Tom shrugged his shoulders. 'If it will help the offer is there. I could go to the club, the Beckford Arms, that burger dive, anywhere he might have gone, and ask if he's been seen.'
The suggestion of a possible course of action relaxed Andrew a little. 'Good thinking, thank you, Tom.' He looked reproachfully at me. 'Perhaps I am making a fuss about nothing, let's hope so. We'll leave things for a little longer. Couldn't we make a few enquiries by telephone?' He added: 'We don't necessarily have to go chasing around.'
The appearance of the red-haired Geordie in the doorway enabled me to escape. In the office he settled in cash for all of the group, leaving me with what was meant as a humorous jibe: 'We'll maybe give you a ring next time we're planning a weekend. We were quite happy at King's Cross and it's not so dear, but you probably need the custom more.'
One of the men from room four, who had also come down to settle his bill, was standing waiting his turn to pay in the hall. As the Geordie walked past him he looked as though he was struggling not to flinch. 'Sorry to keep you,' I apologised, 'and sorry again about not being able to bring your breakfasts up to your room.'
'Not at all, a misunderstanding. Don't want to hurry you. You're busy this afternoon,' he said with a thin smile.
He might not be complaining, but the prospect of him and his friend coming to stay again seemed poor. Defensively I said, 'The guest house has been particularly bustling this weekend. It's usually quieter than this. Hope you haven't been disturbed too much.'
'The room was very comfortable, thanks. I suppose you can't pick and choose your clients.'
When I returned to the dining room, Andrew was still fretting about Darren. 'Would it be worth going up to the boy's room to look around? There might be something that would give us a hint...'
'I've been up once to feed his terrapins. There was nothing unusual; what about his right to privacy - are you proposing that we search his things?'
'Well what do you suggest? You seem very negative.'
'We shouldn't-' over-react, I was about to say, but a loud crash in the hall followed immediately by a loud Geordie oath prevented me. Tom, Andrew and I hurried out. The orchid had tumbled from the table and lay scattered in pieces over the tiled floor, the brass container lying on its side near the front door. One of the Geordies, a heavy bag in one hand, stood by the hall table looking horrified.