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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

Matt grins. ‘Sounds perfect. I believe I’m due here for dinner tonight, so we can firm things up then. And if there’s anything you need in the meantime, give me a shout. Send my regards to Cass, I won’t disturb her if she’s tired.’

‘I will.’

‘And I hope the boys have a successful day skiing.’

‘I’ll pass that on.’

We both get up and move towards the door. ‘Well then,’ he says. I lean in, inviting him to kiss me on the cheek. He reddens slightly, unsure what to do. I put my hand on his arm and do the bise, two kisses French style, as if I do that all the time, which I don’t, but I want to touch him.

I squeeze his hand briefly. ‘See you tomorrow.’

13

December 1998, La Madière, France

‘Hello? Richard. Right. OK. Thanks … Yeah, I will. I don’t think we’ve got any option now that … Look, now is hardly the time, is it? Yeah. I’ll keep you posted. Bye.’

‘So?’ Andy asks, stupidly. Isn’t it obvious?

‘They’re not there.’

‘So what do we do? How long have they been missing now?’

I look at my watch, and then out of the window. It’s getting dark, the wind sounds like a jet engine and it’s still snowing.

‘We don’t know that they’re missing!’ I snap. ‘We just don’t know where they are.’ I am pacing about the office, but it’s too small and I feel claustrophobic.

Andy picks up the phone. ‘Isn’t that the same thing? We have to call rescue now. We can’t sit back and do nothing. Something’s obviously wrong.’

‘But …’ I say, uselessly. ‘We said we’d give it till six. They might have gone to the bar like we said and be boring some poor sod with how they lost their guides and found their way down like heroes and—’

‘Apart from anything else, rep-boy Richard knows now. So if they don’t turn up …’

‘And if they do, everyone will think we’re incapable idiots anyway,’ I counter.

Andy holds up the phone towards me. ‘So what do you want me to do?’

‘Make the call.’

14

Daily Mail

29 December, 1998

Two British men have gone missing in the French Alpine ski resort of La Madière.

The two men, brothers aged 22 and 24, who have not yet been named, were skiing off-piste with local guides when they went missing in bad weather.

A search team was launched immediately, but so far no trace of either man has been found.

The young men are believed to have been staying in a Powder Puff holiday chalet with their girlfriends, who remain in the resort anxiously awaiting news.