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Chapter 257: Saviours, Part 15
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Mastering Charlotte Chapter 258: Saviours, Part 16, Five Years Ago
"Chad, can I talk to you."His eyes lift to hers. "Hello, Jenny. What is it?""I wanted to tell you, I'm leaving.""I ... kind of expected it." His words come out all in a rush. "Jenny, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault....""When I first came here I thought I was in heaven. It's different now." "You'll want the divorce of course.""Yes, I do. I want to be free. I want my life back.""Just send the papers. I'll sign whatever you need.... You can tell the lawyer to send the bill to me as well. I'll pay it." He bites down on guilt and shame, tries to focus. "What will you do?""I'm not sure. I'll probably go to the City. Find work. Take it from there.""When are you going?""Tomorrow. I just want to leave quietly. You won't tell anyone will you? Not yet anyway.""No, not if you don't want me to. I won't tell anyone."*****The following morning, she rises early, everything already packed. She thinks to leave alone but as she slings the rucksack over her shoulder
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 259: Saviours, Part 17, Five Years Ago
And once more, helpless, we must wait for outside events to catch up.Richard, when we see him, is white-faced. Most of the time he keeps to himself.Not wanting company…?Michael chews at a thumbnail. "Wonder why Corby's first act was to try to attack you? Trying to get you prosecuted over the business with the auction?""Perhaps to take Charlotte's defender out of the picture?" I suggest.His chin juts. "She has two defenders, and they knew that...."Ah, c'mon.... "They came after you with guns." His face falls and he nods me an apology. "Discredit one?" I suggest. "Murder the other. Isolate her?"He nods "Why is she so important to them?"Good question....A very good question...."Her testimony at court is likely to put a lot of people in prison, quite likely for good.""Okay, so she's an important witness. But, that being the case, why haven't they simply murdered her? They've had plenty of opportunity." Richard sweeps in. "Will's on his way. He says he
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 260: Saviours, Part 18
Richard"Under the circumstances," continues Will, "I'm not going to dwell on this too much. All I am going to say is that there is all the motive in the world, for the culprits to try to remove Charlotte, as a witness to much of this, from the picture, and to prevent her giving testimony at court. All aside from the considerable monies made from the trafficking, she is effectively witness to institutionalised murder."And now Michael breaks in. "So why have they not simply murdered her?"He's right........ That would be the usual route with people like this....Why are we not burying Charlotte right now?Will fends him off, raising his hand. "I'm coming to that." He sucks at his cheeks.He looks guilty........ Why?"I have to say," he continues, looking around the table, "that we are missing certain records...."Michael looks enraged, James merely thoughtful.".... Corby may be responsible for that, or it may be that over twenty years or so, they have been misp
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 261: Saviours, Part 19, Five Years Ago
The following night, three dozen small alert bodies lie under their covers, waiting.And in the cold dark hours, there is the sound of scraping and grinding. "Tommy?""Yes, it's me. Just keep quiet and let me know if you hear anyone moving." Two girls dart to the door to the corridor, listening. All is silent save for the slight metallic grinding noise, the rasp of metal biting metal.Somewhere in the building, a toilet flushes."There's someone below you." a piping voice warns.The rasping noise stops.After a few seconds, there are the dull thuds of heavy boots echoing on bare wooden boards and the bang of a door somewhere far off in the building."I think it's alright now."And the noise resumes, a thin quiet fretting sound heard only by those gathered closely around.With the grate and scrape of grit and cement, a bar slides out of its socket. The voice murmurs through the glass. I've got one out. It'll be faster now. I can pick at the cement for the others.
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 262: Saviours, Part 20
JamesNone of us speaks through our journey. We know what we're doing, what our intentions are.And this time, it is almost certainly a question of rescue. What are the chances of Charlotte escaping again? Resourceful though she is....A worry nags at me. I lean back to Richard in the rear seat. "We are sure this is the right place we're going?""Will said that the gunman was anxious to 'be helpful'," he replies. "He knows he's up for twenty to life. It's a question of how comfortable he's going to be for most of the rest of his future. He insisted apparently, that if the underground hideouts are off the menu, this is where they would take the women."I suppose I have to be satisfied with that for now. In any case, we'll soon know.Would Charlotte and Beth's abductors choose something so close out of bravado? To throw us off by misdirection? Thumbing their noses at us? A last 'fuck-you' parting shot? Could the gunman taken from the hotel fire have even been sure that....
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 263: Saviours, Part 21, Five Years Ago
He sits in an armchair by the fireside, a teapot, cup and saucer and a small jug of milk on the table to his side.The room is warm and comfortable, homely, with framed photos displayed on a mantle. One is old, monochrome ageing to yellow of a young couple, smiling and arm-in-arm. Another is of a young red-haired girl. Mr Kalkowski moves slowly, his hair silver and cheeks sunken, but his eyes are bright and dark behind the spectacles.He takes the cup, sighing with enjoyment as he takes his first sip of morning tea, then unfolds the newspaper, shaking it to settle it to a comfortable reading position.And as he sees the headline, he goes still.Child Slavery Scandal - Children's Home Linked to Sex MarketReports are emerging of the escape of up to eighty children from the Blessingmoors Children's Home. Speculation is rife that the children were trafficked from countries worldwide and were destined for the sex market and labour gangs....He reads the article carefully, dr
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 264: Saviours, Part 21
RichardWe arrive under the window ledge. James inches up, looks in and then immediately drops down again, shaking his head and swearing under his breath. "Jeez… She's a fucking lunatic sometimes."Michael huffs. "What's she doing?""Winding them up, drawing them onto her. I think she's enjoying it.""You fucking bastards!" shrieks the voice. "You think you can do me? Let's see if you're up to it...."Michael's eyes meet mine and together we slide up, looking inside.The room is large, Klempner and his men gathered in a group.... And there's Elizabeth.My gut tightens. My beautiful Elizabeth. On the floor, hunched in on herself, arms wrapped around her knees she rocks herself. Her eyes are swollen with weeping, fiercely red against her pale face.She's terrified........ and Charlotte will keep her that way....Keep up the pretence....But the fear on her face is being nudged over by disbelief at what she sees. And at least for now, she's safe. Everyone is ignorin
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 265: Saviours, Part 22, Five Years Ago
A car crunches up the track, pulling into the yard. Mrs Collier looks out from the kitchen to see a uniformed police officer stepping out. She emerges, wiping soapy hands on a cloth."Afternoon officer. Is there something we can do for you?""Good afternoon Mrs…?""Collier.""Thank you." He takes a notebook from a pocket, jotting into it. "Good afternoon Mrs Collier. I'm looking for someone, a young woman by the name of Jennifer Conners. I understand she lives at this address. Is she around?""Jenny? No, she's not here." Mrs Collier frowns, pursing her lips. "Is she in some sort of trouble?""Nothing to worry about." The officer's smile is tight and somehow, not pleasant. "I just need a word with her. Got a couple of things we need to clear up. Where would I find her?" He swings his head around the yard, eyes invisible behind dark glasses."As I said, she's not here,"Something subtle shifts in his manner, an air almost of menace. He flips back a couple of sheets in the
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