RichardThe Threesome arrives, Michael holding Charlotte's hand, James following, storm clouds behind his eyes.Elizabeth, ever the good hostess, rises to greet them as Ross shows them in. "Hello, Michael," she smiles at him. "Hello Charlotte, James.""Hi, Beth, lovely to see you." Michael releases his hold on Charlotte for a brief moment then takes Elizabeth by the shoulders, gives her a quick peck on the cheek and backs away, returning to his contact with Charlotte.James, unusually for him, though understandably enough, is quiet. He knows he could be in deep shit…What would the actual charge be? Procurement?I am beginning to realise that Michael is seldom a talker, so his silence is less noticeable. And while I notice that her glance drifts occasionally towards him, Elizabeth is an absolute star, keeping Charlotte talking with chit-chat and inconsequential gossip.I watch him, how careful he is of Charlotte, always watching her, hovering protectively. As does Jame
RichardCharlotte's stiff manner returns. Sitting bolt upright, arms crossed over her chest, her words are tightly enunciated. "Because on the half dozen or so occasions I ran away from Blessingmoors, every single time, the police caught me and took me in...." There is real venom in her tone now. ".... and regardless of anything I tried to say to them, delivered me right back there to have the shit beaten out of me."Can hardly blame her........ Wonder how many times that happened?His voice quiet, Will plucks with finger and thumbs at his lower lip. .... Guilt?"So… why did you agree to help us at all?""Because Mr Haswell asked me to."What?Will blinks, pointing at me with his fork. "Mr Haswell? Richard here?" I turn my face down to my meal, not wanting to meet her eye while I think this through.... Under the table, Elizabeth's hand rests on my thigh."Yes," she says.A loaded syllable if ever there was one....Will has put down his fork, alternating b
RichardWill sucks the top of his pen, nodding. I continue, "She came up fighting and took some very hard choices to build herself a future. Think about Blessingmoors and what we know about what went on there. Can you imagine what was going through her head when she auctioned herself? She knew what she could be letting herself in for. But that didn't stop her. She saw what she needed to do, and she carried it through. And you're right. I do admire her. She's got guts. So, I'm not going to apologise if I tried to smooth her way a little."There is a squeeze at my fingers and I realise Elizabeth has my hand. As I turn, her eyes are smiling.Will looks a little taken aback at my speech. His voice mild, "Alright, Richard. I've got the message. Let's try and take this a bit further, eh..."He returns to Charlotte, who is no longer flicking through papers. Instead, the file lying forgotten on the tabletop, she is holding a photograph. It's very small, perhaps a passport photo origina
The door slams open and Jenny tumbles through, almost losing her footing but making it down the stone steps before she falls."You're lucky we don't just slit your throat and have done. For some reason, Mr Klempner wants you alive."The door closes again, and the darkness is absolute. Arms outstretched and reaching with her toes, she feels for the walls, then slides down to the floor.And she waits........ For what…?Lying in the blackness, she stares up at nothing, humming to herself....It makes no difference if her eyes are open or closed.She shivers against the chill, but it's just a reaction. She doesn't feel it. No more than she notices anymore the sweetish smell that crawls through the air.There is the sound of scratching, something scurrying. She does notice that, quickly sitting up, arms wrapped around her knees, hugging herself against the scurriers.And there in the dark, she sits, humming quietly. A tuneless, introverted melody that fills her ears with
JamesOnce they are out of sight, I join Richard, where he is standing by, watching Stanton directing operations.Already two men are marking out an area some twenty yards square, roping it off as they go. The geophys team are setting up their equipment...."Magnetic survey?" I ask Richard. "Ah-ha. The ground was thoroughly disturbed during the original demolition and flattening of the area. Hopefully, this way we can find the cellar before we bring in the Cats and the diggers.""Is that why you're hanging around?""They're my diggers," he huffs, but then, "No, not really. It just feels like something that.... I don't know....""Something that should be witnessed?"He nods. "That's about it, yes."Two ops with their magnetic contraptions start at opposite ends of the marked-off area, pacing in a steady, practised way. "I don't think there's much you can offer here right now," says Richard. "Perhaps you'd be better going to see if Charlotte's alright?"*****At Mi
James"Mr Alexanders! This is a crime scene." It's Will Stanton's voice, sharp with rebuke and anger. "Will you kindly leave immediately." His flashlight aimed directly at me, he is merely an indistinct silhouette against the glare."Yes, of course," I mutter. "My apologies. I was leaving anyway."He walks up to me, footsteps scratching on the stone. "Have you touched anything? Disturbed anything?" And now I can see him, his face etched into hard-edged shadows."No, I was just looking. I wanted to see.... Where they had her.... It's like a living death." I look back to the disturbed patches of earth and his torch beam follows. "Are those…?" I can't finish the sentence.He mellows, sounding more sympathetic. "We think so, yes. Forensics are on their way.... It's hard to imagine, isn't it? Locking up kids in a place like this."Nausea rises, my gut clenching.Jade.... what did they do to you? .... How much of this do you remember?"I'm going to see to the bastards that
JamesAs we step into the room, Charlotte falters and instantly, Michael is there, her hand in his again........ and I follow, staying quiet."It's mirrored glass," says Will. "They can't see you." He nods across to the uniformed officer standing by. "And there are plenty of us around for you."She nods acknowledgement then stands and looks.On the other side of the glass stand nine men, broadly similar in looks and dress, all blank-faced, staring straight ahead.She surveys them, her gaze flicking from face to face, then points "That's him.""You sure of that?" says Will. "You don't want to think about it?""No, I'm sure. That's him."Will head-points Michael to take her out. He's looking tired, strained, with dark shadows under his eyes. But he tugs gently at her hand. "Let's get something to eat, eh?""She's going to make an excellent witness," comments Will after they leave."Yes?""Yes. Very sure of herself. She pulled Lauriz straight out of that line-up.
Richard"James, are you quite well?"He's pale, unsettled, and his concentration isn't on the job in hand. He isn't well. That's perfectly plain, but I'm not sure exactly what is bothering him....Restless, he stands, then sits, then stands again, swiping a hand through his hair.He wants to talk....I wait...."Richard.... I was down there, in that cellar."What the fuck....?"How...?""Never mind. I was there"What is the right thing to say here…?.... Damned if I know...."Not a pleasant place I imagine, a cellar?""No, it's not. But it's more than that. Richard, it looks as though there are.... remains.... down there, buried at the far end...."For a few seconds, what he's saying to me doesn't make sense.Remains…?.... Human remains?"James, you mean…? And that's where Charlotte was imprisoned? And the other children?""Yes, I can't stop thinking about how she must have felt.... "This isn't the James I'm used to. He normally seems so.... unto