Masters And Lovers 1-4

James

My phone dances across the table-top, vibing and ringing; Michael again. Klempner taps it on, and then to loudspeaker again.

Michael's voice shrieks out; distraught, utterly panic-stricken. “Klempner, you fucking bastard! What have you done with them?”

Klempner blinks, jerks a look to me then back the phone. “Michael, what are you talking about?”

“If you've hurt her, I'll kill you. I swear I will. Where is she? There’s blood on her bag. She…”

My heart jolting, the nausea, which had subsided, floods up again. “Michael, calm down. Whatever it is, calm down enough to tell me. What’s happened?”

His voice snatches and breaks, gulping between sentences. “I went back to the tearoom. The waitress who served them says they left with a man. I found their bags. All three of them. James, there’s blood over Charlotte’s. And more in the parking lot, as though she was dragged… Klempner, I’ll…”

But Klempner looks baffled. But he also looks concerned. “Michael, I have not harmed the women. And I don’t know where they are. I still have men out looking for them.”

I watch him as he speaks…

Is he telling the truth?

And I think he is.

And what would he gain by pretending otherwise if he already has them?

Would we be here?

No….

“Michael…” I speak cautiously. “I think Klempner’s as confused as we are. Really. Whatever’s happened, I don’t think he’s behind it.”

Michael’s voice calms a little. Not much, but a little. “You serious? But who else…?”

“Did you get a description of the man they left with?”

“The waitress said tall with brown hair. That’s about it.”

“Not much of a description. But there was no struggle? Or signs of force? Raised voices?”

“No, not in the tearoom. Apparently, Charlotte went with him first, then Mitch and Kirstie. But in the basement, the blood…”

cut him short. “Klempner, these men you have

his head jerking back. “How

you value the women, could one of your

“If he has, he’ll wish he’d

up his own phone then, jabbing a finger at mine, “Keep him on the line. Keep him listening.”

Square, sir. It gives me a view of both the taxi rank and the entrance to the bus station. Guttman’s working the restaurants. I think he’s along

pokes at his screen, scissors something open and zooms in. He peers close, then repeats it. “That’s fine,

that description doesn’t fit either of them. So, the

voice is shaking. “I

mugging, sir? Three women alone at night?

one of them is Charlotte? No random mugger is going to catch her unaware. Besides… Michael, are you

“Still here, yes.”

in their bags?

to look. When I saw the blood, I

that.

in all three bags. Credit cards in two of them, including one of yours. Did you give

mother. A present…” Klempner stirs beside

turned off. I

think it got left behind when she made her emergency exit from Conners’ place…” Klempner shifts again… “But basically, anything a

here and so’s Kirstie’s collar. You know, the velvet choker with the

“We’re running out of possibilities. What’s your brother had to say, Michael? Has

him for a while. I’ll call him and get back to you.” The connection

Ben…

Noooo…

Surely?

Klempner eyes me. “What?”

stance shifts, some aggression slipping

hair. You say it doesn’t fit

blond. Marco’s Asian. You think

Do I speak?

Jade…

I was

brother? What

suspicious. What do you think are the chances of a stranger luring her away and then catching her unguarded? Ben’s a familiar face, even if he doesn’t like Charlotte much. If Michael sent him to her with a perfectly believable story of her hell-raiser father coming