Page 84 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne

“Ames?” Sam’s eyes snap to Danny’s. “Did your friend happen to know what Dr and Mr Ames called the son they adopted?” Sam’s jaw clenches tightly.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” she says. “Now, what was it again? Harry… Harris…”

“Harrison?” Sam offers.

“Yes, that’s it. Harrison, like that handsome actor.”

“Thank you very much, Mabel, you’ve been very helpful.” Sam says his goodbyes and hangs up.

“Oh my god,” Danny mutters.

“What?” I frown, my brain a little sluggish from the alcohol. “What was all that about Harrison?”

“The doctor who delivered Viv’s son disappeared very abruptly, not long after the birth,” Danny explains. “It would seem that he moved to Devon.”

“Oh, that’s where Harrison’s dads live,” I mention. “They’re both witches. That’s not their actual jobs though.” I wrinkle my nose as I think hard. “One’s a GP, the other runs a pub. I think.”

Sam and Danny just stare at me.

“What?”

“Er, boo,” Dusty interjects, “I think what they’re getting at is that the good doctor may have adopted Viv’s baby and disappeared off to Devon with his husband, changing his name so people couldn’t make the connection.”

I frown as my poor brain tries to filter through the words. “But… that would mean Harrison is Sage Wilson… that he’s Viv’s biological son.”

“Well,” Dusty adds, “I mean, Evangeline did say a red-haired hottie from a band rented one of the rooms on the third floor when Viv was about sixteen. Harrison is around the right ageand despite the stick up his arse, he’s also a red-haired hottie, possibly taking after his bio dad.”

“Oh my god, really? It’s like an episode ofHollyoaks,” Chan exclaims, torn somewhere between scandalised and amused.

“Fuck, my brain hurts.” I frown. “But if Harrison is Sage, why wouldn’t he tell us?”

“That’s exactly what I want to know,” Sam says angrily as he finds Harrison’s number in his phone and hits the call button. His eyes darken when the call goes straight to voicemail. “There’s no point in hiding from us, Prickles. You’ve got some explaining to do.” He hangs up and waits exactly two seconds before calling again, then again, cursing very inventively when Harrison continues to not pick up.

Suddenly, my brain is less foggy. “Has anyone actually seen Harrison since he went off to take a phone call?” I ask in concern. “Is it just me, or was that ages ago? He wouldn’t have left without saying anything, I don’t think.”

Dusty looks at me, her expression worried. “If he really is Sage Wilson, then doesn’t that paint a really big fucking target on his back?”

“Shit. Dusty, can you go and see if you can find him? Hopefully, he’s just getting chatted up by someone on the other side of the bar.” As Dusty disappears, I pull out my own phone and check it for missed calls or messages. There’s nothing.

“If Harrison is Sage and Viv’s killer knows…” Danny says, coming to the same conclusion Dusty did.

“It puts him at risk.” I nod as Dusty reappears. “Anything?”

“I’ve checked the whole building. No sign of him anywhere.” Dusty chews her bright red nails.

“Dusty says he’s not in the building,” I explain to Danny. Sam tries his phone again.

“No, wait.” I put a hand on his arm before he can finish the call. “If he’s not in danger and we’re all just overreacting, thenhe may be more likely to answer the phone if I call him. I mean, he’s usually pissed off at you about something and I’m suitably pathetic enough today that he’ll feel bad for me and pick up.”

Sam nods. “Try.”

I scroll through my contacts and call his number, putting my phone on speaker. It rings for ages and just when I think it’s about to click to voicemail, the call connects.

“Harrison?” There’s an unsteady feeling in my belly and I really hope it’s the wine. “Harrison? Where are you? We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why did you leave without saying anything?”

There’s nothing but silence on the other end.

“Harrison?” I say again. A slow chuckle on the other end sends a cold sense of dread rippling down my spine.