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A few more crew appeared from the galley, with trays of golden fizz. Immediately the atmosphere in the lounge shifted, as people got to their feet to take a glass. As the server approached, Olivia hesitated. She wasn’t in the mood for celebrating after her ordeal. But it would look too conspicuous to miss out, so she took one for herself.
‘We deserve this,’ said Patty, downing her glass and then waving the server over to take another. ‘Especially Annalise. He said that artist made waves, but so did she. My husband and I have owned our branch for thirty years, and she’s the best of the best.’
A hint of colour appeared on Annalise’s cheeks, and she drank to cover her embarrassment.
Olivia took a sip of hers, the fizz slipping down easily. But her neck still throbbed from the feeling of the strap tightening around it.
She could see Cutler looking around, and she got the sense he was searching for her. He probably wanted anexplanation about Aaron’s absence. And he was owed one. But not now.
Not while she could still feel pain from the strap around her throat.
She had to talk to Stefan.
10
Emboldened by the champagne, she knocked on the door of the gallery, ignoring the ‘CLOSED’ sign hanging at the entrance. It was not meant to be open to passengers until their first full day at sea. But Stefan had said he’d be there after the muster drill. Through the frosted glass she could see a shadow moving, so she knocked even louder.
After a few moments a man approached the door. ‘I’m sorry, we’re closed until tomorrow!’
‘Stefan? It’s Olivia.’
‘Oh hello! I didn’t realize it was you.’ He unlocked the door to let Olivia in.
The gallery space looked incredible. She’d seen it that morning, with Aaron by her side (her heart panged at that memory – was it only a few hours ago that they had all been together?). But even seeing it again now took her breath away. She was transported back to when she’d seen a Yennin for the first time – and when she and Aaron had met. Here Yennin’s signature piece – the only original on sale – was hidden away. But even the prints were striking, the stark, spare canvases contrasting with the opulence of the ship’s design.
‘Has Aaron sent his better half to convince me to back down? I told him, everything is in motion now. He signed this deal putting me in charge – he has to trust me. He doesn’t know this clientele like I do.’ Typical foran auctioneer, Stefan let his mouth run before Olivia could get a word in. He was a slight man – shorter than Olivia – and he styled his rail-thin frame like a fancy French gentleman – patterned scarfs, silk shirts and tailored trousers – even though he was really from Liverpool. It was all a grand act, but he was undeniably charming. He locked the door behind Olivia.
‘Wait, what are you talking about? You’re changing the plan?’
‘Tell Aaron to talk to me himself if he has an issue—’
Olivia shook her head. ‘Thatisthe issue. Stefan, Aaron didn’t make it on to the ship.’
Now she managed to render him speechless. In fact, he seemed properly dumbfounded, the muscle above his left eyebrow twitching. ‘Say again?’
‘He left the ship after we had lunch. He said it was a work emergency. He wasn’t logged out of the ship’s system and didn’t make it back on board before we left. I haven’t been able to get hold of him since.’
‘You’re joking. This is a joke, right?’
Olivia shook her head.
‘Well, this is outrageous! How on earth did this happen?’ He rushed to the nearest window, as if Aaron would be speeding up in a boat at just that moment to catch them up.
‘I don’t know. Like I said, I haven’t been able to get hold of him. So I take it this means you haven’t heard from him either?’
‘Of course not – I mean, I just assumed …’ He sat down on the plush velvet-covered window seat. ‘This is a situation.’
‘That feels like a bit of an understatement.’ She took a deep breath before continuing. ‘I know he wouldn’t have missed the boarding time on purpose. Something must have happened to him. So we need to talk … about the threat back in London.’
Stefan stared at her for a second, his eyes narrowing. ‘What do you know about that?’
She didn’t reply. Instead, she held Stefan’s gaze, waiting to see what he would reveal. He sighed, rubbing at his brows. ‘Unfortunate business. But Aaron assured me that he had sorted it out.’
Olivia was dying to ask more questions, but Stefan already seemed on edge. She came and sat down next to him. ‘Do you agree? It sounded scary but I don’t think I got the whole story …’
Stefan blew out a long breath. ‘Well, scary is one way of looking at it. Aaron had received a few nasty letters and emails. Social media slander, that type of thing. All baseless accusations, of course.’
‘Oh my God. But why?’