‘Oh god, don’t put me off before I’ve even started,’ Rain groaned.
‘You’ll be fine. You look like you can handle anything,’ he said, eyeing her from head to toe and back again.
‘Thanks, I think,’ Rain replied. ‘So, does that mean there are a high turnover of cleaners?’
She tried to sound nonchalant, not wanting to seem too eager. Jack’s expression clouded over briefly before he could mask it.
‘Yeah,’ he said, scratching the back of his neck.
‘Mr Larkins said something about the cleaner I’m replacing being unreliable.’
‘Oh, did he now?’ Jack asked, his tone slightly sceptical.
‘Yeah, was that not the case then?’
He studied her for a moment, seemingly weighing up how much to divulge. ‘Look, Fay … the last cleaner … she had some personal stuff going on. It was a bit of a mess, really.’
‘A mess? What kind of mess? That sounds ominous,’ Rain said, trying her best to sound light-hearted.
Before she could press him further, the distant sound of approaching footsteps put an end to their conversation.
‘Listen, I gotta get back to work. See you around,’ Jack said, quickly excusing himself. With that, Jack hastily retreated back into the hotel, leaving Rain alone, her thoughts swirling with even more unanswered questions.
Rain continued her journey towards the front entrance. She was so lost in thought, trying to process what Jack had said, that she almost walked straight into the person coming in the door.
Rain stumbled back, an apology on her lips, but the words died in her throat as she looked up into an achingly familiar pair of eyes.
Lauren.
She was a vision of beauty in a long black coat and oversized sunglasses, looking every inch the glamorous jetsetter. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air between them electric with tension.
Rain’s mind raced with memories – the silken slide of Lauren’s hair between her fingers, the taste of her lips, the breathy little sighs she made when their tongues had entwined.
Lauren’s lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but then she shook her head and brushed past Rain without a word, disappearing into the lobby.
Rain stood frozen. Seeing Lauren again, being so close to her . . . it was almost too much to bear.
I can’t do this. I’m not strong enough.
But even as she thought the words, Rain knew she didn’t have a choice. She had to find out what happened to Fay. And if that meant weathering the emotional rollercoaster of being around Lauren . . . well, she’d just have to find a way to survive it. No matter how much it hurt.
Rain squared her shoulders and walked out into the bright London morning.
One way or another, she would get to the bottom of her sister’s disappearance. And then, maybe, she could finally put Lauren behind her for good.
Chapter Eleven
He climbed into his car, slamming the door shut with a force that shook the vehicle.
He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for. He hit the call button, his foot tapping impatiently as he waited for an answer.
‘Yeah, it’s me,’ he barked as soon as the call connected. ‘Listen, I need you to do something for me.’
He paused, listening to the response on the other end. ‘I don’t care what you’re doing right now. This is important. It’s about Fay.’
Another pause. ‘No, I still don’t know where she is. That’s the problem, but I’ve got an idea.’ A smile spread across his face. ‘I want you to pay a visit to her building manager. See if he knows anything.’
The man laughed menacingly at the response. ‘No, I don’t want you to ask him nicely. I want you to make him talk. Whatever it takes.’
He listened for a moment, then nodded. ‘Yeah, you got it. And listen, if he gives you any trouble, you have my permission to get rough. Just don’t leave any permanent damage, okay?’
With that, he ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. If Fay’s building manager knew something, he’d find out.
And if he didn’t, well, at least he’d sent a message.
Chapter Twelve
Lauren’s mind raced with a flurry of thoughts as the lift ascended to the top floor. Why hadn’t she said something to Rain, anything? Even a simple hello would have been better than the frozen, awkward silence that had stretched between them.
It’s too late now to do anything, so just forget about it.
A few moments later, she was standing outside her grandmother’s door. She knocked softly before using her key card to let herself in.
Ivy looked up from her armchair, her face lighting up with a warm smile. ‘Well, aren’t I popular today? Sydney just left a little while ago.’
Lauren settled into the chair beside her. ‘Oh, she’s back. I haven’t seen her since yesterday.’
‘I know. She’s been avoiding you,’ Ivy replied matter-of-factly.
