The Love Resort (32 page)

‘What are we doing here?’ Carla asked.

‘She said it’s a challenge,’ Lee reminded her.

‘I don’t like it,’ Emily said. ‘It’s too hot.’

‘Open a window then,’ Jimmy suggested, and he went to do just that. ‘Oh, they seem to be locked.’

‘And they have bars on them. Why would they have bars on them?’

‘Unpack the baskets,’ Thea ordered, filling up with dread. They surveyed the food and the water, looking at each other suspiciously.

‘Well, she said she’d be back with our instructions soon,’ Tim pointed out.

‘There’s enough food here to last us a few days,’ Thea said, her mind whirring.

‘Yeah, but we won’t be here for more than today,’ Lee said. ‘What the hell is she playing at?’

No one answered.

*

Anne-Marie knocked on the door. Mary opened it.

‘Ah, Mary, I need to speak to Todd and Katie. Now, can you go and organise breakfast to be brought up in half an hour, please?’

‘I don’t like to leave Katie,’ Mary said.

‘Mary, may I remind you who pays your wages? Now, I promise I won’t leave them alone until you come back.’

Mary huffed but did as she was told.

‘Hello, Todd,’ Anne-Marie said, trying hard to be friendly.

‘Anne-Marie.’ His voice was grim.

‘Where’s your wife?’ she enquired sunnily, as if nothing was wrong. Just then Katie appeared from the bedroom, wearing a pretty top and slim skirt, and no shoes.

‘Hello.’ Her face was red and puffy; devoid of make-up she looked ordinary. The famous film star
was
pretty ordinary, Anne-Marie decided.

‘Right, now, I don’t want to go over last night again, but I do need you to come with me.’

‘Where?’ Todd asked.

‘Well, it’s a surprise.’

‘What sort of surprise?’ He narrowed his eyes.

‘After last night, you’re lucky I don’t throw you both out. So please do not question me, just follow me. Chop chop.’ Anne-Marie waited on the terrace for them to get their shoes. When they came out, she smiled, and gestured for them to follow her.

‘Where’s Mary?’ Katie asked.

‘She’ll be joining you soon,’ Anne-Marie promised. ‘Now, please just do as I say, and I won’t ask for anything again. I won’t go to the press; I won’t ruin your lives, which I think is very generous of me under the circumstances.’ They nodded and followed her.

The sun was beating down as they made their way up to the top of the resort. It was a twenty-minute walk, and Katie was dripping with sweat. When they reached the bungalow, Anne-Marie stopped.

‘What are we doing here?’ Todd asked. He still looked so handsome, she couldn’t believe what a terrible waste of a man he was.

‘There’s a surprise for you in there. What I have decided, being the woman I am, is that you should spend some time alone, to talk. Now, I think that that is the best solution. To be honest with each other.’

‘We could have done that in our place,’ Katie pointed out.

‘No, not without interruption. Now, in there is everything you need. I shall come back for you in a few hours and hopefully you will both be feeling much better.’ She smiled widely.

‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Katie conceded.

‘Are you sure?’ Todd asked.

‘Yes, Todd, I think it’s time we sorted this out once and for all.’

Anne-Marie opened the door and ushered them in. Then she closed it behind them and locked each and every lock.

*

‘Oh, hi, Abigail,’ Lily said. She had just pulled on her work uniform before the knock on the door.

‘Lily, I need to see Ed.’

‘Ed? But why would he be here?’

André appeared from behind Abigail, looking grim.

‘She knows; I told her,’ he said simply.

Lily wondered if all the staff knew about them as she led them inside.

‘Ed,’ she called, ‘it’s Abigail.’

Seconds later, Ed appeared, dressed in his chinos and a white shirt. His face was red.

‘We were just going to find her. Did she send you?’ he asked.

‘No. Ed, I think you’d better listen.’

Abigail and André sat side by side on Lily’s cream sofa. Lily sat down on a wooden chair and Ed stood beside her as Abigail told him the story.

‘So, you mean you two have been together all this time?’ Ed asked; he found the idea of the iron lady and André incredible.

‘Well, I didn’t seduce him the minute I met him, if that’s what you mean?’

‘When did you then?’

‘Ed, don’t you think this is a bit off the point?’ Lily asked.

‘I’m just asking.’

‘I seduced her,’ André said. ‘After three days of her being here, I thought she was hot.’

