The Love Resort

by Faith Bleasdale

  Thea looked at her watch, it was eleven a.m. It felt later, as if they had been there all day, not just a few hours. She looked at Tim. He was humming contentedly; she was frightened, she acknowledged, not just for herself but for him too. Anne-Marie couldn’t keep them there too long, could she?

  *

  Todd looked at his watch. It was midday. It felt later. The time was passing so slowly, especially as resignation had settled in to the group. Katie, perched on her crate, was refusing to talk to, or look at, anyone. He tried to catch her eye but she was deliberately ignoring him. He owed her and he needed to try to take care of her; he had to make some sort of peace with her. However, she was intent on ignoring him. And he couldn’t really blame her. He sighed. He couldn’t bear it.

  Todd stared at Katie again. She was clutching an empty bottle of water. He saw her look at her diamond-encrusted Rolex; he could tell that she was really fed up. He wanted to speak to her, apologise, to offer her some comfort. But how could he? After all they’d gone through he didn’t know what to say.

  ‘Food, anyone?’ Lee stood up, as did Emily. The other six just looked at him as if he was insane; no one spoke.

  *

  Jimmy seethed silently. His watch told him it was four in the afternoon, and Emily and Lee hadn’t returned from the kitchen. He heard the old giggle coming from them, which irritated him beyond belief. He was hungry himself, but there was no way he was going in there; no way he wanted to face them. It was bad enough that he’d lost his girlfriend—his brand-new fiancée—to Lee, whilst on holiday, but then to be locked away with them... It was more than rubbing salt into the wounds; it was worse than anything. He felt tears prick his eyes. How easy it seemed to call Tim’s truce. It hurt, yes, although he was beginning to see that Emily wasn’t worthy of him. Or was he? He put his head in his hands. Who was he kidding? What he really felt was that still, despite everything, he wasn’t worthy of her.

  *

  Carla looked at Jimmy, then at her watch. It was five, and as she looked out of the dirty window she saw the sun was dimming. She was so hungry, but Lee and Emily hadn’t emerged from the kitchen and it had gone quiet. God knows what they were up to. Carla shuddered. She wasn’t ready to deal with the reality of Lee with Emily, even if she had accepted it in theory. She still felt like a fool, but she couldn’t just forget how much she’d adored him for the past three years. Her feelings couldn’t be eradicated just like that.

  Her stomach rumbled. She looked at Thea; begging her to understand.

  ‘I think we should eat.’ Her fears were apparent.

  Thea nodded, gestured for her to wait there and went into the kitchen. Carla waited and saw her emerge five minutes later with Emily and Lee. Carla stood up and followed Thea back to the kitchen, as did Jimmy.

  Thea saw a tiny glimpse of what might have been the sunset through the window as she emerged from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches. Tim shook his head, as she offered him one.

  ‘Tim.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Are you all right?’ It wasn’t what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t find the right words.

  ‘Oh yes. For a kidnap victim I’d say I was very well.’ He smiled.

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Thea, please stop worrying about me.’

  Would she ever stop worrying about him? She doubted it. She didn’t know anything else. She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t worry about him; there probably had never been one.

  Katie looked at the sandwich being offered to her and shook her head. Todd took one and bit into it.

  ‘Todd, a word in private, please.’ Katie stalked into the kitchen with Todd right behind her.

  ‘This,’ she pointed at him in case he was under any illusions, ‘is all your fault.’

  ‘I know.’ He put his sandwich down on the counter and sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for another row. There had been too many recently.

  ‘I can’t stay here,’ she stated simply.

  ‘I don’t see what choice we have.’

  ‘I am Katie Ray. I’m a famous film star. I’m locked up with a bunch of nobodies and I am not staying here.’

  ‘Katie, those are people out there. And they’re not exactly thrilled at being locked up either.’ He wondered if she was being a bitch just to get a reaction out of him. He wasn’t going to rise to the bait.

  ‘Oh, I’m sure they love it. Being locked up with us, famous people, who they could only dream of meeting. I have no hair-brush, no change of clothes, and no make-up. I simply can’t be expected to survive,’ she trilled.

