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He rifles through the drawer beneath his podium.

“Here it is.” He glances up at me. “Miss Ingram checked out last night. Does that mean anything to you?”

I blink. “Last night? Are you sure?”

He shifts his feet. “Um, yes. That’s what it says.”

“She checked out?” I repeat, frowning. Surely that’s not right. “Does it say where she went?” I ask. I try – and fail – to ignore the way my chest suddenly feels too tight.

“No.” He pulls his lip between his teeth. “Would you like me to call Mateo and find out?”

I let out a breath. “No. Don’t disturb him on his break. I’ll…” I trail off, trying to think. “I’ll go to my office. There may be more information there.”

I turn on my heel and head for the lifts just as the choir moves into the chorus, their voices bright and cheerful in the lobby.

I hit the button, gritting my teeth when the car arrives and a group of guests spill out.

“Theo,” an elderly woman calls. “I was wondering where you were.”

“Miss Erith,” I say, forcing a smile even though my cheeks already ache. “Glad you could make it this year.”

“Well I’m not in the ground yet,” she replies briskly. Then her voice drops. “I saw the newspaper this morning. Awful business.”

“I’m sorry, I have to run,” I tell her, striding into the car.

I don’t hear her reply, because I’m already pulling my phone out and dialing Georgia’s number.

But of course the bloody lift has no signal.

When I walk off the lift I finally get a bar, so I call again and it goes straight to voicemail.

I leave another message to go with the one I left last night. When I’m done, I lower the phone slowly and let out a breath. I stare at the screen for another second before I call Caleb. He answers after the first ring.

“I was wondering when you’d call,” he says. I can hear the rumble of an engine in the background. I assume he’s heading up to Scotland.

“Where is she?” I ask him.

“I assume you’re talking about Georgia.”

“I’m at the hotel, they tell me she checked out last night.”

“I know,” Caleb says. “I was there.”

“And you didn’t think to call me?”

“No, I didn’t. I was too busy trying to look after Georgia. And right now I’m trying to navigate the M1, so either stop bitching or I’m hanging up.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I walk into my office. It’s dark. Jess has the next few days off, and I wasn’t expecting to be here.

I flick on the lights, ignoring the stupid Christmas tree, and drop heavily into her chair.

“Please, tell me where Georgia is?” I ask.

“Mate.” Caleb exhales slowly. “She’s gone.”

“Gone where? Which hotel is she at?” I pause. “Is she with you?”

There’s a long silence on the line.