Losing You by Nicci French Read Free Book Online

I needed him. I’d quickly broken it off and then a few weeks later Alix had taken Joel back. I thought it had all been kept secret but it had become apparent that Joel had told his wife everything. She communicated this only through icy stares and dry comments. I didn’t like to think of what had been said about us in the conversations between them, as they tried to repair their relationship. It wouldn’t have mattered if it hadn’t been for Alix’s unfriendly looks and Joel’s more covert friendly ones.
    The phone rang in my pocket.
    ‘Excuse me,’ I said to Renata. ‘Hello. Nina here.’
    ‘This is Tam.’ Her voice was wary. ‘You said I should ring you.’
    ‘Yes, thanks. I wanted to know if Charlie was still there.’
    ‘Charlie? No. She left ages ago.’
    Something tightened in my chest. ‘What time did she go?’
    I heard Tam talking to someone else: ‘Jenna, what time did Charlie go? Do you reckon? Yeah, we think about nine thirty. Maybe before that. She had to do the paper round and then get things ready for your – um, you’re having it now, right? Your party?’
    ‘Yes,’ I said.
    ‘She was going to bake a cake or something. Or buy it.’
    ‘So she left about nine-thirty and you haven’t heard from her?’
    ‘Right.’
    ‘How did she seem?’
    ‘Fine,’ said Tam, breezily.
    ‘So there was nothing…’ But I stopped. I didn’t know what I wanted to ask. ‘Thanks, Tam,’ I said, and rang off.
    ‘Not there?’ asked Renata.
    I shook my head distractedly, noticing out of the corner of my eye that Sludge had come out from under the rocking-chair and was now chomping her way through a bag of salted cashew nuts, her tail rotating wildly. ‘I don’t understand it. I mean, I know Charlie’s not the most reliable of girls, but we’re supposed to be going on holiday.’
    I made my way out into the back garden and, standing in the lee of the wall to shelter from the vicious wind, dialled again. ‘Christian?’
    ‘Hi again.’
    ‘Sorry. Listen. I don’t know where Charlie is. I’m sure it’s fine, but I thought I ought to warn you that we might be running late.’
    ‘You don’t know where she is?’
    ‘I know it’s nothing to worry about,’ I said, to damp down the immediate concern in his voice. ‘She’s probably had a flat tyre on her paper round or something. Or is rescuing some stray cat or … well, you know Charlie. She’s very impulsive. But she hasn’t packed and everything’s getting a bit behind schedule.’
    ‘It’s odd, though.’
    ‘I’ll call you as soon as she turns up.’
    Back in the house, the party showed no sign of coming to a close. Karen was half-way up the stairs now, swaying gently and trying to open another bottle of wine. Beneath her, Renata was being introduced to Sludge by Jackson, who still had the camcorder slung round his neck. Only Rick, coming down the stairs with his thick coat on, was mercifully making his way to the door.
    ‘Escaping to your beloved boat at last?’ I said to him. ‘I don’t blame you.’
    ‘The light starts to fail so early,’ he said. ‘This was a terrible idea of Charlie’s, wasn’t it?’
    ‘Terrible. And she’s not even here.’
    ‘If I see her, I’ll give her an earful.’
    ‘Just tell her to come home. I’m going to chuck everyone out now.’
    ‘That was a quick party!’
    ‘I’ve got things to do, Rick. Pack. Find my daughter. Catch a plane.’
    ‘Right. Well, then, I’ll say – ’
    He never got the chance to finish. There was a yowl, and then a flying mass made up of black dog, a human figure or two and a terrible smashing of glass. Pieces fell and shattered on the hard floor. Sludge shot past me and up the stairs, a flash of whining black, and on the floor in front of us lay Karen and Renata, surrounded by a sudden silence.
    ‘Wow,’ said Jackson, and started to pull the camcorder into position, until I slapped down his arm.
    ‘Well,’ said Renata, getting up slowly, pulling her jacket