Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella Read Free Book Online Page B

stare at the phone in disbelief. There’s a scuffling noise down the line, then Tarquin’s unmistakable reedy voice says, “Ahm, hello? Becky?”
    “Tarkie!” I nearly explode with relief. “Hi! I’ll get Suze—”
    “No, ahm…don’t bother,” he says. “Just tell her I’m all right.”
    “But she’s so worried! We’re all worried. You know Bryce is trying to brainwash you? He’s dangerous, Tarkie. He wants your money. You haven’t given him any, have you? Because don’t, OK?”
    “Of course he wants my money.” Tarquin sounds so matter-of-fact, the wind is taken out of my sails. “Asks me about it every five minutes. Not very subtle either. I’m not giving it to him, though.”
    “Thank God!” I exhale. “Well, don’t.”
    “I’m not a total chump, you know, Becky.”
    “Oh,” I say feebly.
    “Chap like Bryce, you just have to keep your wits about you.”
    “Right.”
    I’m feeling totally confused right now. Tarkie sounds so together. I thought he’d been having a nervous breakdown.
    But then, what was that whole act in L.A. about? I can still picture him, sitting at the table in our house, glowering at everyone, telling Suze she was toxic.
    “Becky, I have to go,” Tarquin’s saying. “I’ll put your father back on.”
    “No, don’t go!” I cry, but it’s too late.
    “Becky?” My dad’s back on the line and I quickly draw breath.

    “Dad, listen. Please. I don’t know what you’re up to, and if you don’t want me to know, that’s fine. But you can’t leave Mum in the lurch like this. Are you anywhere near Las Vegas? Because if you’ve ever loved us and you have any time at all, meet us there. Just so we can see you for a couple of minutes. Just so we know you’re OK. And then go off on your mission. Please, Dad. Please.”
    There’s a long silence. I can feel Dad’s unwillingness seeping down the phone.
    “I’m a fair way away,” he says at last.
    “Then we’ll come to you! Give me an address!”
    “No,” says Dad. “No, let’s not do that.”
    There’s another silence, and I hold my breath.
    The thing about my dad is, he’s actually a very reasonable man. I mean, he was in insurance.
    “All right,” he says at last. “I’ll have a quick breakfast with you tomorrow in Las Vegas. Then you can all relax and go back to L.A. and leave me in peace. But no questions.”
    “Absolutely,” I say hastily. “No questions.”
    I am so going to ask questions. I’ll start a list straightaway.
    “Where shall we meet?”
    “Er…”
    My knowledge of Las Vegas is fairly limited. In fact, it basically consists of watching Ocean’s Eleven about a thousand times.
    “The Bellagio,” I say. “Breakfast at the Bellagio, nine A.M .”
    “Good. See you there.”
    And I wasn’t going to ask anything else, because clearly he doesn’t want me to know, but I can’t help myself, so I blurt out: “Dad, why didn’t you want to call me Rebecca?”
    There’s another prickly silence, and I hold my breath. I know Dad’s still on the line. He’s on the line and he’s not saying anything….

    And then he’s rung off.
    I immediately press C ALL R ETURN but it goes straight to voicemail. I try Tarkie’s phone, but the same thing happens. They must have switched them both off.
    “Well done!” says Luke as I finally raise my head. “You should be a hostage negotiator! Do I take it we have a breakfast appointment with the runaways?”
    “Apparently so,” I say, blinking at him. I feel a bit dazed. After all the stressing and worrying, it turns out Dad and Tarkie are both fine. Not at the bottom of a ravine.
    “Relax, Becky!” Luke puts his hands on my shoulders. “This is good news! We’ve found them!”
    “Yes!” And at last I feel a smile starting to spread across my face. “We have! We’ve found them. Let’s tell Mum and Suze!”
    —
    Well, honestly. I thought it was the bearers of bad news who were supposed to be given a hard time. There I was,