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mother was which, and hated the obligatory small talk. The reality was, whenever they had both been to a school function, Marcus had appeared to thoroughly enjoy chatting to the mothers, flirting and being as charming as he could be. Lena had always taken a back seat on these occasions, usually because she was tired out having had to work flat out all day. She remembered a couple of times she had not even managed to wash her hair or get changed. Marcus on the other hand was wearing his Armani suit, shaved and immaculate. He had installed a gym in a studio above their garage so he would work out, for hours on end, then shower, and this he did virtually on a daily basis. In some ways she was grateful he was at least not hanging around the house trying to start yet another business venture, or becoming depressed because one had failed.
    Lena rolled over, thumped the pillow with her fist. Just thinking about what had happened that morning made her furious all over again. Two years’ separation and here she was still annoyed by all the things Marcus did, and had done before he had left. Yet again she was wasting her time on him.
    At some point she must have fallen asleep, and with all the bedroom lights on. The phone ringing woke her with such a start that for a few moments she was completely disorientated, but then swung her legs to the ground and grabbed the receiver. It was seven a.m.
    ‘Lena, it’s me, I’ve just noticed your missed calls,’ Marcus said abruptly.
    ‘You took your time getting back to me. I have had the school calling me; I have tried ringing her, just what the hell is going on? Where is she?’
    ‘She had a sleepover,’ he said, and his voice sounded slurred.
    ‘Yes I know, but she told Serena’s mother on Saturday afternoon she was going to see you, and she never went back there so Mrs Newman presumed she was staying with you.’
    ‘She wasn’t with me, I never saw her.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I just said Amy never came here to me, I haven’t heard from her all weekend or yesterday. I thought she was with her friend. I mean, she mentioned some sleepover – I dunno, what’s all the panic about?’
    Lena wanted to scream.
    ‘Is she at school?’ he asked stupidly.
    ‘No she is not, I just told you, they called here, and I have not seen her.’
    ‘What about this girl she was staying with?’
    ‘For heaven’s sake, Marcus, don’t you listen to what I am saying? I have spoken to them. I talked to Serena’s mother and she picked her up on Saturday morning and drove her to Fulham. Amy then told Mrs Newman she was going to see you and would be back in the evening, but she never turned up.’
    ‘Why didn’t they call me?’
    She gritted her teeth. ‘I have no idea, but we have to find her. If she didn’t come over to you on Saturday afternoon, it means she’s been somewhere else since then and she is still not back at school.’
    ‘Well I don’t know where she is,’ he said lamely, almost as an excuse. Clearly he still hadn’t realized that something could have happened to his daughter. Lena swallowed and gripped the phone tighter.
    ‘Marcus, she has not been seen for over two days now. Don’t you understand how serious this is? Now think if there is someone she might have gone to see.’
    He said something inaudible, and Lena had to ask him to repeat it. But he cleared his throat.
    ‘Sorry, I was just thinking, you have talked to Serena?’
    ‘No,’ she snapped. ‘Only her mother.’
    ‘And they had no idea where she is?’
    ‘For God’s sake, Marcus, try and concentrate. I am asking you to think if she was friendly with anyone you’ve met recently?’
    ‘Erm, to be honest I’ve not met any of her friends. When she’s here they, well, they might come over but on the whole she’s usually on her own and we go out to see a movie, or just watch TV . . .’
    ‘Think, Marcus. Is there anyone she might have gone to see?’
    ‘I’m fucking thinking,’ he groaned.
    Lena closed her