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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

‘Richard? Hi. It’s Cameron from Skitastic. We were skiing with a couple of your clients this afternoon and they’ve gone AWOL. Yeah, the ones you saw me with. No, not long – they’re probably fine but could you call whichever chalet they’re in and check if they’re back? They didn’t mark which one they’re in on the … I KNOW! I’m not exactly pleased either … Look, we’re all on the same side here, aren’t we? Yeah. Yeah. OK – call me once you’ve spoken to the chalet girl. I’m in the office. Appreciate it, mate, yeah.’

Andy sits down, head in hands. ‘This is bad.’

‘They might be at the chalet,’ I say, hearing the desperation even in my own voice.

‘And if they’re not?’

‘They might be in one of the bars,’ I offer, though I’m already fearing the worst.

‘How are we going to know, though? There are masses of bars! They could be anywhere!’

‘If they’re down, they should have let us know they’re safe, shouldn’t they?’ I persist. I sound pathetic even to my own ears.

‘They should have, but you know what punters are like – they don’t think. And it’s getting dark now.’

‘I think we should give it till six,’ I say.

‘And if they’re not back by then?’

‘Well then, I guess … I guess we have to call rescue.’

‘Who won’t be able to do anything in this weather.’ There’s a pause. ‘If they’re not back, they don’t stand a chance.’

The phone rings.

11

2018, London

Hugo

After Ria spent that first night with me, she never really moved out again. I couldn’t believe my luck. I don’t remember asking her to move in – it happened by degrees. I cleared a drawer out for her stuff because she was staying so often, then a cupboard, then her letters started arriving there ‘because it’s easier as I’m here the whole time anyway’. I didn’t mind in the slightest; I’d never lived with a woman before and seeing her stuff around the place made it feel like a proper home, rather than somewhere I just came to play X-Box and sleep after work.

After a month or so she said she thought it was pointless her paying rent on her flat, so would it be OK if she brought the rest of her stuff over? It was only then I realized I’d never been to her flat. I asked her why.

Her face fell. ‘My weird flatmate’s always there. Plus I’m too embarrassed for you to see it. It’s a hole.’

I took her hand. ‘Why would you be embarrassed? London is expensive, you’re running your own business in tricky times – there’s no shame in finding things a bit of a struggle.’