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With trembling fingers, she dials his number.
* * *
“Maxim. Max!”
“Sorry. What?” I look up from my desk to find Oliver standing in the doorway.
“May I come in?”
“Of course.”
Fuck. Dude. Pay attention.
“I have some brochures here for distilling equipment as requested. I have a favorite. Let me know what you think. There are many, many rules and regs to overcome, but nothing insurmountable. My second question relates to the Cheyne Walk property, and if you wanted it decorated before you move in?”
“It looked like it had been newly decorated.”
“It was. Ready for the next tenants.”
“Alessia’s happy with it, though I think in time she might want something less… beige.”
Oliver laughs. “True. Do you have a move-in date?”
“Not yet. Soon, I suppose.”
“Anytime is good, Maxim.”
“I’ll talk to Alessia. I should bring her here to meet you all.”
“You should.” He nods. “We’d all be delighted to meet the new Lady Trevethick. Incidentally, the press are still calling.”
“They’ll get bored.”
“They’ve been at it every day.”
I shrug. “I want to keep Alessia out of the limelight. I’m sure she’ll be uncomfortable with any press scrutiny.”
“Hmm, perhaps. Or you could show her off to the world, and then the press might leave you alone.”
“Maybe,” I mutter, knowing that Caro is of the same opinion.
“Maxim, are you okay?” he asks as he places the brochures on my desk.
“Yes. Fine. Thanks, Oliver.”
He nods, but his brow creases with concern as he exits.
I glance at my phone. Still nothing from my mother. How can she be so callous?
I text her once more, switching to super-groveling mode.
Mama, please.
Call me.
I’m begging you.
I’m not seeing the genetic counselor who advised Kit for another week, and I need to know. Am I a walking time bomb or not?
* * *
“Virginia Strickland’s remaining relative was easy to trace. She has a brother. He’s still alive. I’ll email you everything we have,” Paul Maddox says.
“Thank you,” Alessia replies, feeling a little light-headed. She hadn’t expected this to be so fast. “Do you have any information about Bleriana?”
“No, Mrs. Trevelyan. Not yet. Finding her is far more tricky. But, as her traffickers are in custody and there’s an ongoing criminal investigation, we’re hopeful that we might get a lead from our contacts in the police.”
Alessia remembers Tom mentioning he also had a contact in the police. She shudders.
Dante and Ylli.
Still in custody.
Thank God.
She blows out a breath. “Okay.”
“I’m going to close off the Virginia Strickland case. But we’ll continue with the hunt for your friend. I’ll send you an itemized invoice, but we have enough funds in the retainer you gave us to last for a week or two—depending on how our inquiries go.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be in touch when I have further news.” He hangs up, and Alessia checks her email. Sure enough, there’s one from Maddox with a PDF attachment. She clicks it open and reads. There’s information about her Nana’s parents but, most importantly, her grandmother’s older brother.
TOBIAS ANDREW STRICKLAND
Date of Birth:
4th September 1952
Age:
66
Address:
The Furze House, Kew Green, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3ZJ
Marital Status:
Single
Employment:
Emeritus Professor of Music. Worcester College. Oxford.
Alessia has a great-uncle who was a professor of music! Musical ability must run in her family. Virginia had taught Shpresa the piano, and they both taught her. Alessia quickly checks Google Maps and finds that Kew is only a few miles from Chelsea. As she studies the map, a frisson of recognition travels up her spine.
Kew is over the river from Brentford.
Where she had lived for a couple of months.
He was so close!
She’s stunned.
All that time when she was worried about where she could live, and he was just across the river.
She should visit. Introduce herself. Tell him about his niece in Albania. Her mother will be delighted. Surely. She hugs her phone.
Should she tell Maxim?
Perhaps she should meet Tobias first.
Alessia skips over to the piano, sits down on the stool, and starts on her favorite prelude in celebration.
* * *
Caroline texts me when I’m in a cab on the way home.
I’m taking Alessia shopping tomorrow.
No ifs or buts.
Warn her.
She might not want to go shopping!
Maxim, she’s female.
She’ll want to go shopping.
And I’m not giving her a choice.
You are coming to Dimitri’s.
Hell. Caro is not going to let this go. But on the other hand, Alessia needs to get out more and meet people, and frankly, after the past week, so do I. It would be a welcome distraction to see everyone. No doubt Tom and Joe will be there. Oliver suggested I show her off to the world. This would be one way of doing it.
Okay!
We’ll come.
Great!
I’ll be there in the morning.
Tell Alessia.
Caro is so bossy, and I don’t know if Alessia will be up for this. After Caroline’s behavior before the wedding in Kukës, it could go either way. But Caro is a force of nature, so maybe she’ll prevail. I need to warn my wife.