Ed tried not to look surprised. He wasn’t sure how anyone could find Abigail hot.

‘No one has thought that about me in a long time. Anyway, I told your wife that we’re in love. She didn’t seem very happy for us,’ Abigail said tightly.

‘What do you think she’s going to do?’

‘Or what has she done?’ André pointed out.

‘Ed, she was crazed.’

‘Have you tried the house?’

‘I called there, but there was no answer.’

‘Look, I’ll go there. Lily, can you go and check on Todd and Katie? Can you two go and check on the competition winners?’

‘Sure.’ They went off in separate directions, unsure of what they were looking for, but knowing that whatever it was, they were dealing with a mad woman.

‘What on earth...?’ Todd asked, as he and Katie stepped into the living room. They turned back towards the door as they heard the locks being turned. Then they turned round and looked at the six people perched on wooden crates in front of them.

‘Is this our challenge?’ Lee asked uneasily.

‘What challenge?’ Katie replied, looking at him as if he were mad.

‘Are you—?’ Thea stopped in her tracks.

‘Do you know what’s going on?’ Todd asked.

‘We were rather hoping you’d tell us.’

Todd sighed. Everything was getting weirder. ‘I’m Todd Cortes, and this is Katie Ray.’

‘Katie Ray-Cortes,’ she reminded him.

‘The film stars,’ Thea said, staring at them shamelessly.

‘Oh my God, but you normally look so glamorous,’ Emily said gawping. Katie scowled at her.

‘Did Anne-Marie send you here for us?’ Lee asked.

‘I’m not drunk, am I?’ Tim asked. ‘Or am I dreaming? I mean, this might be one of those really unusual dreams I have where I’m locked away with you guys and two famous people. Really, my imagination—’

‘Why are you here?’ Jimmy cut Tim off.

‘We don’t know. We thought it was to talk,’ Katie said, sounding confused.

‘To us?’ Tim asked.

‘No, each other. We have no idea who you are,’ Todd pointed out.

‘Then we have a head start. Let me introduce everyone to you.’

*

‘My God, that’s some story,’ Todd said. Sitting down on the floor, he pulled a crate next to him and gestured to Katie to sit with him. She was hesitant but as she was terrified she obliged.

‘Do you think we’ve been kidnapped?’ Thea asked.

‘Isn’t that a bit overdramatic?’ Katie said; Todd hoped it was.

‘We are talking about Anne-Marie Langdale. They invented the word “overdramatic” for that woman.’

‘If she has kidnapped us, then we could sue her,’ Tim said.

‘If we ever get out,’ Todd pointed out.

‘Todd, do you mind if I call you Todd?’ Todd shook his head at Tim. ‘We told you all about us, but, well, why are you here, exactly?’

Todd sighed. How on earth would he explain things to these strangers? He looked at Katie, who was looking resolutely away from him.

*

‘There’s no sign of Todd and Katie. Mary is hysterical. She’s told Erik that they’re missing so I had to pacify him and make sure he doesn’t go round blabbing. She said that Anne-Marie arrived, sent her to get breakfast, and when she got back there was no sign of them,’ Lily said. Panic was spreading; something was very wrong.

‘The competition winners didn’t answer their phones. I went to the rooms to find them open and empty,’ Abigail stated, as André nodded.

‘OK, did they take their stuff?’

‘Didn’t seem to have, although it was quite messy.’

‘Todd and Katie?’

‘No, nothing appeared to be missing there.’

‘Anne-Marie is not at home. No one has seen her either.’

‘What should we do?’

Ed stood up and walked in front of his desk. ‘Lily, call their publicist and see if she’s heard anything. Abigail, you and André go and wait at the house. I’m going to get security, to see if they know anything.’

Lily almost buckled. He was so sexy when he was in command.

*

Anne-Marie hid behind a bush. She had a pair of binoculars on her, trained on the bungalow. If they did manage to escape, she’d be the first to know. She would stay here for as long as it took, because she wasn’t going to let them out until their flights arrived. She thought about letting Todd and Katie go because they could order their private jet any time, but decided against it. She didn’t feel that that would punish them adequately. But this would, she thought, looking for any movement. All the awful, nasty people, shut away together. That would teach them to mess with her and her resort. She laughed manically as she congratulated herself once more.

25

Complaints

We do not anticipate that you will have any complaints* about your stay at The Love Resort, but in the rare cases that you do, then please put them in writing to Lily Bailey, PR manager.

