BooksBarbecue
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

I pull Andy closer to me so that our faces are almost touching. ‘You were with me – I didn’t hear you saying we should call rescue out,’ I growl. ‘Both of us skied too fast at times, we didn’t always put the clients’ needs first. Either of us. We are in this together. OK? I go down, so do you. Neither of us have covered ourselves in glory here. The way we dealt with things wasn’t exactly textbook, was it? Richard saw both of us with the clients. You and I are both on all the business documents, even though I put in pretty much all the money. So you are as liable as me. Understood?’

Andy violently wrenches out of my grasp. ‘Let go of me, OK? Fine. Let’s get our stories straight then.’

17

Daily Mail

30 December, 1998

One of two men missing in La Madière in the French Alps has been found alive following an extensive search. The British man in his twenties was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital yesterday, where he remains in a critical condition.

Another man, believed to be his brother, is still missing. François Delpont, leading the rescue said: ‘We have a large team of experts searching the mountain where the brothers were skiing, but local weather conditions are making the search difficult. We are delighted to have found one man alive and will continue to search for the other as long as is appropriate and the weather conditions allow.

‘The two men were skiing with local guides who are helping our officers to ascertain what happened. No arrests have been made and currently there is nothing to indicate that this was anything other than a tragic accident.’

18

December 1998, La Madière, France

The police interview room is stifling. It’s early in the morning and I’ve been here through the night, stewing, while they find an officer who can speak English to interview me. I’m too stressed to attempt it in French and I need to be 100 per cent clear on what I’m saying.

Officially, it seems I don’t have to stay to be interviewed, but if I say I can’t be bothered to wait around to talk about how two men came to go missing it isn’t going to look good, is it? Eventually, the door opens and a bleary-eyed uniformed man comes in.

I stand up and he offers his hand. I shake it and we both sit down.

‘Thank you for coming in,’ he says. ‘I’m sorry we kept you waiting.’

‘That’s fine. It’s been a long day though and I’m very tired. If you could ask your questions, perhaps we can all get to bed.’

That sounded tetchier than I’d intended. Stay calm. Stick to what we planned, I remind myself.

‘You will have heard the news that one of the men has been found,’ the officer says.