A Charlie Davies Mystery Collection Books 4-6 by Clare Kauter

Author:Clare Kauter [Kauter, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clare Kauter

Chapter Eleven

“Carol singing? Really?” I hissed. “You guys thought this would be a fun way to spend an evening?”

“We’re going to be amazing,” said Stacey. “I think we should start a band.”

The others murmured their agreement.

“That’s a horrible idea,” I said. “We’re all going to be terrible. Please tell me you’re self-aware enough to know that.”

“Singing is ninety per cent confidence anyway,” said Jo.

I shook my head. “No. That’s a lie. That’s just completely untrue.”

“The other ten per cent is volume,” Lea added. She didn’t appear to be joking.

My god, and to think Lea was my second most sane friend.

The instructor began to speak and all my friends (and Gina) listened intently, soaking up every word. Then she asked us to sing the first verse of the song and my friends appeared to have forgotten all the instruction they’d just received and instead defaulted back to the confidence and volume rules they’d told me earlier.

Part way through the chorus, my phone rang and I took it outside to answer it, relieved to have a break from listening to my very enthusiastic but entirely tone-deaf friends singing Santa Baby in various levels of creep. (If I opened my door to that group of girls thrusting their pelvises and shouting at me about how good they’d been this year, I’d definitely call the police.)

The number on my phone was private, so I wasn’t sure who was calling until I answered.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, Charlotte.”

My skin began to crawl. Not just a little, either – it crawled so violently I was worried it might escape my body and run away. I knew that voice. Unfortunately.

“Harcourt. My lawyer told me you might call.”

“Ah, yes. Adam Baxter. I’m surprised at you, Charlotte. I wouldn’t have thought you’d be scared to talk to me alone.”

“Not scared,” I said through gritted teeth. I knew that he was just trying to rile me up. I needed to keep a level head and not let him get to me. Threatening a high-ranking police officer was not a good idea, even if he did deserve it. “I just find you repulsive, that’s all. Anything I can do to put more distance between us is a good thing in my books.”

“Have you heard from your brother lately?”

I took a deep breath to calm down before responding. “I have not. How about you?”

“No, no,” he said. “Not yet, at least. But I’m closing in on him.”

“Wow, and so quickly too,” I said dryly. “How long has it been? Gosh, it must be, what, six years? Obviously nothing gets past you.”

“I want to talk to you, Charlotte.”

“I was under the impression that that was what we’re currently doing.”

“Down at the station,” he said.

I sighed. “Ah, well, in that case I’m afraid you’ll have to talk to my lawyer.”

“Hiding behind Adam Baxter, are we?” Harcourt replied, his voice low. “I’m disappointed, Charlotte. There was a time you’d fight your own fights.”

“Have you arrested that person who ran me over yet?”

He paused before saying, “These things are complicated.

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