‘Let’s get inside,’ said Emma.
‘What on earth’s going on?’ demanded Dominique as she allowed herself to be hustled away from the door. ‘Why all the drama?’
‘Come into the living room.’
Dominique followed Emma into one of her favourite rooms of the house. It was decorated in pale cream and green and she found it supremely restful, with its panoramic views across her garden and down to the sea.
‘Have you heard from Brendan at all?’ asked Emma.
‘No.’ Dominique shook her head and then looked anxiously at Emma. ‘Why?’
Emma took a deep breath and then spoke slowly. ‘He hasn’t turned up to the office today, although he was supposed to be there by ten. Domino ...’
‘What?’ Dominique was really worried now.
‘Oh, Domino! They’ve appointed a liquidator to the company. Delahaye Developments has gone belly-up.’
‘What?’ This time Dominique looked at Emma in utter disbelief. ‘That can’t be right. The company has made a ton of money over the past few years. It can’t be in trouble now.’
‘That’s what I thought too. But June told me—’
‘June?’ interrupted Dominique.
‘She was talking to Barry. He was there when the liquidator arrived. Apparently it’s been on the cards for a while, but nobody’s said a word. The company was struggling with its debts and couldn’t borrow any more, so things started to go off the rails. The banks began asking for their money back. The thing is, Domino, a lot of the borrowings were guaranteed by Brendan’s other companies and by him personally, and there seem to be some problems about that too, because the other companies weren’t profitable either, and personally ...’ She broke off, not sure what to say next.
‘But . . . but . . . he never said anything to me.’ Dominique stared at Emma, her dark eyes wide with anxiety. ‘I ask him from time to time how things are going, and sometimes he says better than others, but he’s always been confident that everything was OK.’
‘Maybe he didn’t want to worry you.’
‘Not telling me anything is far more worrying.’
‘I know.’ Emma’s eyes were full of concern.
‘Did you know?’ demanded Dominique.
‘No,’ Emma said quickly. ‘I only heard now. From June. She was spitting with rage and with fear and worried about herself and Barry.’
‘She doesn’t know where Brendan is?’
‘No. She wanted to know if I did. Or if I’d been talking to you about it.’
‘He must be with one of the banks,’ said Dominique. ‘He must be trying to negotiate a rescue package. Or maybe he’s with Matthew.’ She took out her mobile phone and began to scan through her list of contacts for the accountant’s number.
‘I don’t think so.’ Emma spoke carefully. ‘He should have been at the company offices this morning. There was supposed to be an emergency meeting. It seems that today was make-or-break day.’
‘Yes, but maybe he’s trying to get the banks to ...’ Dominique’s voice trailed off as the realisation of what was happening finally began to sink home. ‘Oh my God, Emma. It’s just not possible. People will lose their jobs ...’
‘Yes,’ said Emma.
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Dominique shakily. ‘Not really. Brendan must be doing something. Trying to get money from somewhere. That’s why he hasn’t been home. That’s why he hasn’t been in touch. He would have told me if something was wrong. I know he would.’
‘Domino, nobody has been able to contact him since yesterday afternoon, when he had a meeting with the bank. Apparently it didn’t go well and he left in a rage. Nobody knows where he is.’ She swallowed hard. ‘Barry has called the guards.’
Dominique stared at her sister-in-law. ‘Why?’
‘Brendan’s obviously known about the company’s problems for a while,’ said Emma uncomfortably. ‘His own situation too. It must have been very stressful. We’re concerned that ...’
‘That what?’
‘Well, that he’s gone away,’ said Emma.
‘Gone away?’ Dominique looked confused. ‘Where?’
‘That’s the thing,’ said Emma. ‘We don’t know. But we need to find out. There’s music he needs to face, Domino. And he can’t escape that.’
When the phone rang again, Dominique nearly shot out of her seat. But it was Kelly. Dominique had tried calling her as soon as she heard from Emma, but Kelly’s mobile had been switched off. Although she had left a message, Kelly had learned about her father’s company as a breaking story on the radio. It had come in before her interview with Norah had been due to air, and Stephen, the producer, had asked if she’d interviewed Dominique the previous day as well. He was disappointed when she’d looked at him in disgust and said no.
‘You’ve got to come home,’ said Emma, who’d answered the phone before Dominique could pick it up. ‘As quickly as you can.’
Kelly arrived at the house at the same time as Greg, who was also responding to a message left by Emma, and a few minutes before June, who had been at her parents’ house.
‘There are reporters outside the gate,’ said June as she strode into the living room, a flurry of jangling bracelets and musky perfume. ‘Here and at Mam’s. Probably at ours too by now. Vultures every last one of them, shouting questions at us.’
‘What sort of questions?’ asked Emma.
‘If there’s any news on Brendan. If he’s disappeared with company funds. If we’re concerned for his safety. Asking about you too, Domino.’
‘Mum?’ Kelly sat down beside Dominique. ‘Are we? Concerned for his safety?’
‘No.’ Dominique’s lower lip trembled, but she spoke firmly. ‘Everything will be fine. Your dad will be fine. He’s sorting things out. I know he is.’
