Chapter 33: Ransom, Part 13

James

The front door opens and Klempner breezes in. A newspaper tucked under one arm, a couple of sports bags swing heavily over his shoulder, and he has a carry case in one hand.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were coming back."

"As I said, I needed to check up on a few things. And to do some research. Get up to speed with what's happening out there. I went out early so the day would be ahead of us. You heard anything new?"

"No, nothing."

He saunters into the dining room where Michael looks up from at his laptop.

Klempner sets the bags down on the table where they settle with a metallic clinking. Shifting my laptop along the top, then Beth's, he makes a space, then unzipping a bag, starts methodically to unpack it.

Guns, ammunition, knives...

Michael leaves his laptops, moving silently across to watch the performance as the armoury grows.

I eye the growing arsenal. "I thought you went out for research?"