No response. He didn’t even stir.
Becky moved to stand on the other side of the bed and looked around the elegant room in admiration. Modern in dark brown and cream, a walk-in wardrobe faced the left side of the room, while a wide cozy armchair was to its left.
Impatient, Hazel jabbed his bare shoulder with her index finger and raised her voice. “Alex.”
Still nothing.
Annoyed, Hazel looked around and spotted the drinking glass on the dresser behind Becky. It had liquid in it. She gestured to it. “Pass me that.”
Becky turned and picked up the glass, taking a sniff of it before holding it out to Hazel. “Can’t smell anything; it’s probably water.”
“Water? Alex?” With a derisive laugh, Hazel plucked the glass from Becky’s fingers and took a small sip. “Straight vodka. Typical.”
Becky’s eyes bulged when Hazel raised the glass menacingly over Alex’s sleeping head. “Haze, you can’t–?” She squealed, then broke off into a strangled laugh as Hazel tipped the contents of the glass over Alex’s slumberous face.
He jerked, sputtered, and then bolted upright. “What the–?” He stared at Hazel with wide bleary eyes. “Nina?” he croaked. Vodka dripped from his nose to his chest, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Hazel gave him a disgusted look. “No. It’s me, Hazel. Have you heard from her?”
“Hazel – Nina?” Confusion made his eyes narrow. “What’s going on?” Becoming aware of the dripping vodka, he swiped at it with his hand, and then stared at the moisture on his fingers. “What the heck is that?”
“Vodka,” Becky supplied helpfully.
His head jerked as he noticed her for the first time. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house?” The last vestiges of sleep were rapidly fading.
“She’s my friend," Hazel answered. ”And we’re in my sister’s house. I have my own set of keys to this place, remember?”
The look he leveled at her could’ve splintered glass. “Get whatever you came for –make-up or dresses–then get lost.” Fully awake now, he shoved the blankets aside and crawled out of the bed. He was wearing black boxer shorts and gray socks.
Hazel remained where she stood. “I came to find out if Neen has called you.”
Becky looked from one to the other, eyes agog. Hazel passed the glass of vodka back to her, and she quickly replaced it on the dresser. “Have you heard from her since she left on the trip?” Hazel chewed on her lower lip. “It’s not like her not to call.”
Alex raked his hands through his rumpled hair. “No. Should I have? Can you get out of my room? I can’t believe you came over here just to ask me about Nina. She’s away. Big freaking deal.”
“I called your phone first,” she bit out. “Coming here wasn’t my first choice, but you didn’t answer my call.”
He shrugged with indifference. “I was obviously asleep.”
At seven o’clock in the evening? she wondered. How old was he, nine?
“I’m sorry I had to bother you, but I’m a little anxious. And I did try calling you first.” She drew a deep breath. “So she hasn’t called you either?” She frowned. “But she always calls. Aren’t you even a little bit concerned that she hasn’t?”
He yawned and stroked his fingers over what looked like two days’ growth of beard stubble. “She’s a big girl, Hazel.”
“Ah, Haze...” Scooting around the bed to stand beside her, Becky gripped Hazel’s upper arm. “He hasn’t heard from your sister. Shall we go?”
Though Hazel felt just as anxious to leave, she made herself stand her ground. “You can wait outside if you’d like.”
Becky glanced uneasily at Alex who had started to approach them. “Ah...no, it’s okay. I’ll wait here with you.”
“I asked you to leave, Hazel,” Alex said very softly. He stood only a yard from them.
Though Hazel’s stomach clenched with trepidation, she’d be darned if she’d show it. Instead, she raised her chin to meet Alex’s gaze and squared her chin. “You so much as lay a finger on me or Becky and I’ll call the police.”
“Haze,” Becky hissed in disbelief.
Alex sneered. “I’d rather touch a rat than either one of you.”
“Good.” She gave a fake smile. “I don’t care what you think of me, but I care about my sister.” And turning on her heel, she headed out the door. Becky followed, hard on her heels. Once outside, Becky expelled a long breath. “I thought he was going to strangle both of us.”
