Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 353

One of the bodyguards answered, 'Other than doctors and nurses and Mr Scott, no one else."

'Keep your eyes open,' Austyn said before leaving. 'Don't let anything happen to her.' "Yes, Boss.

Austyn was behind the wheel when his phone rang

'Yes.'

He listened to the caller.

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

The Hummer made an about-turn.

Kira's Missing

Austyn arrived at Adis Road in nine minutes.

Gideon waved at him.

A white Audi A5 Sportsback was parked on the side of the road, its bonnet raised.

'Your car broke down? Austyn glanced at the Audi.

Gideon nodded. 'I thought it was trouble with the alternator. Tinkered with it for a while, but no dice. You came fast,"

'I was on my way to the office just now. It's not far from here. Is this a rental?!

'Yes.'

'Call the rental company. Get them to tow the car away."

'I did. They're on their way."

*Then you can leave it here. I'll give you a ride.'

'Appreciate it!

Gideon got in the front passenger seat.

Austyn started the car.

Three minutes of silence later, Gideon asked, 'What's wrong? You're quieter than usual. Am I keeping you from something?"

'No.' Austyn kept his eyes on the road. "It's not you."

'Someone else then. Seeing how you're a married man-trouble on the home front?"

Austyn neither confirmed nor denied it. 'How about you? How's it going with your treasure hunt?"

Gideon sighed. "Not much progress, I'm afraid. I've tracked down her mother, though. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I finally see her again." "Good luck with that Call me when that happens. Dinner's on me.'

'It's a deal'

Gideon looked out the window, smiling at the prospect of seeing Kira soon.

Austyn's phone rang again.

He answered it through the Bluetooth headset. 'If it's work, you u can deal with it yourself. If it's something you can't handle, set it aside

till-

'Boss, Kai interrupted Austyn, 'Young Madam is missing!"

""What?"

'She's missing from the hospital. Kai sounded out of breath as if he'd been running. "The ward's empty. I've turned the entire floor upside down, but I can't find her." Austyn gripped the steering wheel and bellowed into the headset. 'Kai Scott, you better find her before I reach the hospital! Or else."

The assistant was sweating profusely.

Boss seldom raised his voice.

When he did, heads usually rolled.

Kai hoped it wouldn't be his this time.

He shuddered to think what came after 'Or else.'

Austyn stabbed the side button to end the call.

The Hummer's tyres screeched loudly as he made a sharp left turn.

"Sorry, something has come up. I'll have to drop you off here."

Gideon shook his head. "I'll tag along if you don't mind. See if there's anything I can do to help. I'm not in a hurry anyway." "Okay"

Austyn stepped on the gas.

Kai paced in the hallway outside the ward.

When he saw the last bodyguard coming back empty-handed, he knew he was doomed

'Still no sign of her?"

The bodyguard shook his head. "We've looked everywhere. The lobby, the cafeteria, the sky garden. She's not there."

Kal was ashen-faced.

He'd messed up big time.

It was such a simple job-keep Kira in the ward.

Yet, with two guards outside at all times and Kai checking in now and then, Kira still managed to give them the slip Boss was going to be furious.

Footsteps approached, loud and fast.

Kai saw his boss barrelling down the hallway towards him, followed by a man which looked vaguely familiar.

'Doss...' Kai went up to Austyn, shame-faced.

Austyn pushed past him into the ward.

It was empty.

The bed was unmade.

The quilt was tossed to one side and the sheets were rumpled.

The door to the ensuite bathroom was open.

The odour of disinfectant hung heavy in the air.

Austyn closed his eyes.

He thought he could smell a faint trace of jasmine, Kira's scent.

When he

n he left the hospital less than an hour ago, Kira was sitting in front of the window, quiet and unmoving.

Now she'd disappeared

Austyn whipped around. 'Kai."

The assistant inched forward, head bowed. 'Boss."

"Tell me what you know.'

'I wasn't here when it happened. Young Madam wanted to have ice cream. It's not sold in the hospital café, so one of the bodyguards went to the minimart across the street. When he came back, the ward was empty." "She just vanished into thin air?"

Kai kept his eyes on the floor. 'I...I really don't know."

Austyn scanned the ward.

