BETH
Who does Klempner remind me of?
It’s irrelevant. I dismiss the thought.
“Hello, again,” he says. “Nice to see you both. I was getting really quite annoyed at the trouble you’ve been causing me, but now you’re back, we can all be friends again.”
He nods to one of our captors. “Un-gag that one.” He points at Charlotte.
With deliberate roughness, the tape is torn from her mouth, leaving her lips bleeding. She licks over her mouth but says nothing, simply staring at Klempner.
He arches brows. “Nothing to say?”
“Like what?” She almost spits the words. “Am I supposed to plead with you? I still don’t know why I’m here.”
“You’re here because you’ve made my life difficult, and now you’re going to…. compensate me, for it.”
“I don’t think that’s it.” Her voice is strident, insistent.
How can she be like this? She should be terrified. Instead, she’s just angry….
“Is that right?”
They’re playing some sort of…. game?
“You said you knew my mother,” she says.
He doesn’t move, except to tilt his head a little. His eyes are flat, lids hooded. After a pause, “So?”
you
told you. She worked for me, with the other
“I don’t believe you.”
He shrugs, saying nothing.
“What became of her?”
His eyes stay cold, but there is… what? An eagerness for her to believe? “….
you know about
“Conners? Your father? Don’t fool yourself. You might have his name, but that’s all. You’re a whore’s brat. Your father could have been
she has bitten into rotten
you? Why should I hate you?
I’m asking. You don’t know me. So why do you hate me? If I was just a nuisance, for being a police witness against you, I think
me. “And despite what you told me about her husband and ransoming her, I’ve decided against it. You’re
glances down before plucking a phone from his pocket. “Yeah…. they’re here. You did a good job. Are you joining us for the fun? Sure, we’ll wait, there’s no hurry.
“Like that, Boss?”
off?” Klempner hesitates. “If you don’t,” she
one of the men.
the floor in an agony of pins and needles. Even Charlotte dances around the floor, flapping her hands as blood pumps back into her fingers. Then she paces up and down, shaking arms and
“Come on. Cheer up. Could
from my spot on the floor. “Worse?” I ask, unbelieving.
could still
*****
MICHAEL
sit around the table, James
deemed relevant, that I could not otherwise justify assigning resources to. You know about the first
you think he was
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