My gut curls in on itself. “I’m beginning to understand why she got so frustrated at being locked up, not able to do anything….”
“Hang on to that thought.”
“I’ll let Richard know we’ve heard from her. That should cheer him up. Beth too.”
“Good idea.” Michael leans back against the desk, hands in his pockets. “Has he spoken to you the last day or so?”
“Barely at all. I’d say he’s trapped between joy at having Beth back and guilt that we didn’t get Charlotte.”
“Yeah….” He huffs. “I think I’d feel the same. As you say, give him a call. Put them out of their misery.”
I set the phone to loudspeaker, then call. The phone rings only once before Richard answers, his voice strained. “Yes, James?”
“Good news. We’ve heard from Charlotte.”
“Oh, my God!” Twenty floors separate us, and I can hear him stand up. “Is she alright?”
Michael’s eyes dance in the first real shot we’ve had at humour in days.
“She’s free,” I say, “And she’s on the move. Is it convenient if Michael and I come up to talk?”
“Yes, of course.” His voice breaks away from the mouthpiece, somehow echoing and muffled at once, but still clearly audible. “Elizabeth, it’s James. They’ve heard from Charlotte.”
Beth’s voice starts distantly but grows loud by the end of a few short words. “Oh, thank God. Where is she?”
“They’re coming up to talk. James, have you told Will Stanton yet? Do you want me to call him?”
“No, don’t. That’s what we need to talk about.”
His puzzlement is loud. “Really? Very well. Come up as soon as you’re ready. We’ll be here.”
“On our way.”
It’s an emotional meeting. As we enter their apartment, Beth bursts into tears, throwing herself into Michael’s arms where, slightly awkwardly, he pats her on the back, trying to ‘touch without touching’.
Richard cocks a brow, but his eyes crinkle as he watches the performance. Then he turns, shakes my hand, taking my elbow in the other hand. “James, words fail me. This last few days….”
“It’s alright,” I say. “She’s fine, and it’s clear that she’s very much functioning.” Michael disentangles himself from Beth’s trembling embrace while I recount the conversation of a few minutes prior.
*****
A few hours later, we both receive a single short message.
On my way
Then nothing for a full day, until:
Almost there
else
the love of my Jade-Eyes, wondering what happens next, I am
And we wait…. endlessly….
*****
Richard
brewing storm as he grows more and more agitated. Something is building in him and I'm not sure I want to be in the way of it
unspeaking, watches him. He can see as well as I can that something is
She’s coming….
…. but when?
in my face. Michael looks at me
you blame
swings his head, brow furrowed. “Why would
had
have gotten anywhere.” His voice is bitter. “Charlotte does what Charlotte does. Perhaps
my wife and
brought Elizabeth to me, but at
It’s taking too long….
Has she been
I can't say that....
must be thinking
pace, his face bloodless, shoulders
up and, the full power of his arm and shoulders behind the blow, he punches at the door. Were it to connect with a face, it would certainly knock the recipient out cold. It might kill them. As it is, his
flinches, his breathing
dangerous is Michael? If he is seriously
a good
tap on the intercom, “Francis, I wonder if you could ask someone from Maintenance to call by. There is some
apparently dispersed, Michael hangs his head, blinking. He extracts his hand from the splintered timber, then looks apologetically at me. “I'm sorry. I'll pay for
this position if Charlotte hadn’t set out to rescue Elizabeth.”
falls to Michael’s hand. “But you need to get a dressing on that.” I nod down to
Michael wraps around his hand, heading
is dry. “Hope he feels better for
*****
is intent, scrolling through something on
realise that, in fact, it’s Charlotte’s
you looking
his mouth. “Her browsing
Really?
cock a brow…. “You don't think that's a bit like spying on
sniffs. “With everything that's happened, I think we can assume that if she didn't want me to see it, Charlotte would have deleted the
course, you