Page 36 of Wedding Games
‘Where’s my husband?’ Mary cried through Zoe’s phone.
‘I’m more concerned with what he’s done to mine!’ screamed Barbara in response.
‘Mum!’ yelled Rory and Zoe simultaneously.
There was a brief silence, then Rory’s phone started buzzing.
‘There’s another call coming in from the distillery,’ he said. ‘I’m going to put you on hold, answer it, then come straight back. Don’t go anywhere.’ He didn’t wait for her response and switched calls. ‘Rory MacGinley speaking.’
Zoe tried to hear what was being said, but Rory had the phone to his ear, and she had her mother muttering from her phone.
‘And this was when?’ Rory asked. ‘Okay. Can you hold onto everything? I’m on the way back to Kinloch. As soon as I have a plan in place I’ll ring you back. Thank you.’
He cut the call and put his mother back on the line.
Zoe’s heart was pounding. ‘What did they say?’
He ran his hand through his messy hair, tugging on the roots and took a breath before speaking.
‘Mum, Mary, that was the distillery. After their tour yesterday, Brad left the car and told the staff he’d be back in the morning to pick it up. He then left with Arnold to walk back to Kinloch.’
‘Walk?’ repeated Barbara and Mary.
‘Yes, and they left their phones at the distillery.’
‘What?’ Barbara yelled.
‘If they’d gone by road,’ Rory continued, ‘it should have only taken about four and a half hours, so I can only guess that they went cross country and got lost.’
‘I’m calling the police,’ said Barbara.
‘Mum, wait,’ said Rory sharply. ‘Do not call them yet. Charlie and I are trained for this. I’m coming straight to the castle now. I’ll meet you there.’ He turned to Zoe’s phone. ‘Mary, can you get to the castle in the next fifteen minutes?’
‘Yes,’ she replied.
‘Okay, we’re hanging up now. See you shortly.’
He cut the call and eased the truck back onto the road.
‘Did the distillery say anything else?’ Zoe asked.
Rory sighed. ‘Apparently your dad was telling his origin story again, and Brad kept wanging on about being at one with nature. Can you ring Charlie and fill him in?’
She nodded. ‘Are they going to be okay?
‘Yes. It’s not freezing at night yet, and it didn’t rain. They’ll be fine. I promise.’
Zoe had beenawake since the previous morning. She was hungry, hungover, smelled worse than a teenage boy’s bedroom, and was due to get married in just over twenty-four hours. Whereas other brides-to-be might be fretting over favours, she was panicking about the whereabouts of her father and the most famous movie star on the planet.
Her father had a notoriously bad sense of direction and could get lost in a supermarket. He was currently missing on the glen with Brad, a man who believed in past lives, pixies, and his own preternatural powers.
Charlie met them at the front door of the castle.
‘I’ve got Jamie and Duncan on board, and they’ve rung a few mates in mountain rescue. We’re meeting here in half an hour with OS maps to plan a strategy.’ He looked at Zoe with concern. ‘You doing okay?’
She nodded. Knowing that Rory and Charlie were both on the case made her feel much better.
Charlie looked relieved. ‘Right, whilst Rory and I are doing the easy bit, I’m afraid you’re going to have to take one for the team and deal with your mum and Barbara.’
