The Only Way is Up

Part Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Four

Her house was in darkness and he hated that. Max had brought Gryaznyy with him, optimistic that they'd both spend the evening, and hopefully the night at Nicole's. Instead he was on the doorstep facing a locked door.

Pulling out his phone he called her for what felt like the fiftieth time, but as with the other calls it had gone straight to answer phone.

Frustrated and a little concerned, he tried Kim; she was the only one who'd have an idea where she could be.

"Hey handsome!" She answered far brighter than was appropriate and he groaned.

"Hi Kim, I am really sorry to bother you."

"Don't be, I hear that you forced my husband to come home early today. I owe you for that. What's up? You calling to agree a date for our double date dinner party?"

He groaned again, "I'd love to do that, but I'm looking for Nicole. Have you heard from her tonight?"

There was a long pause before she asked quietly, "what have you done?"

"Nothing!" He protested, "but she had a run in with the receptionist at the gym, that's not like her, and she's not answering her phone."

She tutted several times, "I trusted you with her, in fact I encouraged it."

"I've done nothing Kim, but I need to find her."

There was a long pause again, "you are concerned."

"Kim...is there any where she'd go."

"She's been through so much."

He felt like such a bastard, "I don't want to hurt her, I just need to find her, find out what happened."

"What happened with the receptionist?"

Feeling sick he knew that he had to be honest, "she thinks she has a chance with me, I think it was to do with that. I don't even notice her Kim, I swear. I sacked her tonight. She's gone."

"She won't have gone anywhere; she'll be in the house, curled up in bed feeling sorry for herself."

"You want me to break in?" He asked incredulously.

That made her laugh, "no. Spare key."

"You told me she didn't have one when she was ill."

Kim's infectious chuckle almost hurt his ear, "I didn't KNOW you then. Look, there's a pot next to the wall the far side of the front window. To the right of that are three ornamental stones. The middle one...it's fake, the key's inside."

"Thank you." He immediately hung up the call.

The key was exactly where she had explained, and within seconds he had opened the door.

"Nicole?"

He called her name as he closed the door, the lounge, the kitchen were both empty, returning to the hallway, he grimaced at the sight of Gryaznyy disappearing up the stairs. She was using her doggy senses, and all he could do was follow in her wake.

There was a mound in the bed, covered in a duvet, but the dog didn't care, she took a flying leap, all eighteen inch high of the dog, landed on the bed. The duvet moved and he could just about make out Nicole's head.