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Chapter 54: Hostage, Part 14
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Master's Child Chapter 55: Hostage, Part 15
JamesAnd now, for the first time, I push the door, quiet as I can, looking in. Mitch is there, a pad on her lap, sketching. She sits by Charlotte; sleeping, so pale.No, not pale; pallid.What they did to you...But she's clean and warm and comfortable. And by the side of the bed, within touching distance, also sleeping...Cara...My daughter...And in a chair by the window, a hawk-eyed nurse. What's been happening?Mitch smiles, holding up her pad: a half-drawn sketch, in pastels, of mother and baby. Then she looks me up and down, pulling a face.?I mouth silently. "What?"She nods me to the mirror and I see myself.Oh, My God...Even though I changed, brushed my hair, I can't let Charlotte wake up to see me like this. Or Cara...The eye is not a pretty sight. It's not so swollen now and it's beginning to open again, but the colour, a kind of reverse rainbow in blue, green and sickly yellow, is enough to put anyone off their... milk... There's not t
The Master's Child Chapter 56: Hostage, Part 16
RichardJames and Klempner, heads close, voices low; they stand together at the end of the hall discussing something... I assume Finchby... The bell rings. I don't feel quite comfortable answering the door in someone else's home, but James waves me on, his eyes flicking between me and Klempner.I open the door to find myself face to thunderous face with Will Stanton.For a second or two, I hesitate, blocking the view down the hall. Deliberately raising my voice, "Will... Good to see you." I glance back. Klempner exchanges an alarmed look with James."Richard..." Will Stanton's voice booms through the house. "May I come in?" In the hallway, Will stands, legs akimbo, hands clasped before him, holding his hat, eyes darting in all directions. James, all casual good manners, strolls down, hand proffered. "Will, thank you for calling by. What can we do for you?"Will awards him an old look. "Nice eye patch, James. How did you come by it?"James sucks at his teeth. "Why don'
The Master's Child Chapter 57: Hostage, Part 17
JamesBut downstairs in my playroom, Klempner is nowhere to be seen. Neither is he in the laundry, the boiler room or anywhere else.Finchby has vanished too.Michael regards the empty spot. Clicking a thumbnail against his teeth. "There's only one way he could have gotten out.""Yes, there is. Michael, Klempner knew the tunnel existed. How long d'you think it would have taken him to find it if he was seriously looking?"Hissing through his teeth, he marches across to the hidden exit at the far end of the chamber.A click, the concealed door opens and he vanishes inside.Re-emerging a minute later. "There're drag marks where the floor turns to earth. You want to follow them?""I don't think I do. I'm not sure I want to be responsible for whatever happens to Finchby. Besides, I have more immediate things to do.""Such as?""I have a hard drive to clean up before I deliver it to the police."Michael scratches at forty-eight-hour stubble. "I suspect Finchby may not b
The Master's Child Chapter 58: Hostage, Part 18
The fog swirls outside the window; the light is already dim. Nonetheless, she draws curtains, lights a candle. Then another. The light shimmers over her hair, dances in her eyes.Her hands on my chest once more, "You want this?""Mitch, I've never wanted anything else.""Good," she murmurs. She tugs at my jacket. "Why don't you take this off?" She slides it from my shoulders, hanging it neatly from a hook on the back of the door. "That too." She nods to my pullover.I strip it off along with the undershirt below, moving carefully to avoid straining the wound. Then I stand, skin goosing, hoping that...Mitch chuckles. "Why don't we just get ourselves where it's warm?" She reaches under the bed, and something clicks. She wrinkles her nose at me. "Electric blanket."Despite everything; the years, the waiting, the wanting... something like bashfulness takes me. I've not been celibate in the years between. I've scratched the itch when I needed to. But that's all it was; satisfyi
The Master's Child Chapter 59: Hostage, Part 19
