‘Oh, Parker. Hello. Er …’
So Deano couldn’t even bring himself to speak directly to her! He had to get his agent to do it.
‘We met at the art show?’ said Parker. ‘Briefly?’
‘Uh huh, I remember. So, how can I help you?’
‘I was just wondering … is Deano with you?’
‘With me? No. No, he isn’t. I haven’t seen him in days.’
‘Oh.’ There was a slightly flappy silence at the other end, then a rush of words. ‘It’s just that I can’t get him on his phone, and I’ve tried everywhere else I can think of, but nobody’s seen him.’
‘Who have you tried?’
‘All his favourite hotels, bars, the guys he’s been hanging out with. I called that guy Harville but he said he hadn’t seen him at all, even though they were supposed to meet today. I’m scared, Jenna. He’s never gone right off the radar like this. I really assumed he must be with you … After you, I’ve got no one else to call.’
‘Oh my God,’ said Jenna. ‘I’m really sorry. I wish I could tell you he was here, but … how long is it since you’ve seen him?’
‘This morning, at breakfast. He said he was going to the gym, then to meet with this Harville guy. Well, he made it to the gym – I checked – but after that, nada.’
‘Well, it isn’t that long really. Perhaps he’s just …’ with another woman.
Jenna didn’t speak her innermost thought aloud. It would hardly help matters.
‘I don’t know,’ she finished lamely. ‘Decided to take a long walk in the countryside. Just wanted a bit of space. Or something.’
The horrible idea that he might be lurking around Harville Hall waiting to ambush her crossed her mind. Or he had seen the Facebook photograph and it had driven him mad so that he … no. For God’s sake. Deano wasn’t the kind to succumb to fits of despair.
All the same, Jenna was a little alarmed at the way her mind was leaping to the worst conclusions. It was a worry that Deano hadn’t attended the meeting. For all his forays into rock ’n’ roll living, he was usually pretty professional and reliable where work was concerned. He enjoyed his position at the top too much to ever seriously jeopardise it.
‘Where was he meeting Harville?’ she asked, into Parker’s whimpering.
‘Here, in the hotel lobby. But H
arville says he didn’t show.’ Parker began to sob again.
‘OK, don’t panic. Hold tight, Parker. I’m coming to you.’
‘Really? Are you at the Hall? I thought he might …’
‘No, I’m not at the Hall, but I’m going to drive over there and check. Then I’m coming to the hotel, OK?’
‘OK.’
‘Right. I’ll see you shortly. Oh, by the way, have you called the police?’
‘Sure I have. They couldn’t help. Said he couldn’t be classed as a missing person yet and to call them tomorrow if he still wasn’t back. But I’m sure there’s something wrong …’
‘Right. Bye then.’
She put the phone in her pocket and turned to Linda, now nodding along to Pointless.
‘I have to go out,’ she said.
Linda raised her eyebrows.
‘What about them out there?’