  ‘But you will. This isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened.’ He picked up his sandwich.

  ‘Oh, really? You think? Well, I disagree. Todd, I want to get out of here and I want out now.’ She poked him, taking him by surprise. He dropped his sandwich on the floor.

  ‘Well, there’s nothing I can do.’ He took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm.

  ‘I hate you, Todd Cortes, I really hate you.’ She pounded on his chest with her fists, and he let her.

  *

  ‘This is all your fault,’ Carla stormed as Lee tried to pass her another sandwich. She knocked it out of his hand with all the force she could muster. ‘You and her. If you’d just kept your grubby hands to yourselves, then we would have been all right.’

  ‘Not this again,’ Lee said, putting his head in his hands.

  ‘Well, face it, it’s not going away. We’re stuck here with these crappy sandwiches and it’s all your fault.’ She felt like screaming.

  ‘I know, I know, but what can I do?’

  Carla looked at him with vehemence in her eyes, then she kicked the crate she’d been sitting on. Pathetic, she told herself, she was pathetic.

  ‘Look, Carla, I really do care about you and I am sorry, you’ve got to believe me.’

  ‘You wanker.’

  ‘Carla, what do you want me to say? I thought we were mates. I might have ignored that you felt more, but we were friends, housemates.’

  ‘And now we’re neither. You are a selfish bastard.’

  ‘Leave him alone,’ Emily begged tearfully.

  ‘Oh, this is as much your fault as his,’ Jimmy spat. He’d been going round in circles, but now he was tired, longed for a bed and a proper meal, and was frustrated with his inability to know what to do.

  ‘I know it is, but please...’ she begged.

  ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, there’s just no point in arguing with you. You just fucking cry.’ All the times that she was mean to him, or critical, and he had taken it without a word, came flooding back. It was too late, he knew that, but standing up to her now definitely made him feel better. Less of a wimp; more of a man.

  ‘Steady on, mate,’ Lee started.

  ‘Don’t you tell him to steady on,’ Carla responded.

  ‘Hey, enough,’ Tim shouted. ‘We should really try to make the most of it.’

  ‘Of what?’ Thea stormed. ‘There is nothing here to make the most of, and it’s all your fault.’

  ‘What did I do?’ Tim asked.

  ‘Do I have to remind you that you slept with someone else’s wife?’ Perhaps it was everyone else’s anger that was feeding hers, but once again, she felt frustrated with him, and she couldn’t keep it under control.

  ‘You know I don’t think that I did. I was drunk; I probably couldn’t have done anything anyway.’

  ‘You’re always drunk, Tim, that’s the problem.’ Everyone else was quiet.

  ‘And you nag like an old fishwife. You drive me to drink,’ Tim shouted back.

  They stared at each other before Tim turned and stalked off.

  26

  Meeting Anne-Marie Langdale

  As you know, when you booked your holiday you are automatically given the chance to meet the famous author, and you will also be given the chance to dine with her one night of your stay.*

  To Anne-Marie her guests are incredibly important, and therefore you wil
l see her frequently around the resort, checking on your wellbeing and that you are enjoying your stay.

  She feels that you are her own personal guests, and your holiday will reflect this. She will take it upon herself to ensure that this holiday is the holiday of your dreams.

  Guest Handbook

  *Please note that dinner with the author is a group activity.

  *

  Lily sent the resort’s limousine to pick Harriet and David up. It was dusk by the time they arrived, and herself, Mary and Ed were more than a bit frayed. It had been a very long, trying day.

  There was still no sign of Anne-Marie; Mary was refusing to leave until she knew that ‘her Katie’ was safe. Ed was finding it hard to think rationally, and Lily blamed herself. At the back of her mind, nagging at her, was the fact that if she hadn’t made Ed stay in bed with her longer that morning, they probably could have got to the winners before Anne-Marie. And then they could have stopped her doing anything. Because, it became clear to Lily, she definitely had done something. She just couldn’t figure out what.