JamesBreakfast time.Charlotte is up and about, refusing to stay in bed. And, while she is still tired, I see no reason to insist on bedrest. Right now, she will do far better for being back at home and enjoying 'family life'.Nonetheless, I've encouraged her to wear a woolly housecoat over the nightie, slippers and bed socks. Hopefully, that will prevent her trying to go outdoors. The fog outside hasn't cleared yet and I don't want the damp settling on her chest.She's too pale. At least, she's always pale, but that's her natural colouring. Right now, there's still that pallid edge to her complexion that I don't care for.Almost a week of being chained in her own shit.Living on crap junk food.Scared half mindless...Blood loss from the birth...Hmmm...Charlotte sits with Cara on her lap, providing her breakfast and Beth sits close by making cooing noises.She'll enjoy a good breakfast...And with that in mind, I'm at the hob with bacon, fried and scrambled
The Master's Child Chapter 60: Hostage, Part 20
KlempnerAt the door, standing ajar, I hesitate, my stomach suddenly dropping away.Have I done enough?With muscles oddly reluctant to move, I tap on the door, very quietly."It's open."I push, and too slowly, the door swings wider.Jenny's sitting in a rocking chair by the window. Her hair, so like her mother's spills over a thick shawl pulled around her shoulders. A warm blanket covers her lap. And her face, while pale, has lost that sheen she had when Michael and I found her.And held in her arms, wrapped in layers of knitted woollens...Cara...Your daughter.My granddaughter.I want to say something. Something appropriate, but I'm not sure what it should be. I abused you...Mistreated you...Took my revenge on you...For something you had no involvement in.And as your gaze rises to me, you smile... "Father..."When did I ever think to see you smile at me?"May I come in?""Of course you can." She adjusts her position, fiddles with the l
The Master's Child Chapter 61: Kirstie's Christmas, Part 1
Three Days Before ChristmasThe clouds, low, dull and grey, match my mood, and I stare out of the passenger window, not wanting to show my disappointment. Sleet spikes down, spitting onto the windscreen and the wipers squeak, leaving white streaks as they arc across the glass.Ryan, from the driver's seat, lays a hand on my thigh. "Cheer up. There'll be others." "I know..." My throat is unreasonably tight. "It just looked so good in the ad. I'd thought maybe..."He cuts in, but the cheerful tone to his voice sounds forced. "Vendors are always going to overegg the cake. It did say, Needs Renovation."I huff. "Needs complete demolition and rebuilding would have been nearer the mark." Then, at his answering silence, I realise how waspish I must have just sounded. "Sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that. It wasn't aimed at you."He squeezes my knee. "I know. Hey, tell you what. We're not far away. Let's go say Hi to the happy family. You can deliver your balloon and you
The Master's Child Chapter 62: Kirstie's Christmas, Part 2
Transfixed on her baby, "She's so beautiful..." she murmurs. "I still can't believe she's real." Her face rises to mine. "Don't you think she's beautiful?"I regard Charlotte's baby daughter. Only a few days old, red-faced and with a thin swirl of dark hair, her dark eyes are vague and she blows small bubbles from her mouth."If I'm truthful, no, I don't think she's beautiful..." Charlotte's jaw falls slack... Then looking around, I realise everyone is staring at me.Oh, crap..."... but I do think she's completely adorable..." I keep talking, trying to rescue myself from my faux pas... "... Like a puppy that you know is one day going to be all silky fur and sleek muscles. But when they're just born, they all look like a furry sausage with a leg at each corner."Richard bursts out laughing. "But people-puppies are never as cute as the real thing? Is that it, Kirstie?""Um..." I mumble. "Something like that."My embarrassment is interrupted by James returning, carrying a h
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The Master's Child Chapter 193: Natale, Part 31
