My breathing slows. I’m not going to mess up the good name of my company for a couple of arseholes who made out they were better skiers than they actually are and who I’m 99 per cent sure are fine. They’re fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine. It’s all going to be fine.

I head off down the lower slope, which is by now almost deserted, and join a queue for the lift which will get me back to the office and back to news of whether or not we’re in deep shit. Because of the wind, the lift is moving slowly and stopping often. The snow bites at my face. It would almost have been quicker to put on skins and hike. By the time I finally get to the top, they are no longer allowing people on any lifts, even down here – the wind is too strong. I ski down the short run back to the office and fling open the door.

‘Why the hell aren’t you answering your radio!?’ Andy yells.

‘I dropped it!’ I shout back. ‘Did you find them or not?’

‘No. I found the forms they filled in with their details – you’ve got to get this office more organized, by the way; it took me forever.’

‘Did you call the chalet?’ I ask impatiently. Now is hardly the time to be hassling me about housekeeping.

‘No! I was waiting for you! I didn’t want to broadcast the fact that we’ve – you’ve – lost them, when for all I know you might have found them.’

‘Well I didn’t,’ I say tightly. ‘Which chalet are they in?’

Andy glances at the form. ‘They didn’t mark it. Which you would already know if you could stop shouting at me for five minutes! I’m trying to help you here! They’re your clients – not mine!’

‘They’re our clients. Our ski school. We’re in this together.’

‘They were out with you,’ Andy says coldly.

I take a deep breath. This isn’t the time. And I need to keep Andy on side. ‘We both need to calm down. They’re here with Powder Puff – that annoying rep passed by as we were setting off and said they were his clients, remember? Where’s their chalet?’

‘Powder Puff have loads of chalets. We’ll have to call their office. Do you have the number?’

‘Somewhere.’ I rifle through the piles of paper on my desk and feel Andy’s impatience growing until eventually the unhelpful twat shouts, ‘Come on!’

‘You’re not helping!’ I shout back. ‘Look, it’s here. Richard, the rep’s name is,’ I say, as I pick up the phone and dial.