a minute you don’t know…’ Jonclears his throat noisily, but his voice was still husky.
‘I know why Ben flew to New York.’
‘Fine! Well, Ben scored. He managed to get a signed, sworn statement from Freeman claiming that the diamonds he sold to me were purchased from a Canadian mine that has not joined the Kimberley Project. Two days ago Ben had a meeting with the executives of the KP. He got back after lunch with the good news…we’re in the clear.’ Jon broke off as if expecting a reply.
‘And then?’ Chris murmurs into the static. ‘Please tell me…what’s happened to Ben?’
‘We don’t know. Sharon tried to persuade him to fly to Paris to see his wife, but Ben was adamant that he was going straight to Heathrow. He was about to leave for the airport when a driver arrived with a message from Freeman. He said that Freeman was waiting for him at a downtown cafe and that he had valuable information for Ben. Ben arranged to follow the man. He was going to drive on to the airport and drop off the hired car there.’
‘And did he?’
‘I didn’t check. Look here, Chris, there was a bit of bad feeling between us.’
Chris’s mind seems to be in two places at once. Part of her wants to burst into tears and beg this nightmare to go away, at the same time her thoughts are racing ahead of Jon’s words. Of course Ben would have called her, or Rowan, from theairport…even if he’d taken a day off, he’d let them know. Chris feels disaster creeping up on her. It’s a strange, numbing sensation. She becomes very calm, very precise and strangely empty, all at the same time.
‘Did you call his wife?’
‘She’s in Paris. I don’t have her number. Besides, what’s the point of worrying her?’
‘Have you checked the car hire firm?’
‘Well, no.’
‘I’ll call Rowan.’ Unthinkingly, Chris replaces the receiver. She tries to get herself under control as she dials Rowan’s home number.
‘Rowan, listen, we have a problem. Do you know where Ben is? Has he contacted you?’
‘No. I assumed he was still in New York.’
Rowan listens in silence while she tells him what she knows.
‘I have a few numbers I can try…his wife, for starters. You go home now. Call a taxi and charge the office. I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Call the New York police, Rowan,’ she urges.
‘You’re right,’ he says tonelessly.
An impersonal click terminates the conversation.
Chris leaves soon afterwards. Once again she recognises the white Ford Fiesta tagging along behind her. Does he sit around all day and half the night waiting for her, she muses? And anyway, who the hell is he?
It’s a bad night for Chris. She can’t allow herself to admit that something might have happened to Ben. Positive thoughts can make things happen, she reminds herself, so for Ben’s sake she has to believe that he’s OK. It isn’t easy…and then there’s Sienna. So far the police have no clues and her fate is still unknown.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Chris hears Rowan out in silence as he tries to reassure her and himself. ‘We’re not Ben’s keepers. There’s every chance that he’s taken a couple of days off to be with his family.’ He let out a loud, comforting laugh, a sure sign that he’s nervous.
‘So there’s no news as yet.’
‘As I said…’
‘What about the police?’
‘They haven’t come back to us yet.’
It’s seven a.m. Chris has dropped into the office hoping for news of Ben. She’s late this morning, having fallen asleep at dawn after lying awake for hours. She arrives at the Provident Trust half an hour late to find Husam pacing his office looking upset. He tries to hide his shock at the sight of her and this worries her. Did he think that she wasn’t coming back? Something’s gone wrong.
‘I overslept. I’m sorry.’ She manages a quick, decisive tone.
He doesn’t answer, but his eyes reproach her.
‘Don’t look at me like that. I work all hours. Last night I couldn’t
‘I know why Ben flew to New York.’
‘Fine! Well, Ben scored. He managed to get a signed, sworn statement from Freeman claiming that the diamonds he sold to me were purchased from a Canadian mine that has not joined the Kimberley Project. Two days ago Ben had a meeting with the executives of the KP. He got back after lunch with the good news…we’re in the clear.’ Jon broke off as if expecting a reply.
‘And then?’ Chris murmurs into the static. ‘Please tell me…what’s happened to Ben?’
‘We don’t know. Sharon tried to persuade him to fly to Paris to see his wife, but Ben was adamant that he was going straight to Heathrow. He was about to leave for the airport when a driver arrived with a message from Freeman. He said that Freeman was waiting for him at a downtown cafe and that he had valuable information for Ben. Ben arranged to follow the man. He was going to drive on to the airport and drop off the hired car there.’
‘And did he?’
‘I didn’t check. Look here, Chris, there was a bit of bad feeling between us.’
Chris’s mind seems to be in two places at once. Part of her wants to burst into tears and beg this nightmare to go away, at the same time her thoughts are racing ahead of Jon’s words. Of course Ben would have called her, or Rowan, from theairport…even if he’d taken a day off, he’d let them know. Chris feels disaster creeping up on her. It’s a strange, numbing sensation. She becomes very calm, very precise and strangely empty, all at the same time.
‘Did you call his wife?’
‘She’s in Paris. I don’t have her number. Besides, what’s the point of worrying her?’
‘Have you checked the car hire firm?’
‘Well, no.’
‘I’ll call Rowan.’ Unthinkingly, Chris replaces the receiver. She tries to get herself under control as she dials Rowan’s home number.
‘Rowan, listen, we have a problem. Do you know where Ben is? Has he contacted you?’
‘No. I assumed he was still in New York.’
Rowan listens in silence while she tells him what she knows.
‘I have a few numbers I can try…his wife, for starters. You go home now. Call a taxi and charge the office. I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Call the New York police, Rowan,’ she urges.
‘You’re right,’ he says tonelessly.
An impersonal click terminates the conversation.
Chris leaves soon afterwards. Once again she recognises the white Ford Fiesta tagging along behind her. Does he sit around all day and half the night waiting for her, she muses? And anyway, who the hell is he?
It’s a bad night for Chris. She can’t allow herself to admit that something might have happened to Ben. Positive thoughts can make things happen, she reminds herself, so for Ben’s sake she has to believe that he’s OK. It isn’t easy…and then there’s Sienna. So far the police have no clues and her fate is still unknown.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Chris hears Rowan out in silence as he tries to reassure her and himself. ‘We’re not Ben’s keepers. There’s every chance that he’s taken a couple of days off to be with his family.’ He let out a loud, comforting laugh, a sure sign that he’s nervous.
‘So there’s no news as yet.’
‘As I said…’
‘What about the police?’
‘They haven’t come back to us yet.’
It’s seven a.m. Chris has dropped into the office hoping for news of Ben. She’s late this morning, having fallen asleep at dawn after lying awake for hours. She arrives at the Provident Trust half an hour late to find Husam pacing his office looking upset. He tries to hide his shock at the sight of her and this worries her. Did he think that she wasn’t coming back? Something’s gone wrong.
‘I overslept. I’m sorry.’ She manages a quick, decisive tone.
He doesn’t answer, but his eyes reproach her.
‘Don’t look at me like that. I work all hours. Last night I couldn’t
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