Masters And Lovers 1-4

Chapter 30

James

My phone rings. Richard’s avatar flashes up. Klempner glances at it then passes it to me. “Answer it. Put it on loudspeaker.”

I talk quickly. “Richard, before you say anything, Klempner’s here.”

There’s a silence, then. “James, are you being held hostage? Has he…?”

“I'm not hurt if that's what you're asking, but no, I'm not exactly on top of the situation. He’s listening to what we say.” I cast a glance to Klempner, but he simply raises brows, folding his arms and sitting back.

“Have you spoken to Charlotte?” I ask.

Richard pauses. “No, I've not spoken to her. I got hold of Michael, some while ago, but I couldn’t get through to her. She wasn’t answering her phone.”

So, who…?

“Someone’s warned her. Or so it seems. She’s vanished, along with her mother and Kirstie. Is Beth okay?”

Another short silence. “Yes, Elizabeth is safely out of the way.”

Klempner snorts, then speaking loudly, “I'm not interested in your cringing wife, Haswell.”

Richard’s voice is austere. “You'll forgive me if I err on the side of caution.”

Klempner shrugs and looks away. “Your call.”

“Richard,” I say. “Look for the women. Now ring off.”

And the phone goes dead.

From the front, Baxter says, “Sir, we’re here.” The car crunches onto the parking lot of a closed-down motel.

“Round the back,” says Klempner. The car glides quietly to an area away from the road…

Dark…

Isolated…

No witnesses…

*Breathe*

Baxter parks up, indicating a door. “It’s in there, sir. It’s not overlooked. You can make yourself comfortable.” Pulling a key from his pocket he unlocks it and leads the way in to a small suite of the kind you would find in any motel: somewhere to sleep and wash and eat.

Klempner sits then lays my phone and his on a small table, within easy reach. “Sit down, James, while we wait.”

fridge, sir, if

“Is there any coffee?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll have that. James?”

“Coffee for me too.”

strong as I like it, but I gulp it back. Klempner

“Please.”

lowered. “James, please try to relax. Perhaps you would like something to eat? I

Dinner…

protects itself, distracts us with irrelevancies at

inclines his head.

“Oh, nothing.”

His eyes

in the oven. I can’t remember if I switched off the stove or not.” I shrug, feeling a fool. “Hardly seemed the moment

turn. Very good too. Great potatoes. Crunchy outside. Nice and squishy inside. And there was

him as he

do I. “You

shrugs. “No point letting it go to

abduct me and to crown it, you stole my

breath, Klempner raises eyes to heaven, muttering. “So much for professionalism. Is this

Part of me is still scared

a part of me is doubled

it wasn’t thyme. It was rosemary.

and looking for the woman, and another year inside, and this is what

a good

*****

 

Michael

Jack up the stairway. As we rise above

I’ve been trying to

was below ground.

I still can’t get an answer from her. But I’ve spoken

“When? Is he okay?”

as you can ever tell with James. Klempner’s got him so I’d hate to guess at his state of mind. And I could hear a car engine in the

car is here and a security guard is helping me search, but so far I can’t

to contact them. I’ve got Ross

“Will do.”

*****

dark, empty of staff and clients. Jack aims his torch at the swing-doors. There’ll be a roster in the kitchen with who was serving today. I’ll see if we can contact the waiter

clip-board hanging on a nail, with a daily calendar filled in with names and table numbers. “Let’s see… Denise was the

you so late. Listen, I’ve got someone here who’d like to talk to you. Name of

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