Minerva Ch. 04 of 10

And that -- I very much suspect -- was what his lordship was counting on.

There's a distinct disadvantage to being a good bloke; the sort of guy who would not drop his friends in the applecart. Whatever I suspected, I couldn't abandon my mentor in his time of need.

Kylie was upset when she found me in my room packing. I explained to her what had happened back at the newspaper, and why I had to get back there that day. I can't say she was enthralled that I was leaving, but then neither was I.

We kissed and cuddled for a little while, then Kylie helped me carry me gear to my car. It could be that I should have told Kylie that I suspected her uncle had a hand in the situation, but I chose not to; god knows why.

Over the next couple of days I was busy with the newspaper. Well all the remaining the reporters were, we'd lost the top two guys on the firm. But I managed to spend a lot of time on the phone to Kylie right up until she flew out to... wherever it was in Europe.

Then nothing, although she'd promised to call the moment she arrived at her hotel, I never heard another word from her.

That's when I really began to realise how little I did know about Kylie. I had no idea where she called home even, and certainly no contact number I could call. The calls I received from her had always been from landlines. "Who?" was the answer I got whenever I tried to call her back on them.

It was like she and his lordship vanished into thin air.

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Oh I hunted for them all right, as best I could. Have you any idea how many hotels there are in Saint Moritz and Monoco. I even got guys working for local newspapers out there asking questions. No one came up with anything. "Who's Who" and "DeBrett's" were of no use to me, because Kylie wasn't listed, and all I knew about her uncle was that his first name was William.

Oh yeah I tried Companies House, but the company who booked those rooms at the Cliff Head is an almost faceless holding company. Little more than an address on an empty office door and there were no William's listed as directors.

End of chapter 04