Read Online Missing by Susan Lewis - Free Book Online Page B

any idea where she might be, which I don’t. And if I’m still seeing Miles, which I’m not.’
    ‘I bet they think he’s bumped her off,’ Pete said decisively. ‘Boy are they going to have a shock when she turns up again. But hey, what if she doesn’t? Oh God, what a scandal.’
    Vivienne’s eyes flashed. ‘It’s not a joke, Pete,’ she snapped.
    His hands shot up. ‘Sorry, no offence,’ he cried. ‘Can see I was well out of order, so sorry again.’
    ‘Actually,’ Vivienne said, ‘the police also wanted to know where I was on the day she disappeared, and if I have an alibi to confirm it.’
    ‘Oh no!’ Pete cried, clasping his hands to his cheeks. ‘They surely don’t think
you’ve
done away with her? Oh my God, this is too much. There’s our dear little agency poodling along like an empty checkout, then suddenly we’ve got slave auctions in the countryside, biggish-budget movies, and our very own murder mystery. Agatha Christie must be turning in her grave.’
    ‘Pete, will you at least try to be serious,’ Alice chided, sensing Vivienne’s humour failing again.
    ‘Darling, I am,’ he insisted. ‘Tell us,’ he said to Vivienne, ‘have you spoken to Miles again since he called to let you know she’d gone up in a puff of smoke?’
    ‘No. I’ve had no reason to.’
    Pete couldn’t have looked more pained. ‘But Vivi, it’s all you’ve ever wanted, to get back with him …’
    ‘Time to leave it,’ Alice warned.
    ‘No! No,’ he protested. ‘Well, OK. But darling, you’ve got to find out what the Justine wants.
Please
.’
    ‘Pete,’ Angus said firmly.
    ‘She can give you some great publicity for your auction,’ Pete pointed out.
    ‘I’d rather sink it than let her anywhere near it,’ Vivienne retorted. ‘Now are you happy about taking on
La Belle Amie
? I met with her and her agent first thing this morning. She’s pretty forthcoming about her past career and how she got into it. Actually, probably too forthcoming, so you’ll need to rein her in a bit.’
    ‘Oh, listen to you,’ Pete mocked, taking a mouthful of penne. ‘Everyone wants to hear about sex, and the raunchier the better.’
    ‘But she tends to go over the top, and we don’t want to start building a reputation as a PR agency for sleaze …’
    ‘Darling, you’re such a
prude
,’ he told her.
    Vivienne was taken aback. ‘I am not,’ she declared.
    ‘Yes you are.’
    She looked from him to Alice and Angus. ‘Is that how you see me?’ she said.
    ‘Not at all,’ Alice assured her, a tad too quickly.
    ‘No way,’ Angus blustered.
    Vivienne was clearly still bothered. ‘Look, I just don’t want us to become known for handling porn stars,’ she explained. ‘I know sex sells—’
    ‘It does?’ Pete interrupted, feigning shock.
    Vivienne threw him a look. ‘I’m simply saying, I’d rather we were the broadsheet version of PR than the tabloid. OK, maybe there’s more money in the gutter stuff, and
La Belle Amie
—’
    ‘Oh, you’re just too image-conscious,’ Pete protested, with a flick of his wrist. ‘They’re going to lap her up, pardon the pun if there is one there, which I’m sure there is. Anyway, what does she want us to morph her into? A soap star? Pop singer? Please don’t tell me she wants to front BBC news, or some wildlife guff. Do you think she’s up to writing a book? I reckon we could get her quite a good deal considering her background.’
    ‘She’d need someone to ghost it,’ Vivienne answered, ‘and believe it or not, I think her ambitions lie in serious drama. To quote her, “Helen Mirren is my role model.” ’
    ‘How delighted the Dame will be,’ Pete chuckled. ‘Mind you, at her age—’
    ‘Are you going to answer that?’ Alice interrupted, looking at Vivienne. ‘That’s the second time the phone’s rung, and you seem oblivious.’
    Vivienne looked at her in surprise. ‘If it’s important they’ll leave a message,’ she replied.
    Alice glanced