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
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
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
MichaelCharlotte gapes, stammering.... "But.... I stabbed him. They told me he was dead…""He died, yes, but not of a stab wound. He was chasing you, and it sounds as though you gave him a good run for his money. He followed you halfway across town, over the old river bridge, and died nearly two miles away...."She's bobbing her head as I speak, Michael eyeing her carefully.Replaying events?".... He chased you through the traffic and went under the wheels of a truck, a twenty-wheeler. It dragged him some distance before the driver managed to stop the vehicle."Richly deserved too....… Terrorising children....She gawks at the top item on the sheaf I've given her, but I'm not sure how much she's seeing. I spell it out for her. "By the time they'd pulled out what was left of him, a stab wound inflicted by a fourteen-year-old girl would have been the least of his injuries. Certainly, it didn't show up in the autopsy report. Witnesses at the time reported him, appare
MichaelCharlotte, very subdued, all but silent, is making coffee. "Would you like some, Michael?"Not really...."I'd love some. Thanks."She nods, but the smile I hope for isn't there. As she places cup, saucer and coffee jug on a tray, even across the kitchen, I see her trembling fingers."Is that for James?"She nods, biting her lip, then takes the tray.Quietly, hanging back, I follow her to the lounge where James, unspeaking, has been brooding for the last two days."I brought you coffee, Master."His voice is joyless, flat. "Leave it on the table.""I'm going for a walk, on the beach. Would you like to come with me?""No," he replies, dismissing her with his voice.What the fuck's he playing at?.... This simply isn't necessaryHer footsteps cross the floor and hastily I back away from the door, retreating out of sight.Five minutes later, she passes me in the hall, her eyes swollen. "I'm going for a walk."Mustering as much cheer as I can, "Wa
Michael"And how long have you been there?" asks James.She blushes. "Um, quite a while.... er.... I got back from my walk.... I was coming in, but you were rowing and...."Blinking hard, flushed, James offers her a hand, helping her upright. "You'd better come in."Ah.... fuck...."I'm sorry, Charlotte," I say, "I didn't mean you to hear all that.""I could hardly avoid it," she says. "The sound carried half-way down the beach.""Charlotte, I'm.… I'm sorry," says James, "Michael has given me a lot to think about....".... Finally showing a little grace...."... If you'll excuse me..." And he leaves."Oh, for pity's sake…" And I bring my fist down on the table with a crash.Charlotte recoils...."… Um, sorry, that wasn't aimed at you. It's just frustration," I say."I know."Taking her in my arms, I rock with her. She leans into me, her head against my chest. "When did this all become so complicated?" she says.When did it?"When you fell in love with my
JamesYou… at my feet, weeping and begging forgiveness for not trusting me.….... Michael was right, it's me, not you.Charlotte flinches, but holds her position.Her slit is pink and displayed; open to me. Normally she would be glistening and scented of her arousal, but not now. She's dry.Fuck her dry?I'm not interested. I don't want to fuck her.I want to make her hurt....… Make you scream....Make you pay....Watch you limp for days....I stand over her, looking down. "You're trembling.""Sorry, Master.""You're afraid?""A little, yes, Master.""Of me? Of what I'm going to do?""Yes.""You still want to do this?""If it makes it right between us, yes, I want to do this."We'll see....Casting around, looking for something suitable, I spot my tie. Doubling it over a couple of times, "Open your mouth."She obeys, and I push the tie in. "Between your teeth. I don't want you biting your tongue."I make no attempt to touch her, to restrain
James".... I was unprepared for the.... tumult in me.… when...."I wonder if she'll hesitate, be made nervous by my confession, but she chuckles, a low rumble through her chest that trembles against my face. ".... when I'm not your perfectly obedient little sub?"Laughing, relieved....We understand each other now...."Touché, Madam. Yes, if I'm honest, that's part of it.""It's alright, Master. We're both learning to deal with things....".... Yes, we are....I sit up again, wanting to read her face as much as her words. "So, you were with the family at the farm, but you weren't happy there?"She purses her lips, frowning. "Um, no… That's not really true. Living with them was way, way better than what I'd had before. It's just that I don't think they knew what to make of me. I'm really not sure how they came to have me in the first place. I mean, if the traffickers just wanted me out of the way, how did I end up with a family like that?""They didn't tell you them