Hazel took several deep breaths. Dealing with that moron always made her anxious. “Sorry you had to see that,” she told Becky now. “We’ve never hit it off.”
“No kidding?” Becky glanced over her shoulder to ensure Alex wasn’t following them. “He doesn’t seem worried that Nina hasn’t called.”
“He’s a bum, Becky. Bums only care about their own bums.”
Becky smothered a laugh as they entered Nina’s study.
Three doors down from Nina’s bedroom they came to Nina’s study also had a modern decor like the rest of the house. The chair behind the pine desk was soft cream leather, and the floor a light teak wood. Bookshelves covered three walls of the room. They lay stacked with not just legal books and journals but novels and non-fiction titles. A cozy chair sat in the corner. A desk sat in front of the window facing out onto the street.
Becky ran a hand along several books on the shelf. “Your sister’s got a really nice place.” She selected a book from the bookshelf and plopped down with it. Taking out her phone, Hazel brought up Neen’s office number and rang it. As it was after hours, the line immediately diverted to Neen’s assistant, Anna.
“Hello?”
“Anna? It’s Hazel Bishop, Nina’s younger sister. Sorry to call you at home.”
“Oh hello, dear.” The older woman’s voice was affectionate as always. “This is a surprise. Is everything all right?”
“I’m sure it is, but I haven’t heard from Nee – I mean Nina, since she left for Austria almost two days ago. She usually calls. Have you heard from her?”
“Hmm, not yet, but my baby daughter has had the flu for the few days so I’ve been working from home and been a little distracted.” Anna’s voice took on a hint of concern. “Have you tried her mobile? She should be able to receive calls. They all should. What about Jets by Gwynne, the company which they’re flying with? Do you have their number?”
Hazel closed her eyes in relief. “No...do you have their number?”
“Yes, hold on a second, dear.” Anna put her on hold.
Hazel glanced across at Becky who sat on Neen’s comfy beanbag, her nose buried in a travel guidebook.
“Here it is.” Anna was back a few moments later. “The company is owned by a man named Frank Gwynne. Would you prefer that I make the call?”
“No, that’s okay. Thanks, Anna. You can just give it to me then enjoy the rest of your evening.” She pulled a yellow legal pad towards her and scribbled down the number as Anna rattled it off. “I hope these Jets by Gwynne people will be able to put my mind at rest,” she muttered as the line began to ring on the other side. “Cross your fingers that they are still in the office.” They were, and a receptionist answered on the third ring.
“Jets by Gwynne,” came a chirpy female voice.
“Is Mr. Gwynne there please?” Hazel asked.
“I’m afraid that Mr. Gwynne is extremely busy right now.” The woman’s voice was crisp and authoritative. “Who’s calling please?”
“It’s Hazel Bishop. I know it’s late, but my sister Nina recently used your company–”
“Bishop you said?” the woman cut in sharply.
Hazel frowned. “Yes. Hazel Bishop.”
“Just a second please, Hazel.” The woman put her on hold, and Hazel had to suffer through a minute of a classical music rendition before the woman came back on the line. “Your sister is Nina. She was on the Challenger 605 to Salzburg with Parker Drayton, his sons, and two of her partners?”
/>
The way the woman reeled off the information made Haze’s heart begin to pound. She sounded like a policewoman. “Yes...that’s right, that’s Nee-Nina.” Why was the woman asking questions instead of putting her through to someone who could help? There was a pause and then a man’s low deep voice came on the line.
“This is Frank Gwynne. Am I speaking to Hazel? Nina’s sister?”
Hazel swallowed. “Yes. Hazel speaking.”
“I was called back from my holiday because of what’s happened, Hazel. I’m glad you called. I’ve been speaking to the family members of the group all afternoon. We hadn’t gotten around to calling you yet. Have you....have you seen the News?”
The saliva in Hazel’s mouth dried up. “The News? Why? What – what’s happened?”
Becky’s head shot up. Eyes narrowing, she put the Cuba guidebook aside and came to sit on the corner of the desk. “What?” she whispered.
“Are you sitting down, Hazel?” Gwynne asked softly.
