And her mind was set.
She packed her bags, washed her face and went to find Ezio.
‘I’ll leave in the morning.’
He looked up from the blank computer screen. ‘That is not necessary. I am flying back to London tomorrow.’
‘Fine, but I’m not staying here.’ Where everywhere would remind her of their short, doomed affair. The idea filled her with horror. ‘I’m going to see Sam in the morning. I want to tell him in person what’s happening. I’ll find somewhere nice near the school. Will you say goodbye to him?’
CHAPTER TWELVE
THETOP-FLOORAPARTMENTwas too big for one, but when Sam came home at the weekend she’d be glad of the space. The pool in the basement had sold it to her, and she’d tried to sell it to Sam without much success.
Knowing he was anxious about her reaction, she had struggled to hide her hurt when he’d expressed his wish to spend a few weekends with Ezio at the villa.
‘Isn’t that what happens to kids when their parents divorce?’
‘This is different. Ezio is not your parent, Sam.’
‘Neither are you,’ had been his hurtful but totally logical response.
She just hoped that he’d get used to it in time.
She was piling some laundry into the washing machine when there was a buzz at the door.
She pressed the button that connected her to the keyed entry lobby.
‘It’s Ezio. We need to talk.’
‘No, there is nothing—’
‘It’s Sam.’
She buzzed him up and waited for the knock on the door. When it came, she took a deep breath, painted what she hoped was cold neutrality on her face and opened the door, stepping back before his imposing presence appeared in her hallway.
He didn’t waste time on small talk. ‘Sam is missing.’
She felt her knees give and grabbed a nearby chair. ‘What do you mean? How do you know this and I don’t?’
‘When you changed your number, presumably to block me, you failed to give the school your new number.’
‘Oh, God...missing as in...?’
‘As in gone from his room. Nobody knows where he is. The school contacted me when they couldn’t get hold of you...the kids are searching the school grounds and buildings. They’re holding off on calling the police.’
Her hand went to her mouth and panic slid through her like ice. Her brain froze all she could feel was fear. ‘This is my fault! I brought him here, let him think we were a family and— Oh, my God! What am I going to do? We need to call the police! Why is no one calling the police?’
His hands went to her shoulders. ‘You are going to breathe and then you are going to come with me... I think I might know where he is.’
‘Then why aren’t you there, finding him?’ she exploded, pushing his hands away.
‘Because I thought you might like to come along.’
A frown of instant contrition crossed her pale face. ‘Of course you did. I’m sorry.’ She flicked a conciliatory look at his face, noticing the pronounced edges of his cheek bones and some interesting shadows under his dark, intense eyes. ‘It’s just when I think—’
‘Do not think,’ he ordered calmly. ‘There is little point torturing yourself with imagined scenarios while Sam is probably right now sitting in the cabin, living off the land.’
‘Living off the land?’