than sense. It’s a complete—well, I’d better let you see for yourself. You might like it.”
“You don’t, then?”
“I hate anything phony,” Evan said. “Italian villages in Italy are all well and good. We’ve got some lovely Welsh buildings in Wales. Oh, it’s pretty enough, but it doesn’t feel real. And all this mumbo jumbo—pyramids and healing crystals and Druids. It’s not right.”
Glynis laughed. “There speaks the son of a true Welsh chapel. Crystals and healing ceremonies are all the thing these days.”
“For people who are looking for something.”
She nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Have you never done any such soul-searching?”
Evan shook his head. “I’ve always had pretty much what I wanted, right here,” he said. “Although there was a time, after my father died …” He paused, then shook his head more firmly. “Even then you’d not have found me sitting in any bloody pyramid.”
They had reached the main gate and Evan pressed the buzzer.
“North Wales police again to see the owners,” Evan said.
“They’re busy today. I don’t know if they can see you,” Blaine’s voice crackled through the intercom.
“Then they’d better unbusy themselves.” Glynis leaned across to address the intercom. “Detective Constable Davies speaking. We’ve come on a very serious matter.”
The gate swung open then shut again immediately. “The gate must be to keep their clients from escaping before they’ve paid the bill,” Glynis quipped, then saw Evan’s serious face. “What? Do you think there’s something wrong with this place?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “There’s something that doesn’t add up. I can’t put my finger on it yet.”
“Interesting. I’ll keep my eyes open.”
Evan parked where he had left the motorcycle the day before. They declined Blaine’s instructions to wait and set off down the cobbled main street.
“I see what you mean,” Glynis said, laughing in amazement. “It’s very Disneyland, isn’t it? Quaint and pretty but strangely surreal.”
They were just passing under the arch when Michael came running down the steps toward them. “Hey, just a minute. Oh, it’s you, Constable.”
“And this is Detective Glynis Davies.” Evan indicated the young woman in the dark gray suit.
Michael looked momentarily startled. “Detective? Is there some sort of problem, C-constable?”
“There might be,” Evan said. “Now, if you’d take us to Lady Annabel or Mr. Wunderlich straightaway.”
“Lady Annabel is down at the spa, getting a massage,” Michael said. “It’s this way.”
They went in through the glass doors of the spa building to a tiled atrium. A fountain was splashing against one wall, while soft piped music filled the background. The walls were tiled in an undersea motif with strands of wafting seaweed and schools of fish. It was so authentic that it felt like walking through an aquarium.
“If you wait here, I’ll go and see if she’s finished yet.” He gave a half-apologetic grin. “She hates being disturbed when she’s having a massage.”
Evan and Glynis glanced at each other as Michael disappeared into the rear of the building.
“What the hell for?” they heard a sharp voice demand. “Oh, very well. Tell them I’ll be right out.”
Michael returned, his face pink with embarrassment. “She’ll be right out. Take a seat.”
A few moments later Annabel emerged, dressed in a large, fluffy white robe. Her hair was piled up on top of her head but her face was still perfectly made-up. “Thank you, Sergio. You’re a gem,” she called. “I feel like a new woman.”
“Constable.” She gave him a beaming smile. “What brings you back again so soon? Have you been converted to Rhiannon and her band?”
“Lady Annabel. This is Detective Constable Davies,” Evan said. “She’s the one who is looking into the missing American girl.”
“But I thought we established yesterday that she hasn’t ever stayed here.” A frown of annoyance cracked the perfect makeup.
“Oh, yes, we know she was never a guest,” Glynis said. “But you weren’t entirely truthful with Constable Evans, were you?”
“In what way?”
“One of your staff recognized the girl. We understand that she used to work for you.”
“A staff member?” Annabel sounded genuinely surprised. “I had no idea we hired college students. I thought the staff were all locals. I really don’t have that much interaction—it is Mrs. Roberts, my housekeeper, who does the hiring and firing. Wait while I get dressed and I’ll take you to see her. Michael, go and locate Mrs. Roberts for me, would you? This whole thing is most disagreeable.”
Evan and Glynis waited again. “If the wonder boy is so psychic, then why didn’t he know that she was working for him?” Evan muttered to Glynis, who grinned.
“I have to meet this wonder boy,” she said. “If he’s half as gorgeous as Betsy tells us, then …”
“I don’t think your boyfriend would like it. Neither would Lady Annabel.”
“I’m getting rather bored with that particular boyfriend, as it happens,” Glynis said. Now, why exactly had she