It's cold outside, but Klempner sits on the low terrace wall wearing no more than a thin pullover."Want one of these?" I proffer a coffee, heavily laced with whiskey, topped with thick cream.He startles, but then, "Thank you, James." He doesn't smile. His eyes are soft with melancholy as he stares down, watching October mist curling over the lake."Will you visit the grave?""Yes." The single word isn't followed by any others."When will you go?""Sooner rather than later." He breathes steam and fragrant alcohol. "I'm making arrangements now. The Canadian winter arrives early and in force. It'll be under six feet of snow there very soon, and for the next several months.""Would you mind some company?"He twists to face me. "You want to come?""I'd like to pay my respects to the brave woman for whom my daughter is named."He blinks, nodding as he casts his gaze down. "Thank you, James. I appreciate that.""Charlotte wants to go as well."And now he smiles. I
The Master's Child Chapter 192: Natale, Part 30
JamesFamily...All gathered together around the breakfast table: Michael to the left of Charlotte, I'm to her right, bouncing Cara on my knee while Charlotte takes a break to get some food down her throat. Beyond Michael, Beth feeds Adam, Richard flanking them.Klempner and Mitch sit side by side. She's turned discreetly away, feeding Vicky. Larry watches, still wearing that slightly spaced-out expression...Man-in-shock?For all the right reasons...Charlotte is very quiet. She eats, but her gaze sweeps the table and back again.Once she had nothing...Briefly, her eyes lock with her father's. He cocks his head, eyes full of question, but then her gaze moves on.What's he thinking?It's not hard to figure. Right from the time Klempner arrived back with us, although he's clearly content to be here, he's had an air of... waiting...The Rat-Tat! of the front door rattles down the hall.Michael pushes his chair back. "I'll go." A half-eaten slice of toast in one h
The Master's Child Chapter 191: Natale, Part 29
RichardMy intercom buzzes. "Yes, Francis?""I have the police commissioner on for you, Mr Haswell. He... doesn't sound very happy."I can guess what this is going to be about. I've been waiting for it. "Thanks for the warning, Francis. Put him through please..." The line clicks and reconnects. "Richard?""Good morning, Will. What can I do for you?""I think you can guess why I'm calling you. I'm hearing rumours I don't like. Disturbing rumours.""I believe, Will, that I know which rumours you mean. I've been wanting to discuss them with you. Perhaps you would like to meet for lunch to discuss the matter? Somewhere quiet? ""And away from the office? Yes, I think so."*****The waiter sets a plate in front of each of us, steak in pepper sauce for Will, a prawn souffle for me. He tops up the glasses of Cabernet. "Is there anything else, sir?""No, thank you. That's perfect." I wait until he is out of earshot before I speak. "So, Will...These disturbing rumours?
The Master's Child Chapter 190: Natale, Part 28
KlempnerThe view is restful. Living in Mitch's small apartment, hidden away from the world, does...... I suppose...... constitute 'domestic bliss'. But that's at night. For much of the day, we spend our time in the main family home of Jenny's Triad. The women chatter and gossip. The men alternate between business and banter. One or other of the babies always needs attention...It's exhausting.But when it comes to it, that's not the root of my problem.Retreating from noise and activity and 'family-fun' to the sanctuary of the terrace, I let the view wash away the anxiety gnawing at the back of my mind.It's always the waiting...Give me action and some lunatic with a gun every time...Stay calm...Mist curls over the lake far below. On the slopes close by, every blade of grass is etched with a rime of frost that will thaw to dew when the sun crests the mountain. Further down, the individual blades meld into a smooth sheet of silver that merge into haze and wa
The Master's Child Chapter 189: Natale, Part 27
Two coffeepots later, we've run out of croissants and moved onto toasted muffins. James slices one in two, dropping the halves into the toaster. He pauses, "Another one, Beth?"She's sitting up against the headboard, next to Charlotte, the two propped up against each other, eating from a shared plate. Beth slathers butter and blackberry jam onto what she has. "Thanks, but I'm fine with this, James. I'll not eat again 'til suppertime.""Charlotte?""Mmmm..." She nods, mumbling through a mouthful, wiping a smear of melted butter from the corner of her mouth. She swallows, then holds up half a muffin - minus two bites. "What is it about muffins and bad weather? I always want more of them."James rolls a look at her, then to me, shaking his head...A wise man says nothing...Richard sucks jam from his fingers, lips smacking. "On a complete change of subject... Elizabeth and I were talking..." Beth falls still, her shoulders slumping... "... Please don't take this the wrong way,
