Twenty Five
The videophone was ringing in the empty lounge when Tin-Tin entered. She answered it.
"Ah, good evening miss." Tin-Tin fought the impulse to inform the caller that it was morning. "Mr Tracy was due to contact us for a teleconference twenty five minutes ago. We haven't heard from him. We were wondering if there was a problem."
Tin-Tin was stunned for a moment. She'd never known Jeff Tracy to willingly miss a business conference. Despite everything that had happened over the last few days, she knew that he'd remembered this meeting, as he'd got her to get some files out earlier in the morning. She thought frantically. "I'm sorry sir." She eventually said. "But Mr Tracy is unavailable at the moment. A, er, technical fault has routed your call to his home. He is unable to be reached at the moment..."
The man on the other end of the videophone sounded more than a little annoyed. "Tell Jeff Tracy, that if his communication equipment is faulty, he'd better consider spending more time in his office, rather than swanning off on his tropical paradise. You can also tell him, young lady, that if that is the standard of equipment that Tracy Enterprises deals with, then maybe our company will be rethinking this contract. I hope to hear from him before the day is out!" The call was abruptly terminated.
Alan had come in and heard the tail end of the conversation. "Boy. That's one fellow whose tie is too tight."
"Alan. Do you know where your father is?"
"Dad? No. Why?"
"He was supposed to attend a teleconference half an hour ago."
Alan was suddenly concerned. "Was that the guy he was meeting with?" Tin-Tin nodded. "That's not like Dad to miss a meeting. Where is he?"
"I don't know Alan, that's why I asked you."
"Maybe Grandma knows, or Gordon. She's in the kitchen, so I'll ask her. I think Gordon's down in Thunderbird Four. Give him a buzz."
Ten minutes later they were back in the lounge, along with Gordon, their Grandmother and Brains. "Any sign of him?" Alan asked.
No one had seen Jeff Tracy.
"D-Did anyone check his room?" Brains asked.
"Second place I looked before I found you." Alan informed him.
"Has he left a note?" Gordon skirted the desk. The files for the meeting were present, but nothing else. He crouched down and checked underneath. Nothing. "Maybe he's said something to John."
But John hadn't heard from his father since a conversation the day before. "Do you want me to trace his watch?"
"Don't bother." Gordon held up the item in question. "He's left it on the desk. He only takes it off so he can keep track of the time during teleconferences, so he'd remembered that this one was coming up. So where's he gone?"
"Well we're not going to find him by just standing here." Mrs Tracy asserted.
They agreed and organised a search.
Half an hour later they were together again in the lounge. Their search of the immediate complex had drawn a blank.
"Forgive me for asking?" Kyrano said differentially. "But has anyone checked if the jet is still on the island?"
"But he wouldn't just fly off without letting anyone know." Gordon said.
"Yes, but has anyone checked?" Alan reiterated Kyrano's question. "I didn't." He looked around.
No one had.
Gordon sighed. "Alan, do you want to check? We'll try the house again."
"Okay." Alan left on his errand.
The videophone was ringing in the empty lounge when Tin-Tin entered. She answered it.
"Ah, good evening miss." Tin-Tin fought the impulse to inform the caller that it was morning. "Mr Tracy was due to contact us for a teleconference twenty five minutes ago. We haven't heard from him. We were wondering if there was a problem."
Tin-Tin was stunned for a moment. She'd never known Jeff Tracy to willingly miss a business conference. Despite everything that had happened over the last few days, she knew that he'd remembered this meeting, as he'd got her to get some files out earlier in the morning. She thought frantically. "I'm sorry sir." She eventually said. "But Mr Tracy is unavailable at the moment. A, er, technical fault has routed your call to his home. He is unable to be reached at the moment..."
The man on the other end of the videophone sounded more than a little annoyed. "Tell Jeff Tracy, that if his communication equipment is faulty, he'd better consider spending more time in his office, rather than swanning off on his tropical paradise. You can also tell him, young lady, that if that is the standard of equipment that Tracy Enterprises deals with, then maybe our company will be rethinking this contract. I hope to hear from him before the day is out!" The call was abruptly terminated.
Alan had come in and heard the tail end of the conversation. "Boy. That's one fellow whose tie is too tight."
"Alan. Do you know where your father is?"
"Dad? No. Why?"
"He was supposed to attend a teleconference half an hour ago."
Alan was suddenly concerned. "Was that the guy he was meeting with?" Tin-Tin nodded. "That's not like Dad to miss a meeting. Where is he?"
"I don't know Alan, that's why I asked you."
"Maybe Grandma knows, or Gordon. She's in the kitchen, so I'll ask her. I think Gordon's down in Thunderbird Four. Give him a buzz."
Ten minutes later they were back in the lounge, along with Gordon, their Grandmother and Brains. "Any sign of him?" Alan asked.
No one had seen Jeff Tracy.
"D-Did anyone check his room?" Brains asked.
"Second place I looked before I found you." Alan informed him.
"Has he left a note?" Gordon skirted the desk. The files for the meeting were present, but nothing else. He crouched down and checked underneath. Nothing. "Maybe he's said something to John."
But John hadn't heard from his father since a conversation the day before. "Do you want me to trace his watch?"
"Don't bother." Gordon held up the item in question. "He's left it on the desk. He only takes it off so he can keep track of the time during teleconferences, so he'd remembered that this one was coming up. So where's he gone?"
"Well we're not going to find him by just standing here." Mrs Tracy asserted.
They agreed and organised a search.
Half an hour later they were together again in the lounge. Their search of the immediate complex had drawn a blank.
"Forgive me for asking?" Kyrano said differentially. "But has anyone checked if the jet is still on the island?"
"But he wouldn't just fly off without letting anyone know." Gordon said.
"Yes, but has anyone checked?" Alan reiterated Kyrano's question. "I didn't." He looked around.
No one had.
Gordon sighed. "Alan, do you want to check? We'll try the house again."
"Okay." Alan left on his errand.