face to face, you see. And I kept hoping that she’d show up and I’d only have to call you to tell you I was on my way home.’
Rob nods. ‘You’ve told the police everything?’ he asks.
‘Yes. But they haven’t been very helpful. Konstandin and I found the guys on our own, the two escorts – we tracked them down and questioned them.’ There’s no point in going into too much detail about how Konstandin got the truth out of them. ‘They admitted they stole Kate’s handbag. I got it back. But the police can’t seem to find them now so they can’t question them.’
I can see Rob struggling to wrap his head around all this new information.
‘According to them they left the apartment around three in the morning and didn’t see Kate after that,’ I carry on. ‘I woke up around eleven the next morning and Kate was gone. But she didn’t have her phone or her handbag or her wallet.’ I look at Rob. ‘So where could she possibly have gone to?’
Rob says nothing and I realise I’m holding my breath, waiting for a response that won’t come. I was hoping he’d have an answer, or at least an idea, but just like Reza and Nunes when I posed the question to them, he’s got nothing.
‘I’m so worried,’ I mumble.
Rob squeezes my hand again but doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t try to reassure me or soothe my anxiety. In fact, he looks every bit as worried as me.
Chapter Twenty
‘I have to warn you about the man in the apartment.’
Rob pauses mid-step. ‘What man?’ he asks.
‘The landlord,’ I whisper. ‘Long story. I couldn’t stay in the old place as it was rented out tonight so he offered me his spare room. He lives in the apartment below the one we stayed in. And he’s a bit odd.’
Rob scowls. ‘You said yes to staying with a complete stranger? Orla!’
‘I didn’t have much choice,’ I tell him, annoyed at how patronising he’s being. ‘And hopefully he won’t mind you staying too. He’s a bit funny about extra guests.’
Rob’s expression morphs from a scowl to befuddlement. We’re talking in hushed whispers, just outside the front door when it opens. Sebastian is standing there, looking between Rob and I wonder if he was standing on the other side of the door, watching us through the little spy hole. Creep.
‘This is my husband Rob,’ I explain, smiling. ‘He flew in without telling me, to help me look for Kate.’
Sebastian shakes Rob’s hand but he isn’t budging from playing Cerberus at the door so I have to bring it up. ‘It’s fine if he stays, isn’t it?’
Sebastian opens his mouth then shuts it again, obviously put out, but what can he do but let us both in? ‘Of course,’ he mumbles, stepping aside, and pushing his glasses nervously up his nose. ‘I will have to charge you extra. I’m sure you understand.’
Rob and I exchange a look. See what I mean? my look says.
God, you’re right, what a weirdo, says Rob’s returned glance.
‘Sure,’ I say, hurrying Rob into the bedroom.
‘What a bloody weirdo,’ Rob says in a whisper as I shut the door.
‘I told you. I thought maybe he was keeping Kate locked in this room he has with soundproofed walls. It’s got no door handle.’ I giggle.
Rob looks aghast.
‘How do you know he isn’t?’ Rob asks, his eyes widening. He isn’t joking. ‘Why does he have a soundproofed room?’
‘It’s a recording studio. And I caught a glimpse. It was empty.’
Rob suddenly reaches out and pulls me into his arms. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze hard. It feels so good, such a relief to be held. The tight knot in my stomach relaxes a little and I can breathe more easily. When you’ve been with someone as long as Rob and I have been together, sixteen years, it’s like having a limb returned to you when you hug them. The only thing that’s missing is Marlow between us. I wish Rob could have brought her but I suppose it wouldn’t have been practical. I hope she’s OK with Denise. I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tears springing out. I just want to go home so much. When is this nightmare going to be over?
Rob kisses my neck. I love the comforting feeling of his lips and the warmth they infuse through my body, but at the same time it’s not the moment for it. I push him gently away