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Back The Chalet Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for The Chalet
  3. Dedication
  4. PART ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. PART TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. PART THREE
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Epilogue
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. Keep Reading …
  73. Prologue
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

Then one day Anna said that they thought Mama was ready to look after me again and asked how did I feel about that? I didn’t know what to say. Mama’s flat was OK and I had my own room there, but it also wasn’t as nice as it was at Rhonda’s and I knew Rhonda wouldn’t leave me alone in the house with no food. It had happened a long time ago, but I still remembered it well and it still made my tummy feel weird when I thought about it. But she was my mama and in spite of it all the biggest part of me wanted to be with her, so I said that sounded good as long as Rhonda and Anna could still be my friends and come and see me sometimes. Anna said that that would be fine and she would still be coming to see me a lot and Rhonda said that if it was OK with my mama I could even come back and stay sometimes if I wanted to or if Mama felt like she needed a bit of time by herself, and I said that I would like that very much.

And then I went up to my room and cried. Nobody noticed.

35

January 2020, La Madière, France

Hugo

Cameron is over again, unfortunately. Sometimes I hate owning a business. Hate having to suck up to people like him.

‘So what’s with the faces on everyone today?’ Cameron asks, looking around the chalet. ‘Someone died or something?’

There is an awkward silence. Matt clears his throat. ‘Cameron, yes, I’m afraid there’s been some bad news. You didn’t hear? They found a body.’

‘I didn’t hear anything – I’ve only just come up from the valley. A body? Who found a body?’

‘A piste-basher. But they think it’s a historic death – a guy who died a long time ago and whose body was dislodged by the recent bad weather. Apparently his brother’s on the way out here to identify the body and the like.’

‘His brother?’ Cameron echoes, rubbing his hand across his face. ‘Right. Poor guy.’

Matt looks at his clipboard. ‘In fact, Didier in the tourist office called me – he said he couldn’t get through to you. He wondered if you might be able to offer the brother accommodation. He thinks that, given the circumstances, the bereaved man shouldn’t have to pay to stay during his trip. Is that OK? Seems like the least we can do.’

I continue staring at my iPad, wondering if this conversation is for my benefit. Is Matt or this guy Didier trying to make Cameron look like a nice guy so that I’ll want to do business with him? I’m never very good at working out this kind of thing. Olivia would probably know, if only she were here.