage of expensive oils and salts in the bathroom and I tip plenty in, making the water foamy and as much of a treat as possible."Want me to keep you company?""Mmm… I'd rather just be quiet and have a soak. Is that alright?""If you're alright, yes, of course it is."Charlotte smiles through swollen eyes, patting my chest with her palm. I kiss her. "Try to relax."She does seem fairly calm, so I leave her with it, but stand the door ajar.Downstairs, I pace, stare out of the windows, then pace again. Normally the sea calms me, but today....I make coffee for t
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 144: Champions, Part 6
MichaelThe video flickers to blackness. Throat tight, I stare at the blank screen.Christ… .... What have we done?She was raised, treated like stock, threatened with gang-rape at the point of a knife. And then James and I....Oh… God........You came back, Babe........ Why?Why did you come back?Numbly I sit, sorting through my disordered thoughts. After a few minutes, Charlotte returns, sitting next to me, her face calm.Does she know what I'm thinking?I hope not…She's handling this better than I am........ She's had time to get used to it…… I suppose...."What was going through your head when you did that?" I ask. "When you stood, naked on that podium, and they bid for you?"She sucks at her lips. "Um, I was a bit spaced-out actually. Mainly, I was thinking that the numbers I was hearing were more money than I'd ever seen in my life, and half of it was mine. All I had to do was keep my nerve for a week...."Her voice chokes.... "It all se
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 145: Champions, Part 7
Richard"Perhaps he's nervous of you?""Me?""Yes, you. He knows perfectly well that you could dismiss him on the spot."I huff. "I don't need to dismiss him. He has no contract yet. It's not signed.""No?""No. I held off when I first began to sense something was wrong. If I ordered James out of the building right now, he'd have no comeback at all.""And you wonder why he might be nervous? He must have put a lot of work into what he's done for you.""Yes, he has. And that's what's at the forefront of my mind. James may be a loser at judging people, but as engineer-architect, he's phenomenal."She smiles. "So, are you going to tell him that? That you're keeping him?"I take a pace or two, then sniff. "Yes, but not yet. It'll do him good to sweat awhile.""There's no real harm done is there? You do think Charlotte is innocent?" "She is clearly innocent. Even on the slightest investigation, her story stood up. And with what I've learned from Will about Charles Je
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 146: Champions, Part 7
MichaelI find both Richard and James in the study, the air a little stale after the room being closed up all summer.Richard collates papers, looking cheerful. James grim-faced and melancholy, sits in an armchair by the window, gazing out distractedly."Morning, James. Morning, Richard."James glances at me, gives a curt nod and looks away again."Good morning, Michael. It's a beautiful morning, isn't it," says Richard."I'm hoping so. Can I take it you have good news?""You can, yes. Is Charlotte here?""She's upstairs, asleep. She's done little enough of that over the last couple of days. I wanted to leave her in bed as long as possible and certainly, until I've heard what's coming so I can prepare her.""She'll be fine, Michael, at least so far as any police investigation is concerned." He eye-points me at James.Trouble brewing…?.... As if she needed it....Ross enters, carrying a tray with coffee and juice. "In here, sir?"Just give it to me, Ross. I'll
Latest chapter
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 293: Family, Part 21
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 292: Family, Part 20, Three Years Ago
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 291: Family, Part 19
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 290: Family, Part 18
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 289: Family, Part 19
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 288: Family, Part 18
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 287: Family, Part 17
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 286: Family, Part 16, The Present
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 285: Family, Part 15, The Present
