Chapter eighty

We all surround Ben as he starts to speak.

"We need to find Harry, but he can't have gone far. We were all the last to see him, for all we know, so we should –"

"We're not gonna tell the Front Desk, are we?!" Mr Bored who is now Mr Frantic blurts.

Ben clears his throat. "Uh, no. Again, Harry can't have gone far. For all we know he could've just been craving burgers and left mid-way through the game. But we need to see if –" Ben stops abruptly. "Hang on…" He turns to Mr Frantic. "How many people were in this game again?"

"Ele – I mean, twelve people," he replies.

"And…" Ben quickly counts all of us. "… ten… eleven. Only eleven. Harry's missing, clearly, but who was the last to see him?"

"I mean, you and Charlie are his teammates, weren't you guys with him the whole time?" Emily queries.

"Well, yeah," Charlie begins. "But he didn't say anything to us before he left to go look for Tasmin. He wasn't even playing much."

"You guys should've been paying more attention to him," Lilli chided, but then turned to me. "Tasmin, he came to you multiple times, so when did you last see him?"

I wish the lights were dimmer so people couldn't see the redness in my cheeks.

"He was with me at first, but apart from shooting each other, we didn't even talk to each other," I explain. "If he was coming to find me to speak to me, I didn't notice."

"Did he seem worried about anything? Maybe he told you he was going somewhere but you didn't hear him?" Emily suggests.

"I… I really don't know. But… Why would he leave? I mean, we were in the middle of the –"

"But I saw him with you so many times," calls out a girl standing beside Emily. I've never seen this girl in my life, yet she seems to think that she can speak about Harry and I. I clench my fists.

"You don't even know Harry," I can't help but say coldly.

"I don't know him," she confirms. "But he seems to be close to you." The way she says it; like she's accusing me. "Isn't it only smart to question how calm you are right now about his disappearance."

"Don't," I snap, "say that. He's just not here right now. He's been missing for what? Five minutes?" Weary expressions meet the end of my words. "Let's all split up and look for him right now," I say. "I bet he just got lost inside the arena."

"You want a bet? The girl next to Emily shoots back, then turns to Mr Frantic. "You should go and tell the Front Desk –"

"But if they find out I –"

"You didn't lose a grown man. There's more going on here than just him wandering off," the girl reassures, not very reassuring. The girl's blue eyes are piercing, they examine each one of us. I consider asking aloud what type of friend Emily has made.

Ben looks panic-stricken. "People don't just go missing. And Harry of all people would be smart enough not to go wandering off when this is his first cruise." Everyone stares at Ben, weary expressions on our faces. "And if he were to," he adds, "he would tell us."

"That still doesn't explain why he isn't here with us right now," the girl challenges. "Would you hurry up?" she snaps at Mr Frantic, who frantically makes a scramble for the door. I have a feeling he isn't going to the Front Desk but is intending to find somewhere to hide.

About ten minutes later, we're still in the same room, but both Charlie and Lilli offered to go looking for Harry in the arena, and disappeared back inside, their phone flashlights shining around. I glare at Emily's new friend across the room, and when Emily sees my expression, she joins my side.

"I'm sorry, I –"

"It's not you, Emily," I tell her sharply. "It's this nosy little –"

Mr Frantic comes dashing through the front door, flanked by a secretary and two tall security guards. I gulp. How serious did he make this situation sound?

The secretary is a serious-looking woman with squinted eyes, sharp-looking heels and a perfectly-pressed suit. Her clipboard looks like it might implode at the intense glare she's giving. I don't realise how intently I'm staring at her when she looks up. Our eyes meet.

Harry, where are you?

"Okay," she begins, her voice loud and clear. "I'm Jae. I manage any issues regarding mysterious disappearances. I got out of bed this morning with no intention of conducting any investigations. I strive for one investigation and one only." She paces back and forth in front of us, stops. Examines us with her sharp eyes. "If you know where he is, woman up and speak."

I can't help but admire and be completely terrified of her, and I'm hoping someone will say something. That Ben will claim it's a prank, or that Harry will appear, informing us that he stepped outside for some fresh air and we mustn't have heard him when he did tell us he was leaving for a bit. But… nothing.

"Fine. We begin the investigation here," she says firmly, her pen gliding quickly over her page as we answer her questions.

"And… yes. This one's very crucial," she announces after a while. "What is Harry's last known location?"

Everyone glances my way, with Jae following their lead, and I feel my cheeks heat up, but I tell her what she wants to hear.

"In the arena."

"With Tasmin," blurts Emily's acquaintance. I shoot her a dirty look.

"Who's Tasmin?" Jae asks, either oblivious to or ignoring the tension in this room.

"Me," I reply, putting my hand up.

"What's your relationship with Harry?"

Now I know my cheeks are definitely red. "We're friends."

"How long have you known him?"

I clear my throat. "Well… I've known him since we were eleven, but I haven't seen him for about five years now."

Jae mutters under her breath while she takes down some notes.

"Would you consider yourself closest to Harry within this group of people?"

"I –"