Your stay has to be perfect for us to be happy, and if you feel that it isn’t, we will put it right for you straight away.

Guest
Handbook

*All complaints will be evaluated. However, please ensure that they are of a reasonable nature.

*

Ed, Lily and Abigail sat in the office.

‘We’ve searched everywhere we can think of.’

‘Are we going to alert anyone?’

‘It’s too risky. Obviously I have to call Harriet, but apart from that, we need to keep it between us at the moment.’

‘What about Mary?’ Abigail asked.

‘We’ll have to keep an eye on her. We’re moving her to the house, where we’ll be based. If Anne-Marie shows up, it’ll be there,’ Lily explained.

It had been a hellish morning. She picked up the phone, and dialled.

‘Harriet.’

‘Hi, Harriet, it’s Lily.’ Lily braced herself; Ed shot her a reassuring look.

‘What can I do for you?’

‘Well, we sort of have a problem...’

‘Ed, I need to ask you something,’ Abigail beckoned Ed to the other side of the room, while Lily continued her conversation.

‘Go on,’ Ed said.

‘I want to leave. It’s been, well, it’s been interesting, but I know I’m not getting my book anytime soon, so I have to go and deal with the fallout from that. I also need to tell Philip about André. Actually, I’m taking him with me.’

‘But all the flights are full—we checked,’ Ed said, suddenly wanting Abigail to stay.

‘Darling, you obviously only checked economy. I have two first-class tickets to London this afternoon.’

‘Of course I did—old habits die hard,’ Ed laughed. ‘But I don’t know how we would have coped without you,’ he added graciously.

‘I think I owed you. Ed, I am sorry. Sorry I thought it would be a good idea for you to marry her; sorry that I treated you like you were, well, the hired help. I was such a bitch.’

‘I think you’re forgiven, and actually I now think I owe you.’

‘Well, I have my reward. I have André.’

‘What’s going on?’ Lily asked, as she made her way over to them.

‘Abigail’s leaving us.’

‘Yes, Anne-Marie’s novel isn’t everything. My stay here, and meeting André, has shown me that. Besides, I have another idea up my sleeve. By the way, how did the phone call go?’

‘Just as expected. Harriet called me “fucking incompetent”, and told me that if I didn’t find her film stars I would be hung, drawn and quartered.’

‘Nice,’ Abigail said sympathetically.

‘Yeah, well, I knew that she’d respond like that; when she tells her boss he’ll say the same to her. Anyway, after all the swearing and shouting and threats, she told me she’s coming over and she said she was going to bring Todd’s brother. I asked her not to, but she hung up on me.’

‘Ouch.’ Ed took her hand.

‘Can you imagine? He’ll blame us too. Maybe we should leave with Abigail.’

‘Don’t tempt me.’ But they knew they weren’t going anywhere.

Later, Ed, Lily and Mary sat at the house; all calls from the office had been diverted there. Senior management had been made aware that there was something wrong, even if details had been kept deliberately vague.

‘I should have been with her. I could have stopped whatever it was she’s done.’

‘She went out.’

‘I know, but I should have followed her. We knew that she wasn’t coping.’

‘And you were with me.’

‘Which is where I wanted to be, sweetheart, it’s just that I can’t help feeling that I could have prevented this, somehow.’

‘You two as well?’ Mary asked, wide-eyed. ‘There is just too much loving going on in this Love Resort.’

*

Anne-Marie was pleased with herself. Her plan had worked, it seemed. Half an hour and no sign of anyone breaking out. Of course they couldn’t get out; she had them just where she wanted them. She smiled at the warm sun, as she congratulated herself, once again, on her genius. She didn’t need anyone else. She could completely rely on herself. It was time she took control. She’d let Abigail control her for so long, Abigail told her what to do and she did it. Well, Abigail could go to hell. In fact, she was sure that that was exactly where the treacherous, adulterous, bitch would be going.

She sat down for a moment. It was hot and she was tired from her nearly sleepless night. Then she lay down, and before she knew it, binoculars clutched to her chest, she fell asleep.

*

‘We don’t know why we’re here. We were just on our honeymoon, that’s all,’ Todd lied.

‘You’ve been staying here all this time? And we didn’t know.’ Thea looked incredulous.

‘We had a secluded villa. The only day we went to the main resort was when we had a magazine shoot. I don’t know where you guys were.’