Diane and Craig’s faces immediately switch into sad sympatheticexpressions.
‘How awful.’ Diane frowns, pressing a manicured hand to herchest.
‘Yep. It is,’ I say, stealth tears popping into my eyes.Go away, tears! You are not welcome!I carry on. ‘Birdie’s American. She was born and raised in Manhattan, but now she lives in England. Manchester, actually. She asked me to come to New York to deliver a letter.’ I hold up Birdie’s letter and wave it a little, discreetly fanning myself at the same time. ‘She wants me to give it to a man she lost touch with long ago. His name is Chuck Allen and he was the love of her life.’ I frown slightly. ‘Chuck Allen. That’s AllennotEllen.AL LEN.’
Craig gives a little snicker of mirth at my spelling. I don’t care. I’m not chancing another Chimes Investments wrong Chuckscenario.
‘And why doesBertie—’
‘Birdie. BirdieLively.’
‘Why does Birdie want to find thismannow?’
‘She… she hasn’t got long left.’ My voice shakes. ‘And she’s been thinking a lot about her life and her past. Chuck was her Big Sexy Loveandshe—’
‘Sorry?’ Craig interrupts with a slight frown. ‘BigSexyLove?’
I grin, fiddling with the corner of the letter. ‘That’s what Birdie calls epic love. We used to talk about one day finding our Big Sexy Love – the greatest love known to humankind. I guess it’s kind of a private joke typething…’
Craig nods, looking slightlybefuddled.
‘…And she wants me to deliver this letter,’ I tap a finger to the envelope, ‘so that Chuck can know how she truly felt about him. She never told him when they were younger and she doesn’t want anyregrets.’
Diane puts a finger to her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face. ‘It certainly seems a long way to travel to deliver a letter! Is Chuck not on social media? Can she not reach him on thetelephone?’
‘Chuck is not on social media. Trust me, I’ve searched, she’s searched. He iselusive.’
‘Not on social media? He sounds like he might be in Brooklyn!’ Craigchuckles.
‘We’ve looked everywhere, handed out leaflets, posted online, offered a reward like inAnnie, visited his last-known locations. But we can’t find him. And I have to leave in a few days. Birdie’s having kidney surgery next Monday and I need to be back before that. So it’s… well, it’s prettydesperate.’
‘That sounds very risky,’ Craig says. ‘A surgery when she is already sounwell…’
I bite my lip. It does sound risky. It isrisky.
‘Are you scared?’ Craig says, leaning closertowardsme.
‘Yeah.’ I nod. ‘Not as scared as Birdie,probably.’
I think of my friend. Her big eyes, her mischievous grin, her filthy laugh, her sweet, kind, failingheart.
I only realise I’m full-on crying when Diane hands me a box of tissues. Craig gives me a satisfied smile and I get the feeling it was his intention to makemecry.
A spark of anger flickers in my chest. This isn’t a game. This isn’t TV fodder. This isserious.
I fiercely wipe my tears away and when Craig starts talking I gather up all of my courage to interrupt him. I turn and look directly into the camera even though Terri told me to definitely notdothat.
‘Chuck Allen, if you are out there, you better blummin' well get in touch,’ I say, quickly trying to keep my voice steady. ‘If anyone watching knows where he is, they can reach me by [email protected]!’
‘Um. Okay, there are the details!’ Diane says brightly. ‘Thanks for joining us Olive. And please give Birdie all ofourlove.’
That’s it? I did it?It’sdone?
I look around, expecting Terri to come and lead me off the set when Craig presses his hand to hisearpiece.
‘Olive… one of our researchers has just informed us that…’ he widens his eyes in glee, ‘…you are the Menace of Manhattan? That you were arrested for stealing a GramercyParkkey?’
‘That was you?’ Diane asks, her eyes squinting to get a closer look at me. ‘It is you! You were in theNew York Daily News!’ Her expression changes from one of pity to one of absolutedisgust.