But
was
he sorting things out? she wondered. Or had he simply run away without saying a word to anybody? Yet that was so unlike him. He was normally able to deal with everything that life threw at him. He was dependable . . . Dominique felt her head begin to pound and she pressed her fingertips to her forehead.
‘I can’t believe he’s done this to us.’ June, who’d flopped down on one of the plump armchairs, was white-faced.
‘He hasn’t done anything to you yet,’ said Dominique tersely.
‘He’s bankrupted us,’ said June. ‘All of us. Our whole lives are tied up in that company, and he’s ruined us.’
‘How could you be ruined, Aunt June?’ asked Kelly. ‘Uncle Barry just worked there, didn’t he? He got paid a lot of money for what he did. Surely you’re all right?’
‘Don’t be cheeky with me, young lady,’ said June. ‘Barry was owed money by your father, who got him involved in God only knows what.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about, so don’t try to defend him,’ said June.
‘June.’ Greg, who was sitting on the other side of Dominique, spoke gently. ‘This isn’t the time or the place.’
‘My brother always tried to be too damn flash,’ said June angrily. ‘He was too arrogant for his own good. Too convinced he was right. And look where it’s left us.’
‘Shut up, June.’ Emma’s voice wasn’t one bit gentle, and both Kelly and Dominique jumped. ‘If you can’t be supportive, then get the hell out of here.’
The phone rang again. Everyone looked at it for a moment, but it was Greg who answered it.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I see.’
He replaced the receiver and looked at Dominique and at Kelly.
‘There’s no sign of him in the house,’ he said. ‘No sign at all.’
Dominique wanted to feel relieved at his words. But all she felt was a further build-up of tension as she tried to imagine where he was and what he was doing. Or what he might have done. She shivered violently, and Kelly put her arms around her.
‘So,’ said Emma eventually. ‘If he’s not in Dublin, where on earth is he?’
‘Maybe France?’ Dominique raised her ashen face. ‘In the apartments? London? Barbados?’
‘We’re going to have to talk to the liquidator,’ said Greg. ‘And the guards, too. He’s got to be found.’
‘What if he doesn’t want to be found?’ asked Kelly quietly. ‘What then?’
But nobody had an answer to her question.
Chapter 16
Just because Brendan hadn’t been in touch didn’t mean that he’d deliberately disappeared without a trace, thought Dominique. Everyone was totally overreacting. He’d turn up. He always did. Although, she admitted to herself, when he did, this time he’d feel the full force of her anger for putting her and the rest of the family through so much worry.
He was probably stuck in a tense meeting trying to sort everything out to stave off this liquidation they were all talking about. He wasn’t answering his calls because he didn’t want to be disturbed and so his phone was off. He would emerge eventually and get in touch. Whatever had gone wrong, whatever the problems were, he would fix them. He always did.
She swallowed hard. But what if he didn’t? What if the others were right? What if he’d gone for good? What would she do then? She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. She could live with the loss of the business, even with losing money, but she couldn’t lose Brendan. Without him she was nothing. Not a charity queen, not Dazzling Domino, nothing. He was the foundation of everything in her life and she couldn’t live without him.
He hadn’t left her. He wouldn’t have. Couldn’t have. He’d call sooner or later. She just had to wait.
But waiting was hard, particularly when the story of the collapse of Delahaye Developments and its associated companies was now the main news story of the day and TV cameras and reporters had taken root outside the company headquarters in Cork and kept up a steady stream of speculation and conjecture.
‘I don’t know how they can say these things,’ she said despairingly as one of the reporters suggested that Brendan had massive gambling debts. ‘He’s very cautious. He doesn’t gamble. They don’t know what they’re talking about.’
Earlier, she’d phoned her parents to let them know what was happening. Evelyn sounded bewildered by what Dominique had told her.
‘You mean you don’t know where he is?’ she asked for the fifth time.
‘Exactly.’
‘And nobody else does either?’
‘No.’
‘Say a prayer to St Anthony.’
‘Huh?’
‘He finds things. People too.’
Dominique knew that St Anthony was one of her mother’s favourite saints. Any time she lost anything, Evelyn prayed to him. Being honest about it, Dominique often did herself. She didn’t believe, and yet somehow once she had murmured a swift request to him to help her out, whatever it was she was looking for would turn up. But she used St Anthony for lost keys and other bits and pieces. Not for people.
‘I’m telling you,’ Evelyn said. ‘St Anthony is the man. I’ll do a novena.’
‘Yes.’ Dominique didn’t have the strength to argue with her. ‘Do that.’
‘Do you need anything?’ Evelyn asked.
Dominique shook her head slowly before speaking. ‘No. Thanks.’
‘Call me when you hear something.’
‘Yes.’
‘Dominique?
‘Yes?’ It was the easiest word to say.
‘Brendan’s a good man. I don’t believe any of it.’
‘Yes,’ she whispered.
She hung up. She couldn’t speak any more.
The phone rang incessantly throughout the day. Greg was the one who answered it for her. Sometimes it was reporters, sometimes it was Barry, or Lily, or one of Dominique’s friends from the charity circuit. Stephanie Clooney, the chairwoman of one of the charities, told Greg that she had been in touch with the bank to tell them not to honour any cheques on the charity’s account signed by Dominique.