Free Unexpected Blessings by Barbara Taylor Bradford Page B

certainly not with Jonathan Ainsley. I’ve had one of my people check Jonathan’s whereabouts and he’s in Hong Kong at this very moment. And he’s been there for several weeks.’
    ‘Perhaps Mark took Adele back to London with him, if he grabbed her,’ Linnet ventured, giving Jack a long, hard stare.
    ‘He’s not in his apartment nor is he at the house in Hampstead. Both places have been checked out.’
    ‘But the house is locked up–’ Tessa began, and then her voice faltered when she saw the irritated expression flashing across Jack’s face.
    ‘Yes, the house is locked up, Tessa, and so is Mark’s apartment. But we do have our ways of checking things out.’
    ‘I understand,’ she said meekly, leaning back against the sofa, ignoring Linnet who had poked her in the ribs a moment ago, warning her to shut up, she had no doubt.
    ‘I’ve phoned Mark’s mother in Gloucestershire,’ Jack continued. ‘She was not at home, but was expected early this evening, according to someone called Dory.’
    ‘Dory’s the housekeeper,’ Tessa volunteered. She cleared her throat and went on somewhat tentatively, ‘Mrs Longden’s a bit of a doting mother, but she’s a decent woman. If Mark took Adele to her home she would insist he brought her back to me at once.’
    ‘If his mother knew he had Adele without your permission,’ Jack pointed out. ‘Mark might not tell her. Anyway, I think that in all probability he’s somewhere in Yorkshire. We must find him.’
    ‘But how?’ India asked, frowning. ‘It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, isn’t it?’
    ‘Only too true,’ Jack agreed. ‘It’s not going to be easy, even if we go to the police. We may have to do that, and soon. I’ve spoken at length to Gideon, I told him we might need to blast the news of Adele’s abduction all over the media, starting with the Harte television network and the Harte newspapers. Gideon agrees with me. But we’re not going to do that just yet. Before we go to those lengths, or go to the police, I want to give Mark a chance to bring Adele home to you, Tessa. Tonight, if that’s at all possible.’
    ‘But what if it’s not Mark who grabbed her?’ Tessa asked, sounding suddenly tremulous again. ‘What if it’s a kidnapping?’
    ‘We’d have had a ransom note or some kind of communication from the kidnappers before now if that were the case,’ Jack explained. ‘By the way, Tessa, at my request Gideon spoke to Toby in Los Angeles this afternoon. Toby hasn’t been trying to get hold of you today. So I’m positive it was Mark calling you this morning in an effort to distract you while he took Adele. Or it was someone else, someone who was helping him, working with him.’
    ‘I didn’t really recognize the voice,’ Tessa replied. ‘Although it did sound familiar, I suppose that’s why I thought it must be Toby.’
    Leaning forward in the chair, his arms resting on the desk, Jack was thoughtful for a moment before saying, ‘In a short while I shall phone Mark’s mother, explain what’s happened. Hopefully she will cooperate, if she knows anything, that is. But if we don’t have anything new or know where Mark is by about six-thirty, then I’ll have no alternative but to inform the North Yorkshire police. I will also call Gideon to tell him to go ahead and issue a news bulletin about Adele’s disappearance. I can’t leave it much longer than that, I simply can’t take that chance.’
    Tessa pressed a hand to her mouth and stifled her sobs.
    Linnet exclaimed, ‘Once the Harte media companies go public here it will be on American television. Mummy will have to be told before she hears it from another source.’
    Jack gave Linnet a fleeting smile. ‘I’ll be calling her after I’ve been in touch with the police, if that becomes necessary. You and Tessa can speak to her as well. But the main thing now is to find out whether or not Mrs Longden knows anything.’ Jack leaned back in the chair trying to