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“What the fuck, Scottie, why didn’t you tell me?” I said calmly, I didn’t want to scare Buster with any yelling.
“I, I don’t know, do you think she’ll be all right?” Scottie asked. He wasn’t so confident now the reality had sunk in.
I took out my phone and sent Adaline a text. She should answer if she’s awake and in a shopping centre.
Me:What are you up to? How’s the weather?
I’m such a typical Englishman, resorting to talking about the weather. I had no small talk arsenal to fall back on.
Adaline:Can’t sleep, getting a coffee in the only twenty-four-hour coffee shop near the hotel.
Me:Why didn’t you get room service?
Adaline:It costs a fortune, no need to spend that kind of money. The weather is just like the UK but a little warmer. It rains for three and a half minutes and then stops. Strange.
We were talking about the fucking weather, and I wanted to be at her side. She was ok, that was the main thing. She could order coffee, another great thing. Then I realised my error about room service. She wouldn’t have been able to order over the phone. Another dumb assed question.
Me:How did the meeting go, did you get your comic?
Ten minutes went by before I could get an answer, I wore out the path of carpet in the centre of the living room while I paced. I filled in Scottie and Felicity about what she’d said so far.
Adaline:He doesn’t live at the address he gave me. No one has heard of him, I spent the day traipsing around the city getting lost and nowhere fast.
“I can’t cope with this,” I said staring at the phone.
“What did she say?” Scottie asked and tried to look at my phone. I pulled it away and resumed my pacing. It only took ten steps from the veranda to the other window. Felicity watched me like a hawk. She’d closed her laptop and folded away the plans under the notebook.
“She can’t find the seller, he’s sent her on a wild goose chase,” I said. “She also got lost in a strange city.”
Scottie examined his phone again. “She’s back at the hotel, so at least she’s safe.”
Me:What will you do tomorrow? Come home?
Adaline: I’ll keep looking, I know he’s in Hong Kong somewhere, I traced his IP address when we were chatting. He wants to play hide and seek then I’m game.
“Oh, Lordy,” I said and looked to the ceiling.
“What now?” Felicity asked, swapping from staring at me to Scottie’s phone.
Adaline: I need to get some sleep, talk in the morning. X
Me:I love you, please be careful.
“She’s gone to bed, but she’s not giving up finding him. For all I know he could be a part of the Hong Kong mafia. If that exists.” I told them. “I’m getting on a plane, as soon as I can.”
“The next flight leaves in five hours, if you hurry you can make it,” Scottie said as he flicked through several screens. “I’ve booked you a first-class seat, it’s all they had left.” He said and looked at me.
“How do you have the money to do that?” I asked, appalled that he would pay for my flight to rescue Adaline.
“I don’t, I have a good memory for numbers. You paid for it on the card you gave me to buy the TV.”
I was too worried to be mad at Scottie’s cheeky move. I was grateful too, I don’t think I would have had the focus to be able to organise a flight.
“Ok, which airport?” I asked, making a mental note of what I needed to take. All I would need is my passport and credit card. I could buy anything I needed out there. I’d pack a carry on to save time waiting for my bags to show up on a carousel.
“Gatwick. I can book you a taxi if you like? Or we could walk up to the train station, there is a taxi rank there.”
“You can drive me in the van. You’ll need the van for tomorrow to finish that job,” I said. “I’ll fill the tank with petrol, and you can use it while I’m away.”