  At first they thought maybe she’d taken them out. After all, the previous evening she’d been huffing and puffing about having to do everything herself. But there were no buses gone, no drivers, and no cars missing. Same with the boats. It was as if the guests had disappeared into thin air, taking her with them.

  More than a little scared, Lily held on to Ed’s hand, despite the disapproving looks that Mary was giving them. Her boss had done something stupid, she knew. And her publisher knew it too, which is why she’d skipped off rather than staying to help. Abigail knew that there was no book in Anne-Marie and she wasn’t there to look after an author who didn’t write. Ed might have forgiven Abigail, but Lily hadn’t. The woman had created a beast and then run off with her toy boy when the beast got out of control.

  Ed felt responsible. Despite her faults, Anne-Marie was vulnerable, which was why she acted like such a bitch at times. She treated people like dirt because she had to feel worthy. He knew it wasn’t a justification for such behaviour, but at the same time he did feel slightly sorry for her. Especially as he could have prevented it, whatever it was. He should have seen that she wasn’t coping, especially after the Todd/Marcus debacle, and he should have stepped in and offered his help and support. But instead he had taken her preoccupation as an opportunity for him to be with Lily and he’d left his wife to her dementia.

  He couldn’t think what she had done. Todd, Katie and the competition couples were gone, and so was she. That was all he knew. They weren’t in the resort. He’d stationed a security guard at Todd and Katie’s bungalow, and another by the rooms of the competition winners. If they came back, he would know. He just wished they would come back right now.

  Lily left Ed at the house and went to meet Harriet and David’s car.

  ‘Hi.’ She welcomed them and arranged for a porter to deal with their luggage.

  ‘Wow, this place is something else,’ David said. Harriet was silent.

  ‘I know,’ Lily agreed.

  ‘It’s like a queen’s paradise,’ David uttered, looking around in wonderment.

  ‘Well, he is a queen.’ Lily clamped her hand over her mouth as Harriet gave her a filthy look.

  ‘Sorry.’ She led them up to the house.

  ‘Right, first of all we need to know what you’re doing about this situation,’ Harriet demanded as soon as they were through the door.

  ‘We’ve done everything we can: searched the resort, checked with security that no one has left, or any transportation’s been taken...’

  ‘Can I just stop you there? You haven’t found them?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘But they can’t have disappeared into thin air?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Right, well then, I don’t understand.’

  ‘Harriet, neither do we.’

  ‘The Studio wants them back in one piece.’

  ‘So do we.’ Lily couldn’t believe this woman’s rudeness. She was worse than Abigail on the frosty thermometer.

  ‘So again, what are you going to do?’

  ‘Harriet, I think you need to stop blaming these guys,’ David said.

  ‘Oh, do you?’

  Lily sighed as a row threatened to erupt. Silencing them, Lily organised drinks, forcing Mary to have a glass of wine; her glare, along with Harriet’s, was going to turn them all to stone. Lily distracted herself by ordering food to be delivered.

  ‘So, you are Harriet. I know about you,’ Mary said.

  ‘Good.’ Harriet looked surprised. ‘You have an advantage on me.’

  ‘I looked after Katie. At first I was her maid, but then I became her friend. She talks to me a lot and I know about you.’

  ‘Right...’ Harriet now seemed nervous.

  ‘You were always mean to her. You bullied her. You made her do things she didn’t want to do.’

  ‘Well, that’s a bit harsh,’ Harriet protested.

  Lily noticed that David smiled and she felt the urge to giggle.

  ‘The thing is, Mary,’ Harriet started, ‘Katie could be quite difficult. She was very hard to work with and I was only ever doing my job.’

  ‘That’s nothing.’ Mary dismissed her. ‘She was once mean to me, but then she explained. She had a very bad life, and she’s very insecure and people always use her. No one takes enough time to get to know the real Katie, and they should because if they did, then they would know how wonderful she is.’

  Harriet obviously had no idea how to respond. Lily went to the kitchen to get more drinks; Harriet looked like she needed it.

