Fiona sat back on her chair at the kitchen table and looked up at the ceiling. He’d been out late that night, what had he been up to? She was beginning to doubt everything about Pete now. Perhaps she should contact the paper and try to speak to the reporter.

Just then the phone rang.

‘Yes? Oh, hi, Mrs C, I was about to come back over the road. Good, glad he’s been okay. No, I’ll give him lunch here, thanks.’

She tried Pete’s phone again – nothing – then she stretched for the paper to see the journalist’s name. Cressida Scott, that was it. She headed for the door, her gait weary. How dare he do this to her, to Jamie. She could kill him.

* * *

Jamie sat down at the table and grimaced. ‘Why’re we having soup, Mum? Mrs C said I could have pizza and chips at the hotel.’

‘You had pizza last night. Soup’s better for you. Eat up.’ Fiona snapped.

Jamie glanced up at his mother’s face, her features set rigid. He took one spoonful then plonked the spoon back into the bowl, spilling some soup over the edge.

‘Watch what you’re doing, will you?’ Fiona tapped at her phone then flung it onto the table.

‘You said phones weren’t allowed at the table, Mum. And why wasn’t Pete at the hotel? Mrs C said he’s run to do an errand. What’s that?’

Fiona sighed. ‘Jamie, I’ve no idea where Pete’s gone. Not a clue. He hasn’t told me, but I’ve a feeling he might have gone home to Australia.’

‘Without us?’

Fiona shrugged and ripped off a hunk of bread.

‘But he always said he’d take me and show me Sydney Harbour Bridge and the kangaroos and that cricket place…’

‘Well, it looks like he’s gone all by himself.’

Jamie finished his soup in silence. Fiona drummed her fingers on the table and glanced at her son. A single tear ran down his face as he gazed into his half-empty soup bowl.

She scraped her chair back and knelt down beside him. She reached over and hugged him tight. ‘Jamie, darling, I’m sorry.’ She stroked his curls. ‘Sometimes people let you down and it looks like Pete’s let us down. But I’ve no idea why.’

‘Was it because I tied his two shoelaces together that time and he never laughed like you did?’

Fiona smiled. ‘No, it was certainly nothing to do with you. And today in the paper there’s this brilliant article raving about his cooking, so it seems a strange time to go, but…’

Jamie sat up straight. ‘Mum, why don’t we go to Australia too? Go and find him?’ His dark eyes were shining. ‘Like an adventure.’