The Master's Child Chapter 188: Natale, Part 26
MichaelIt's dark...What woke me?Somewhere down and beside me, the sound of whining. "Scruffy? You need to go out, boy?"At this hour?What the hell time is it?I'm snug and comfortable, draped with a thick duvet. Charlotte, warm and fragrant, sleeps tucked in beside me. Through the curtains, it's pitch-black.Scruffy whines again, this time scratching at the bed.Wonder if he's eaten something he shouldn't?Stretching an arm blindly out beyond the cosy comfort of the blankets, I pat across the side-table, hunting for the light switch. When I find it, as it turns out, it's not Scruffy's habit of eating every bit of rubbish he comes across that is at fault. The clock tells me it's half past seven and my rag-tag mongrel is making a perfectly reasonable request to be let out to relieve the pressures of the night.But outside, there's no sign of daylight and, joys of joys, rain lashes against the window.Goodbye to summer...Scruffy's whining ups by half an octave
The Master's Child Chapter 187: Natale, Part 25
JamesAn orderly tries to block the way, arms outstretched in front of the door. "Sir, you can't..."Klempner simply brushes by him.From beyond, Mitch's voice. "Let him in..."The orderly spins, mouth open. "What? All of them?""Yes!!!! Ah... Fuccckkkk...."The monk's feet skid uselessly over the polished floor as he tries to resist his inexorable forward journey into the delivery room. His voice rises to a wail. "But I'm not a priest. I can't do this." Klempner growls, "I don't care if you're a priest, a rabbi, an imam, or if you ran the Bring-and-Buy at the church garden party. The lady here wants our child born in wedlock. You're going to marry us."Klempner turns his attention to Mitch, lying on her back on the delivery table, yelling her way through another contraction. She flings out an arm, grabbing at his wrist. He winces, but lays his other hand on top. "We'll just let this one pass..."The midwife, checking a bleeping monitor, flashes a look at Mitch. "Yo
The Master's Child Chapter 186: Natale, Part 24
RichardMy mobile bleeps: James.Landed. at airport now. home approx 90 mins. Tell Mitch he's keenElizabeth grins at me as I tap in the reply.don't go home. come city hospital. Mitch in labourThere's a short pause...Elizabeth holds up her hand, counting down silent fingers: Five... Four... Three... Two...... and my mobile bleeps again.When M go into labour?3 hrs doc and midwife say early but all normal all goodWith you ASAP K got taxi flying on wings of fire*****The corridor is painted the required institutional off-white, scraped black in long stripes at trolley-bed height. The lighting is the compulsory harsh fluorescent white. One strip blinks on and off. Signs point off down apparently identical corridors: Intensive Care... Reception... A & E... Chapel and Prayer Room... Radiology... Cardiology... Breast Screening...How many ways is it possible to be sick?Footsteps echo along the corridor; marching footsteps, almost stampeding footsteps.A
The Master's Child Chapter 185: Natale, Part 23
KlempnerAt last, I get some privacy with her. James ushers out Jenny, protesting all the way. Michael leaves too, turning as he exits to give me a kind of approving nod.Haswell poured glasses of champagne, passing them around at their side of the screen, although I did notice that he poured for Mitch from a different bottle. The top of the flute is just in view, spitting the odd bubble over the rim."Are you alone now?"She looks sidelong, off-screen. "Yes, they've gone.""What's Kirstie doing there?""I'm fitting her for her wedding dress. They've set the date for Christmas, remember.""I didn't know that.""Oh... no... Of course you wouldn't." She takes a sip of her bubbly, looking away. "It's been so long. They said you were dead. The police said there was a body.""There was, but not mine."She peers into the screen, searching my face. "How are you? What happened?""I'll tell you sometime, but not now. What's important, is how you are and..." I nod down, bel