  ‘Let’s get back on the subject, shall we?’ Ed suggested. ‘What do you want to do? I know you must be tired, but I’m guessing you want to wait for news.’

  ‘Have we called the police?’ David asked.

  ‘No way,’ Lily answered quickly.

  ‘David, if we call the police the media will be all over this story, and until we know what’s happened, I’d rather keep it quiet. Especially in view of his stupid actions,’ Ed explained.

  ‘He was an idiot, wasn’t he?’

  ‘The Studio are very angry—’ Harriet began.

  ‘Harriet, for once can you shut the fuck up about the Studio?’

  ‘So, Ed, Anne-Marie is missing as well?’ Harriet was red-faced as she turned her back on David.

  ‘Yes. No sign of her, and we’ve looked everywhere.’

  ‘Mary, before she took Todd and Katie, you saw Anne-Marie. You might have been the last person to see her today, apart from them. How was she?’ David asked.

  ‘She was crazy. She had this look in her eyes.’ Mary tried to show them, but it wasn’t quite right. David raised an eyebrow. ‘She ordered me to go and organise breakfast, kept saying “chop chop”. So I went, but she promised she would look after my Katie until I got back. I shall never forgive myself for leaving.’

  ‘Mary, you did what your boss told you to do, that’s all,’ Ed said reasonably.

  ‘Look, I know we don’t want the publicity, but we might have to speak to the police,’ Lily said. ‘It’s dark now and there’s no sign of anyone. Maybe we could have a discreet word with a police chief; we have good relations with them here.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Harriet said. ‘I guess we don’t have a choice. I need to call the Studio to see what they want us to do.’

  ‘I’m not comfortable waiting until morning,’ David said.

  ‘No, David, neither am I,’ Ed agreed.

  ‘Shall I?’ Lily felt nervous. What was she reporting? A missing author, eight missing guests, two of whom were famous film stars. It was all too crazy. Ed nodded, and Lily made her way to the phone.

  Just then the door burst open and Anne-Marie, wearing what could only be described as half a bush, walked in.

  *

  Anne-Marie woke up without knowing where she was or why she was there. She felt something on her chest and, picking up the binoculars that lay on top of her, she wondered what the
y were for. She stood up uncertainly and thought it was time to go home. She wasn’t sure where home was but she thought it might be down towards the lights. After taking some wrong turns, she opened the door of a bungalow.

  ‘Hello!’ she trilled. A half-naked man came out and looked at her. ‘Do I live here?’ she asked. Stunned, he shook his head as his wife came to join him.

  ‘Oh, Anne-Marie, how wonderful,’ she gushed, rushing up to her favourite author.

  ‘Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,’ Anne-Marie repeated before she smiled and walked out.

  She had known that this was her house because the front door was pink and that made sense. She had found her way home, and as she opened the door and walked in, she wondered why she didn’t know she was having a party.

  ‘Where are they?’ David shouted. Anne-Marie looked startled, then scared, and she jumped.

  ‘David, no,’ Lily commanded. ‘Let Ed handle this.’

  ‘Darling?’ Ed said.

  ‘Yes. I am quite darling,’ Anne-Marie said, as she put her hand to her head and pulled off a twig.

  ‘Why are you wearing binoculars and camouflage?’ he asked. Anne-Marie looked at him as if he were mad.

  ‘Why not?’ she replied, pulling more leaves from her dress. Ed sighed, this wasn’t right. This wasn’t his wife. Even when she was drunk she was more together than this. Fear of what she’d done and what had happened to her was very real. Fear for her and fear for himself.

  ‘Anne-Marie, we’ve been worried about you.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because you’ve been missing all day. And Todd and Katie, Tim, Thea, Jimmy, Carla, Emily and Lee are also missing.’

  ‘Well, what a coincidence. But who on earth are they?’

  ‘Darling, you know who they are.’

  ‘No idea. By the way, who are you?’

  ‘She needs a doctor,’ Mary intervened.

  ‘What’s wrong with her?’ Lily asked.

  David and Ed half carried, half dragged Anne-Marie to the sofa and lay her down. She was delirious or something.