The single-sash window was open, with a gap big enough for Kira's petite frame to squeeze through.

But the room was on the seventh floor.

Austyn dismissed the possibility of Kira doing a Spiderman-style escape.

There were only two points of egress in the ward.

The window was impossible.

The door was guarded round the clock.

Where would she be if the bodyguards didn't see her leave the room?

Austyn's eyes flicked to the bed.

Gideon spoke to him. "What did your men do after they realised their charge was missing?"

Austyn stared at the two bodyguards on duty.

One of them thought it over and said, 'After we opened the door and didn't see her, we checked the bathroom first. She wasn't in there. Then we checked the hallway, the nurses' station and the other rooms on this floor." 'So the door was just left open the entire time?' Gideon asked.

The bodyguard nodded.

'And you didn't check under the bed?"

Kai worked it out first.

He hit his forehead with his palm.

He'd been so stupid!

When the bodyguards called him, he'd rushed over immediately and done the same things they did-search the rest of the floor.

Gideon chuckled. 'Your wife's pretty cunning'

Austyn gritted his teeth.

Eager to redeem himself, Kai said, 'I'll talk to the hospital director and get the surveillance footage.'

He dashed off.

Austyn closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Two nights of fitful, dream-filled sleep.

And now this.

He was running on fumes.

'I'm sorry you had to see this,' he said to Gideon.

'It's fine. You have an interesting wife. Kind of reminds me of someone."

He's No Longer The Stray Dog

"Your treasure?

"Uh-huh." Gideon smiled wistfully. She used to be so scared of thunder. Every time it rained, she would squeeze herself under the bed

and refuse to come out. No amount of coaxing could get her to leave the bed.

His words brought a smile to Austyn's lips,

He thought of Kira.

The last time she got drunk, she'd crawled under the bed as well and clung to the foot of the bedpost.

'You and your treasure were childhood sweethearts?!

'Sort of." Gideon's mind drifted back to the years he lived with Kira.

Memories of her brought a sharp pang to his heart

"You got any cigarettes?"

Austyn offered his pack of Sobranie Black Russians.

"Thanks. I saw a designated smoking area downstairs. That's where I'll be if you need me.

'sure."

Kai jogged into the room with his phone in hand.

'Boss, I have the footage."

Austyn played the video.

He watched it in silence.

'Have you seen this?"

Kai nodded.

"Do you know what do to?"

'Yes, I'll find out where Miss Mills lives."

Austyn gave the phone back to Kai.

It was such a simple ruse.

Kira hid under the bed.

When the bodyguards opened the door and then left in a panic to search for her elsewhere, she sneaked out of the room.

CCTV cameras inside the hospital tracked her all the way to the front gate.

Someone was waiting for her there.

Glana Mills.

The two got into a taxi and left quickly.

Austyn didn't know if he should be impressed by Kira's wiles or pissed at her act of rebellion.

He'd underestimated the woman.

While Kai left to track down Giana's address, Austyn went to find Gideon

...she agreed to the meeting? Good. Arrange a time and a place. Yes, today..."

Austyn waited for Gideon to finish his phone call.

'I'll talk to you later,' Gideon said as he glimpsed Austyn standing nearby.

He hung up the call with Martin

"Sorry. I have to make a move. Something's come up.'

Austyn nodded. 'Go ahead 1 got this."

A pity 'Gideon sighed. "I was really hoping to meet your wife today."

"You're not leaving Stamford soon, are you?"

"No."

"Then there'll be plenty of opportunities for you two to meet.

'You're right. 'Gideon pitched the cigarette butt into a trashcan. "What did you find from the surveillance footage?

'She left with a friend. I'll go and pick her up later. Austyn massaged his temples. The woman's getting into one mischief after

another.

His tone was accusatory, but Gideon didn't miss the tender look in Austyn's eyes.

'In that case, good luck. We'll talk later."

'Sure.' Austyn led the way to the lift.

Martin was waiting outside the restaurant when Gideon arrived at Les Amis

"Young Master, Mrs Vaughn is in private room No 2"

'Did she come alone?' (

Gideon asked.

'Yes.'

"Good."

The door to the private room was ajar.

Gideon spotted Helen sitting by herself.

Georgina was not there.

Which suited Gideon just fine.