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Chapter 83: Predator, Part 3
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Master's Child Chapter 84: Predator, Part 4
James"So... Tell me." Klempner leans over my shoulder, peering in at my screen.Mitch has followed us in. She stands in the background, listening in silence. I rub at the top of my nose. "I can tell you for a start that the contents of Finchby's hard drive turn my stomach."He cocks a brow. "Really?""Really. He had some exotic vices and the image files to go with it." I eye-point back beyond his office door. "I don't want the women seeing any of this. It would give Charlotte nightmares."In the background, Mitch huffs. Klempner shakes his head. "You seem surprised, James."His tone nettles me. "Klempner, you don't have to talk to me as though I'm stupid, or a child."He jerks up again to look me in the face. "I don't believe you to be either stupid or a child, James. But I do believe I have a much better idea than you of what people are actually capable of doing to each other."His expression hardens. "What was done to Jenny was deliberate. It was intended to abuse
The Master's Child Chapter 85: Predator, Part 5
MichaelDon't lash out...Keep your temper..."Larry, can I have a word?"He looks up from his reading. "Of course. What can I do for you, Michael?""Firstly...." I toss the wretched penguin pullover at him. One-handedly he catches it mid-air. "... You left it on the bed. Why were you in our bedroom? Mine, James' and Charlotte's. A bedroom is private space."His forehead wrinkles. "I was watching for Baxter. That's the best room in the house for the view over the mountain. The best look-out post. And..." He holds up palms... "... after you'd let me see what you keep in the basement... "Blackie, lying by his feet, whines. Klempner himself appears genuinely baffled.Clueless...And he does have a point about the playroom...Let it pass..."Alright, let's try this then. Why are you looking at the hotel register?" I point down to the ledger on the windowsill in front of him and... some paper he is holding against it, an invoice or some such. "More to the point, why d
The Master's Child Chapter 86: Predator, Part 6
JamesFor all her recent illness and the slightly odd positioning of the side-saddle, Charlotte sits atop Charlie with the skill of the accomplished rider and almost as we exit, kicks her heels, moving Charlie from a walk to a trot."Whoa there..." I yell. "Just walking for now. Gentle exercise.""But, Master...""You'll do as you're told, or we'll be straight back inside. And the only riding you'll get then is my crop on your backside."She eases back down, with Charlie herself slightly resisting. The mare is skittish and excited, understandably after her change of home then several days inside the stable.Too much to handle?But no, Charlotte knows what she's doing and with obvious competence, brings the mare under control.Side-by-side, we walk the horses to the top meadow; a shining snow-scape of dazzling white and brilliant blue. Not a cloud hangs above. And while cold, the temperature is a touch above freezing. The snow has lost its crystal edges and is beginning
The Master's Child Chapter 87: Predator, Part 7
MichaelI wake, blinking open to dull grey light and a sense of everything not being quite as it should be.What's wrong?After a few moments, my brain cells align. My back is chilly.Rolling over, the space next to me is empty and the sheets are cold. I should have Charlotte lying beside me and James beyond her. Neither are in their accustomed place.The memories assemble: the wee, small hours; Cara crying; Charlotte sighing, rolling out of my arms onto her back, then getting out of bed.And a few moments later, a dim glow and a contented gurgle.What time was that?Two a.m.? Three?Scratching the sleep from my eyes, I sit up, to see the pair of them, across the room each in one of the large armchairs we set next to Cara's cot.James, wearing only a bathrobe, is sitting upright in the chair, his head lolling in sleep. Charlotte, still with Cara in her arms is also fast asleep. In full-length nightie, robe, slippers and covered with a blanket, she should be warm eno
The Master's Child Chapter 88: Predator, Part 8
KlempnerThe cafe is cheap and nondescript, serving the kind of food where the clientele looks for quantity over quality. The waitress sets down two breakfasts and two coffees then returns with a rack of toast. "Anything else?""No, that's fine, thank you."Hickman slices into an egg. "Pleasant holiday, sir?""Very pleasant, yes. But..." I exhale, regarding the rasher on my fork.Hickman chews and swallows. "... But sometimes you want to get back to real life?""Quite.""Indeed, sir. Families can be a worry." Hickman tips ketchup on the side of his plate then offers me the bottle."No, thanks. Can't stand the stuff."He shrugs and nods. "Family time is all very well...." He swipes a rasher through the sauce and engulfs the result, speaking through his mouthful... "... but it doesn't achieve anything."I absorb that. I'd never considered the personal life of this classic 'heavy'. "You have a family, Hickman?""Yes, sir." A forkful of mushrooms dipped in egg yolk
The Master's Child Chapter 89: Predator, Part 9
MichaelI give it until mid-morning before I head upstairs again, this time with a tray of coffee, toast and cereals. In the bedroom, I find James awake, staring up at the ceiling and Charlotte, eyes closed, nestled against him, his arm tucked around her."Breakfast?"Charlotte's eyes snap open. "Great!" she grins, untangling herself from James and pulling herself into a sitting position. "Did you bring plenty?"James, sitting up to drink more coffee, eyes her, looking amused as she scrapes butter over toast then engulfs a slice in three or four bites. I have to agree. Our red-haired mermaid is sounding much more like herself.I pass her a mug of coffee. "How are you feeling now?""I'm good." She takes a gulp, then another. "Still a bit sore... you know..." She drops her eyes... "Down below... But in myself, I feel great." She pauses, sucking at her lips, her cheeks pinking, and James and I meet eyes. We both know that look."So... um..." She stutters a bit, looking betwe
The Master's Child Chapter 90: Predator, Part 10
I shoot a look over Klempner's shoulder. As he clicks, the screen displays one document after another in something that looks almost, but not quite, like Spanish."Can I help?"He semi-turns, but with his eyes still fixed on the screen. "I don't know. Can you read Portuguese?""Nope, but I thought you might like someone to bounce ideas off."He slaps a palm onto the desktop. "On that, you're right." He swivels in the chair to face me. "I'm trying to figure how to trace Baxter. Before he tries again.""You're sure he will? He might just give up having lost the first time. He got his money after all."He pulls a face. "You saw how he was. Baxter wasn't doing it for the money. Finchby was, but not Baxter. It was personal. Against me. And since we..." He makes a circle with his finger, wrapping me himself and then the house in the circle... "...fucked him up the first time around, I don't see why that motivation would change. If anything, it might get stronger... thinking he h
The Master's Child Chapter 91: Predator, Part 11
KlempnerThe frontage of these places never varies: garish, loud and colourful. Casino! Live Shows! Beautiful Girls!!!Someone deserves a life sentence just for the incautious use of the exclamation mark.A pair of bouncers stand by the door, like the world's most unattractive bookends. As I stroll through, one is already talking into a handset.As I expect, I'm only half-way across the lobby before I am intercepted: six feet two or three of be-suited and be-booted man-mountain. "Can I help you?""I'm here to see Vince. Is he around? I'm...""I know who you are, Mr Klempner. Mr Caproni told us to watch out for you. I'll let him know you're here." He waves to some suited minion who sets off at a run. Hands in pockets, I pace a little, whistling a merry tune watching morons push one coin after another into slot machines. One, fat enough for his buttocks to overhang his seat, leaps up, screaming and waving his arms in the air as his machine flashes wildly, to the clatter
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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
