The kissing BRIDGE

Becca was sure her father was in terrible trouble but would she ever find him?

THE STORY SO FAR: For the past four years, Becca Stone has been living with her father Adrian, helping him get over the loss of her mother. Out of the blue, Adrian suggests she moves into a houseshare with her former boyfriend Sam, who is still a good friend. As soon as she leaves, Adrian takes early retirement and announces that he’s off to Rome. He sends photos, and in one Becca sees the reflection of an unknown woman in his hotel-room mirror. When she asks Adrian about her, he hangs up and won’t answer her calls. In a panic, she books a seat on the next flight to Rome and Sam joins her, as he knows the city well and has family there. They retrace Adrian’s steps and a waitress tells them that she last saw him with a woman who is known to con vulnerable men.

Becca looked at her reflection in the mirror. No amount of make-up could conceal the dark circles under her eyes or the puffiness of her eyelids.

What little sleep she’d had was peppered with nightmares about her dad, and in them he was as broken as he’d been after her mum’s death.

The worst of it was knowing that this time she might not be able to put him back together.

There was a knock on the door and she hurried to answer it. She’d texted her dad with details of her hotel, in case he ever read her messages, and for one crazy moment she thought it was him.

Her face fell when she saw it was Sam.

‘Oh,’ she said glumly. Her shoulders slumped.

‘You OK?’ he asked.

‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘I thought you might be Dad.’