Page 42 of The Mission

“What for?” Arlo squeezed his fingers.

“For throwing up that lovely food. For being a nuisance. For spoiling the day, which until a short while ago, had been one of the best of my life. It’s so late. Well, early morning now. Everyone should be in bed. I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Rurik said. “You’re lucky that I didn’t drink much tonight. We take it in turns to stay sober in case we have an emergency. Julian’s son is asthmatic and he’s been hospitalised a lot. I’m going to call the police as I drive. They need to see the state you’re in before you’re treated, if possible.”

“Oh God,” Conrad mumbled.

As Rurik spoke to the police, Conrad slumped against Arlo. “I feel… I don’t…”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Arlo whispered.

Doing the right thing took just over an hour and Arlo stayed at Conrad’s side apart from when the police interviewed him. He would have stayed then but he kept interrupting so they made him leave. The hospital said there was no need for Conrad to be admitted. Steri-Strips had been put across the cut in his cheek, X-rays had revealed no issues, though he was bruised, with finger marks on his neck and a heel mark on his stomach. If Conraddidhave a concussion, it was a mild one. Arlo thought he was shocked, more than anything else.

Once the car had warmed up and Rurik set off, Conrad fell asleep almost immediately.

“Is he okay?” Rurik asked.

“He’s probably exhausted.”

“The police are going to the Alpenland Chalet,” Rurik told him. “Hopefully Warner will have been too out of it to clean up the mess. They’ll look for evidence of drugs too. Conrad will have been caught on CCTV leaving the room and exiting the building. I don’t want Warner wriggling out of what he’s done. He’s going to be out of a job anyway. He represents the business. This behaviour is unacceptable. Gross misconduct.”

“Thanks, Rurik,” Arlo whispered.

“I’m not sure that the police will charge him. Maybe if they find drugs, but the injury is just one person’s word against another. Warner could claim Conrad slipped.”

“I think Conrad knows that, but Warner should at least be scared. What about the moving of those marker poles? What if someone saw him?”

“Then they’d have said something.”

“Those that were skiing with him could be asked. He might lie but what he did endangered lives. That could get him arrested.”

“They’ll probably order him to go to the police station later today.” Rurik gave a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe Warner behaved like that. I mean, Idobelieve Conrad but…bloody hell.”

“He’s stolen from shops,” Arlo said quietly. “Conrad wouldn’t tell you but he told me. Warner only did it once in front of him and Conrad almost got blamed, but Conrad said Warner used to brag about things he’d shoplifted. He’s an arrogant twat.”

“I’ve never actually liked him as a person but he does a good job with BD. Clients like him.”

“Will you really be able to sack him?”

“Yes. Though that doesn’t mean he’ll go quietly.”

Arlo woke Conrad when they got back home. He looked confused for a moment, then he sighed.

“Think you can manage the stairs or do we have to carry you?”

“I can walk.”

Arlo helped him take off his boots and hung up their coats, then went up behind him, just in case.

When they reached the door to Arlo’s room, Rurik leaned on the wall. “I want us to go for breakfast at the chalet in the morning. If you feel up to it. Not you, Arlo. My guess is that Warner will be there regardless of how he feels. He’ll have a story ready in case anyone knows the police came to speak to him. Setting his own narrative for what’s happened will be all-important. He doesn’t know you and Conrad are an item, unless he’s seen you together.”

“We were all at the slalom race.”

“In helmets and goggles. He also doesn’t know you’re my brother. I’d rather you keep out of it. We need to get all of Conrad’s stuff from the Alpenland, including his ski equipment, because he’s not staying at that place any longer. Okay, Conrad?”

He nodded.

When he was in Arlo’s bedroom, sitting on his bed, Arlo sighed. “Bit of a drastic way to get into bed with me.”

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