Sitting down? Hazel looked blankly at where she sat on Nina’s comfortable burgundy swivel chair. Yes, she was sitting down, but could now barely feel her legs. “Yes...yes, I’m sitting. What’s going on?”
Chapter 2
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Hazel didn’t know how long she and Becky sat holding each other after the call with Mr. Gwynne. Salty tears glistened on her cheeks from her earlier weeping spell.
“I’m so sorry, Haze.” Becky’s damp cheek pressed against Hazel’s. “Gosh, I don’t know what to say.”
“It makes sense,” Hazel whispered. “Neen always calls. Always. Even if it’s late and she can only send a text message or leave a voicemail. She always makes contact, always lets me know she’s arrived safely.” She started crying again.
Becky tried to keep her own tears at bay. “You were right all along, and there I was saying you worried too much.” Her voice rang with self-loathing. “I should have kept my big mouth shut. What do I know?”
“The News,” Hazel announced shrilly, and lurched to her feet and rushed out the door.
Becky hurried after her as Hazel raced down the stairs and into the untidy living room. Switching on the TV, Hazel began flicking through channels until she found a News one. They endured the sports summary, and just when they thought they wouldn’t hear anything about the crash, the female reported finally said: “And now, an update on the story we broke regarding the group of ten Brits in a plane crash while flying to Salzburg...”
Hazel’s heart lodged in her throat as she stared at the television screen. “This is really happening,” she breathed. Mr. Gwynne didn’t know if Neen was still alive, she remembered sickly, not realizing that her fingers had clutched the arms of the sofa chair.
The news reporter’s eyes were grave, her voice even more so as she continued speaking. “...the avalanche, which the regional television station EFR Tyrol said was three kilometers wide and six meters deep, came down shortly after noon at the Wattener Lizum region, about 40 kilometers southeast of Innsbruck. Heavy snow has fallen in the Tyrol and Salzburg regions recently. Authorities have declined to speculate on the cause of the plane crash until the plane’s black box is located. However, it is understood that the avalanche dropped shortly before 2pm yesterday afternoon. The ten Brits on the jet included millionaire hotelier Parker Drayton, the three solicitors of the firm Akura, Bishop and Vaska, and Mr. Drayton’s two sons. Search dogs and helicopters have organized a large scale search and rescue operation. So far they’ve discovered the crashed plane and the body of the co-pilot Ben Denny.”
Hazel sucked in a breath. That could have been Neen they found, she thought, and felt guilty at the spur of relief she felt that it hadn’t been. Ben Denny was someone else’s family, she thought, and could only imagine the horror they were going through at hearing this news.
“This is...this is awful,” Becky managed.
“...but Tyrol Police have failed to locate the other nine members of the group,” the news reporter went on. “And understand through Jets by Gwynne, the company flying the group, was contacted by the captain of the jet and told that they have built a snow cave in the region for their shelter.”
“A snow cave?” Both horrified and disbelieving, Hazel gaped at the TV screen. “What’s that?”
“I’ll Google it,” Becky murmured, and pulled out her phone.
Hazel barely heard her, continuing to watch the news, sick with fear as the news reporter’s face was replaced by a grim faced man in a dark colored police uniform. His name flashed up on the screen, and underneath that: The Austrian Mountain Rescue Service. "We are working with both the Alpine and Tyrol Police, still trying to carry out the rescue and trying to count everyone in the area,” he said. As the new report came to an end, it finished with an image in the background of people covered from head to toe in winter gear digging through the snow with long probe like sticks.
Hazel drew a deep breath. Though it helped to see the rescue team at work, it failed to loosen the rigid, metal-like knots of fear in her stomach, the fear in her heart and her hands that continued to shake. Frank Gwynne’s call had been light on details, just the horrifying fact that Neen’s plane had gone down. What if their snow cave wasn’t found? What if Neen is injured? What are they doing for food?
“Here,” Becky held out her phone.
