The Caller. Alex Barclay

yet. I’m going to get breakfast. Anyone need anything?’

      He took three food and drink orders and as he was getting out of the elevator, his cell phone rang. It was a number he hadn’t seen in over two years and had never deleted from his contacts: Anna (W).

      He frowned. ‘Anna?’

      ‘Do you know where she is?’ It was Chloe. Her tone had none of its usual confidence.

      Joe could not speak. Anna cannot be anywhere other than the W Hotel in Union Square. The number he had programmed into his phone that morning. Just in case.

      ‘What?’ he said. His hunger had gone, the void in his stomach now filled with something else.

      ‘I’m sorry. It’s Chloe here. Anna didn’t show up at the shoot this morning. I’ve been trying her cell, the home phone – nothing. I dragged your number out of some next-of-kin thing we had for her. I’m sorry to bother you—’

      ‘Whoa,’ said Joe. ‘What’s going on? I left her this morning and she was taking the subway to Union Square and everything was fine—’