Chapter 27
Tara spent the next day glad to have had the apartment to herself. It was peaceful and gave her time and space to contemplate how kind Jack had been to her last night.
At eight o’clock in the evening, when it was time to pick Calum up from his friend’s house, she tried his phone but there was no answer, so she grabbed her car keys and decided to just go there anyway.
However, on arriving, the door opened to a puzzled Ben.
‘Hi, Ben, is Calum ready?’ she asked.
‘He left ages ago,’ replied Ben.
‘What? I was supposed to pick him up early evening,’ said Tara with a frown. Then, seeing no response from him, she asked, ‘When exactly did he leave?’
‘About three hours ago,’ came the reply.
Tara froze.Three hoursago. Where the hell was he?
‘Did he say where he was going?’ She forced herself to stay calm.
‘No. Just thought he was going back home.’
‘Can you think of anywhere he could be?’ she asked in a choked voice.
‘Err… Not really…’
They were interrupted by Ben’s mum.
‘Hi, Tara, come in.’ She’d overheard the conversation. All three of them stood in the hallway. ‘Listen, Ben, think carefully. Where would you guess Calum may have gone to?’
Ben shrugged his shoulders. ‘I dunno. He never said he was going anywhere.’
Both women exchanged frantic looks.
‘I’d better go home in case he’s there.’ Tara got in her car and drove at full pelt all the way back. The apartment was empty. Without hesitation, she rang Richard. To her annoyance, Melissa answered.
‘Hello?’ That sickly sweet voice irritated her further. Why was she answering Richard’s mobile? Probably because it was her name flashing on his screen.
‘I need to speak to Richard,’ Tara said flatly.
‘Oh, just a minute. I’ll see if he’s about…’ He obviously was, as he came on immediately (and no doubt wasn’t given chance to answer his own phone).
‘Tara? What is it?’
‘Calum’s gone missing. I don’t know where he is,’ she stated.
There was a slight pause.
‘Shit. Where was he?’
‘At Ben’s. I’ve just been there, and he said he left three hours ago,’ she explained, her voice cracking with emotion.
‘I’ll have a drive around, see if I can see him. You stay home in case he returns.’
‘Do you think I should ring the police?’
‘Wait till I get there.’
‘OK.’ Down went the phone.
