‘WELL, OF COURSE, QUITE naturally, I agree that a person can’t simply disappear…’ Kevin Mangold was having the kind of conversation he always avoided. ‘And yet you do seem to be saying that…’ To be more accurate, he was having the kind of conversation that he always let Bryony manage. ‘Did he…ah…’

Mangold felt his voice wither while he faced Jim Palmer, the occupant of room 18 – the one with the nice view over the lake for which there should really be a surcharge.

The guest was insisting on being ridiculous. ‘He did exactly what I said. I was walking down from the top floor – he was in room 56 – and he was only a few feet behind me and then he wasn’t.’

‘He wasn’t what?’ Mangold could feel his allergies starting to prickle.

‘He wasn’t there.’

Mangold set his glasses straight to play for time, ‘And have you looked in–’

‘Yes, I looked in room 56. He’s not in 56. His missus is in 56. He’s not. He’s not in the bar, he’s not on the course, he’s not in the restaurant, or the bloody leisure place.’

Mangold had what he felt was an inspiration as his imagination scrambled about like a mouse in a greasy bucket for something to make this whole problem go away. ‘Oh, I know what’s happened!’ he blurted – immediately regretting it when Palmer eyed him with hope, or at least mildly suspicious optimism. Mangold felt sweat break out at the backs of his legs. ‘How might I put this…Not to take the issue lightly, but…Mr Palmer, did your friend perhaps not like his wife…?’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘It’s not absolutely…’ This suggestion hadn’t gone down as well as he’d hoped. ‘Not…Just…One does hear of husbands wandering off…That is…’ He wasn’t supposed to deal with the public; Bryony Mailer was meant to deal with the public.

Jim Palmer thundered, ‘Julia is lovely woman and distraught at the moment! She’s had a headache all morning and now she can’t find the man she’s been married to for twenty-six years! A man who is my best friend! Do you want me to go upstairs and tell her he’s run away because he hates her?!’

Although Mangold knew this was a completely dreadful mistake almost as horrible as his initial mistake, he couldn’t help mumbling, ‘Not run away…not that…not necessarily…I was suggesting…He could have fancied a bit of a change…’ It felt for a few breaths that the floor was sinking under his feet and he fervently wished that it was and would hurry up and swallow him.

It wasn’t.

It didn’t.

Jim Palmer – dumbstruck by rage – simply reached across with a swift and confident fist and made a slight rearrangement of Kevin Mangold’s nose.