Hazel studied the images of snow caves that Becky had found online, even as she kept an ear open to listen to the rest of the news report. Could a cave like this keep them warm? It looked cold to her. Potentially safe, but cold. She couldn’t stop thinking about food. There would hardly be food in a snow cave would there? And what about little Luke? He was just a baby. Would he survive all this trauma? Because her hands shook, she deliberately clenched them together. “I need to...I need to call my brothers Seb and Alistair.” Even as she said it her heart hurt at the thought of calling her older twin brothers with news like this. Clasping her hands together, prayer-like, and closed her eyes. She felt the urge to pray but didn’t even know where she would start, too many emotions rushing through her.
“Want to pray? I’ll do it with you.”
Hazel snapped her eyes open and smiled at Becky with relief. “Yes, let’s.”
“Should we start by kneeling?” They both knelt on the soft carpeted floor. “As for the rest...” Becky gave a helpless smile. “We’ll have to figure it out as we go along.”
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Alex had showered and dressed into pale blue jeans and a gray polo neck jumper when they returned downstairs. She had to tell him, she realized, though she hated the thought of having to admit and discuss what had happened to her sister. It made pain, fear and despair run through her all over again.
Alex’s dark brown hair was wet from his shower and his feet were bare. In the kitchen grating cheese into a shriveled microwaved potato, he looked up as they approached the kitchen door. “Spoken to her now?” he drawled in a mocking tone. “What’d she say?”
Unable to respond, Hazel said nothing, her gaze on the cheese grater. Becky answered instead.
“Nina....she’s been in an accident.” Becky’s arm lay protectively curved around Hazel’s shoulders. “The jet they were all in...it crashed.” In halting tones she told him what had happened and what the news media had reported.
Alex froze, his mouth falling open and the cheese grater stilling all motion. His shocked gaze shot to Hazel’s stricken face. “What? Are you serious?”
“Dead serious,” Becky said, and then closed her eyes briefly at her stupid choice of words. “I mean–”
“Is...is she still alive?”
“I’m praying she is.” Hazel swallowed painfully.
“That’s just...I can’t believe it. Crap.” Pale, he put down the cheese grater and took a pinch of the grated cheese, nibbling at in in silence. The gesture reminded Hazel of a mouse. “Someone’s out looking for them?” he asked. His face filled with a mixture of horror and disbelief. “God. To think I
almost went along with them. How lucky am I?” He shook his head at his own good fortune.
Disgusted and revolted by him all over again, Hazel couldn’t bear to look at him. Why couldn’t ’it have been him who was lost? Why her sister? “Let’s go,” she said to Becky.
Chapter 3
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Neil and Justin went out to look for Angela’s asthma pump. Nina tried to keep her eyes open, trying to stay awake to wait for their return, but still feeling cold and raw inside from falling into the frigid lake had weakened her energy. All she wanted to do now was sleep. The last thing she saw before her lids closed were Neil and Justin crawling out of the cave, Rita watching with pained eyes. Remembering it made Nina’s heart squeeze, especially Rita’s next words about Luke.
“What if my breast milk dries up, Nina?” she whispered as both of them had watched Neil and Justin leave the cave. “What if I can no longer feed Luke?”
She had stared into Rita’s frightened expression, Nina remembered now, not knowing what to say, not knowing what reassurance to give. What did she know about babies and breast milk? Rita’s fear had added another dimension of fear to an already tense and unpredictable situation. “What did Neil say?”
Rita had looked away. “I haven’t told him yet. Haven’t been able to bring myself to. So far Luke’s been...okay, but how long will that last for?” She laid a protective hand over her breasts. “How much longer?”
Now, two hours later, Nina was awake again, though feeling groggy and weak, her throat sore and her black eye that Emily had given her throbbing like a sore tooth. She couldn’t believe that Emily had done what she had. Gingerly, Nina felt the puffy skin surrounding her black eye – her reward for trying to stop Emily from killing herself out on that frozen lake. She drew a deep sigh, causing Parker who watched over Angela to look up at her.
“Her asthma pump?” she demanded of Parker immediately. “Did they–?”
Parker shot her a look. “No. They went back but couldn’t find it.”
Spiral and Torn Books 1 and 2 of The Salzburg Saga Trilogy Page 16
