Charlotte's Search

JAMESPain....Blinding, shrieking, unholy agony....Screaming....My Jade-Eyes screaming....Blood....Pain....Screaming.My Jade, weeping....With a gasp, I rear up, blinking into darkness.A nightmare....Just a nightmare....Beside me in the bed, my flame-haired mermaid, safe and sound, sleeps peacefully. Beyond her: Michael, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of sleep.Everything is fine. Everything is perfectly normal.But I'm drenched in sweat, my heart hammers behind my ribs and my breathing snatches. The wound in my thigh throbs a slow, heated beat.And for the first time, the memory surfaces, how I took the wound. Corby, his gun trained on Charlotte. Michael, flinging himself bodily at the gunman in a desperate bid to prevent the shot. And looking for refuge, finding none, I seize her, shielding her with my body....Pain....Shrieking unbearable agony......... And a fall into darkness....Christ!I check the time; it

KLEMPNERSutcliffe pokes his head around the door. "You have visitors, Mr Klempner." I jolt to attention. "Who? Is it her?""No sir, it's two men. The blond one who came with her last time, and another one.""Dark-haired? Looks a bad bastard?""That sounds like him, yes, sir."From outside my cell comes another voice, brusque; Hartland. "Sutcliffe, get on with it. Larry, move yourself. We don't have all day."Sutcliffe rolls eyes, offering me a look of mute apology, then, "Yes, Mr Hartland. We're coming now."In corridors of concrete and steel, sour with the stink of disinfectant and sweat, Sutcliff walks behind me, as per the rules. I speak in a low voice. "You remember what I asked you to do?""Yes, sir. Leave it with me."*****MICHAELKlempner ambles in as though he'd been invited to a tea party. His eyes pass over me, already seated, instead sliding across to James who stands, arms folded, lids hooded, silent.Klempner sits, the screen separating us. "On

Charlotte's attention becomes distracted, Veronica probing the detail of the wedding; outfits, choice of church, how many bridesmaids, dresses....How much it's all costing....James leans close, speaking in a low voice. "Thanks for that. Charlotte would have been mortified. One of the things I know she was taught on that farm was that you don't waste food. That it's bad-mannered not to clear your plate. Between that and starving as a kid, she never...."I brush it off. "Forget it. I asked you to bring her so she could get used to this kind of thing."He arches brows. "Really? Should I read something into that?"I prevaricate. "She was worried about the wedding reception, about knowing how to behave at a formal occasion. This is good practice for her."He nods, chewing his food thoughtfully.In for a penny...."As a matter of fact, there's something else I wanted to run by you." I glance across to check Charlotte's attention is elsewhere. It is. She's listening politely

RICHARD"How about the bar and a beer?""A beer?""I really appreciate the help you've been giving Elizabeth with those old papers of Albert's. The least I can do is buy you a drink.""Thank you, Richard. That's a great idea.""This round's on me."*****"So, are you finding anything of interest in that appalling pile of garbage from Elizabeth's old uncle?"Michael muses into his glass. "Depends what you're looking for I suppose, but it's actually quite interesting, seeing someone else's life like this. Once you get past thirty-year-old bus tickets, you find the things that really tell you something.""Like what?""Did you know he was a bankrupt?""Was he now..."Wonder if Elizabeth knew that....".... That could explain a lot. What little I saw of him was mainly complaints that things weren't as they should be, and everything was better in his day.""Mind you...." Michael gulp at his beer. ".... he must have recovered from it. At least enough to have owned

Back in her room, Charlotte is waiting, gnawing on her knuckles....She thinks I might be angry with her?Not for this........ Never for this....Michael shakes his head, smiles, radiating reassurance. As I take her hand, her eyes pass between the two of us....Do this right....It's a special occasion........ As special as it gets....I lift her hand to my lips, kissing the fingers. "Charlotte, tomorrow, you will be walking down the aisle to meet Michael. I'll be with him, his Best Man, and he will put his ring on your finger. But for now.... "Reaching into my pocket, I take out what nestles there.Her eyes widen, luminous with tears as I lean in to kiss her and slip the band of red gold, red as the gleam of her hair, on to her finger. It sits beside the two she already wears, one of white and yellow gold, one of red and yellow gold, her love gifts from myself and Michael, and our original promise to her of what was to come.I kiss her again, on the lips, and