Chapter 184: Natale, Part 22

Richard

The phone vibes in my back pocket: a message from James.

U free to talk?

One min. Will call u back

From the lounge comes the banter of female voices: Elizabeth and Kirstie laughing and joking. But the joking sounds artificial; the laughter, forced.

Then Mitch's voice, indistinct; I can't pick out her words, but it sounds like an instruction.

Slipping past the door and down the hall, I make my way to the rear of the house and outside. Then, checking I'm still private, I tap into my mobile.

James face flashes up, set against a background of what looks like a hospital waiting room.

"Yes, James? What can I do for you? News of some sort I assume?"

"Yes. We've told Klempner about Mitch's pregnancy. He wants to speak with her..."

"A bit of an about-turn, then."

"Yes... Richard, the reason he didn't want to talk to her before was because he didn't intend to return. And his reasons are good: quite simply, that he's likely to be arrested on the spot the moment Stant