‘He is,’ Ally agreed, watching Julie, who was now chatting animatedly to Tom, who appeared to be enjoying the attention. Janey was standing to one side looking decidedly sulky. Patti didn’t appear to have noticed and was trying to pacify a still-agitated Wendy.
Ally filled up her glass again and watched the deserving runners all standing in line at the barbecue while the two ladies loaded up their plates. They studiously avoided all the salads which Mrs Jamieson had concocted, and which were set out on a side table. The barbecue was for everyone, but Ally decided she’d wait until Ross got back. And she’d definitely be attacking those delicious-looking salads.
Ross returned a while later, looking worried. ‘He’s not at the malthouse,’ he murmured to Ally as Wendy approached.
‘Is hethere?’ Wendy asked anxiously.
Ross shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not, Wendy. I think we’re going to have to go look for him.’
Wendy dissolved into tears. ‘Iknewsomething was wrong,’ she wept.
‘I’ll have a word with Hamish,’ Ross said, heading towards the barbecue.
Ally saw the two of them talking, with glances over at Wendy. When he came back, Ross said, ‘The earl is going to get Angus to drive the Land Rover on the exact route that Greg was planning to take, and I suggest that you go with him and keep a look-out all around.’
Wendy nodded, blew her nose and, accompanied by Ross, walked over to where Hamish was standing.
‘Where the hell has he got to?’ Patti murmured to Ally. ‘How can he just disappear?’
‘I’m sure they’ll find him,’ Ally said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
She had a bad feeling about all of this.
Angus, looking less than delighted, had been unearthed from his cottage, where he’d been dozing gently while watching the local news on TV. He glowered at Wendy as he opened the passenger door of the Land Rover for her and climbed into the driving seat. They then set off rather jerkily, along the route just completed by the runners, and leaving behind a somewhat muted celebration.
Everyone was looking at everyone else and shrugging. Who was this guy who was missing? Since all the publicity had been centred on Archie Armstrong’s demise, few people were aware that he had a brother-in-law travelling with him. There was tension in the air, and some of the runners, along with their families and friends, were beginning to slope away. It was as ifmost of the joy had been syphoned out of the event. Nevertheless, many of the runners were still eating heartily.
The little group from the malthouse waited anxiously for the Land Rover to return, and it was about another fifteen minutes before it did. A distraught Wendy climbed out of the passenger door, and a grim-faced Angus reversed the Land Rover back up to where it was normally parked.
‘No sign!’ Wendy wept. ‘No sign at all! Where in God’s nameishe?’
To make matters worse, it was now properly dark. Ally looked at Ross, who was gazing at his watch.
‘I suggest we go back to the malthouse,’ he said, ‘and we’ll set off with torches, and the dogs, and check the whole route again.’
Wendy nodded dumbly, and Ally, feeling sorry for her, gave her a hug. ‘Never fear, Wendy,’ she said, ‘we will find him.’
Janey had returned and was talking to her mother.
‘Oh my God!’ exclaimed Patti. ‘Julie’s necking with that wretched boy somewhere!’
Ally smiled to herself. She’d not heard the word ‘necking’ used in a long time. Well, the girl was seventeen, so it wasn’t exactly unusual and, from what Ally had heard, Patti had been no saint in her youth either.
‘Where the hell have they gone?’ Patti was now in full panic mode. She turned to Janey. ‘Where did you see them last?’
Janey shrugged and muttered something.
‘Well,’ said Patti, ‘I’m staying right here until I find her! Nobody’s going to play fast and loose with my daughter! And you’re stayingright herewith me until we find her, Janey!’
‘We have to go,’ Ross said to her. ‘We’ll see you later.’
As the sad little group made their way back to the malthouse,Ross said, ‘I’m sorry, perhaps we should have had something to eat before we left, but…’
‘I couldn’t eat a thing,’ Wendy said.
‘I’ll make us all something later back at the malthouse when we catch up with Greg,’ said Ally.
Wendy was continuing to call him on her phone, but there was no response. If he’d pulled a muscle and fallen by the roadside, Ally reckoned, he would still have to be theresomewhere. She didn’t imagine Angus had been very thorough at searching on his side of the vehicle, and Wendy was in such a state that she could well have missed a clue from the passenger seat.
