Worst Impressions

Chapter Fifty Three

The urge to hang up was immense, but my gut told me that this wasn't a call to be ignored. Jenny didn't make a habit of calling me when she was overseas because of the astronomical roaming charges. Something must have been going on for her to get in touch only days into their trip to Italy.

'Sorry,' I said to Will, finding that I was sincere in my apology. 'I'll make it quick.' Will rolled onto his back and let out a soft sigh. I sympathised with his frustration, but it wasn't like I could do anything about it save hurling my phone off the cliff and into the sea. I turned my back to him and held my phone to my ear. 'Jenny?'

'Beth!' The relief was clear in her tone and it only heightened my concern. 'I'm sorry to call so early but...'

'It's fine,' I said. If it didn't happen to be an emergency, then it would be less than fine. But it wasn't like she'd known what I'd been in the middle of. 'Is something wrong?'

'It's... Oh, Beth, you were the only person I could think to call!' she all but wailed.

Okay, it was an emergency.

Will sat upright. I didn't think he'd been trying to eavesdrop, but Jenny had been so loud that it would have been impossible not to hear. Rather than try to relay everything that she might have to say, I hit the speaker button and held the phone between us so that Will could hear her, too.

'What's going on?' I asked. 'Are you hurt?'

'No, no, I'm not hurt... I just... I need to know. Is Lisa there with you?'

'No, why?' I asked. My heart was racing. 'Did she say that she was coming here? Did she leave the trip early or something?'

'I don't want you to panic,' she said. It was a little late for that. If Jenny's intention had been for me to not panic, then she shouldn't have called me out of the blue and wailed down the phone at me from Italy. I was decidedly panicked. 'Oh, this feels like it's all my fault. I should have been -'

'Jen!' I interrupted. 'Stop freaking out and tell me what's going on! Why did you think Lisa might be here? What exactly happened?'

'Everything was fine on our first night. We went to the street market together yesterday, but she vanished for a while during free time. She was back in the evening, so we didn't ask. Then, this morning... Oh, Beth, she's gone! She left a note for Chrissy and now we can't find her!'

Jenny sobbed, and I looked up at Will helplessly. Lisa was legally an adult and perfectly entitled to wander off and get into trouble if she so wished, but she was also the least mature of us and likely to get herself into trouble. Furthermore, the school was responsible for her wellbeing. If they'd lost the daughter of a wealthy family in a foreign country, then there'd be hell to pay.

'Beth, are you still there?' Jenny sniffled and hiccoughed.

'I'm here,' I assured her, a serious edge to my voice. 'What did the note say? Do you have it?'

'Yes... Yes, Chrissy gave it to me. Hang on... She said that she and Gideon were bored of the trip and wanted to have some fun on their own. She also said not to be surprised if, when she comes back, she's Mrs Lisa Wickham!'

I almost choked. 'Mrs Wickham?' I exclaimed. 'That little - she thinks she's going to elope with him?'

I felt sick. Physically sick. The colour drained from my face so rapidly that it left me shivering with cold. Will took the phone from my trembling fingers and hugged me close to his side.

'Jenny,' his voice was grave, 'which city are you in?'

'William?' she asked. 'What you doing with -'