‘I’m sorry,’ she says, arms folded. ‘The police will be here any moment now. They’ll know what to do with you. I knew you were a fake when you called us yesterday. Billionaires arenotdiscreet.’
‘You totally believed me,’ I snipe back, feeling very angryindeed.
‘Menace!’ someone in the crowdheckles.
‘Publicfiddler!’
‘Watch mepiddle!’
These Wall Street people are horrible! They are properly ganging up onme!Ugh!
Two cops, one female and a male, push through the little crowd, looking slightly bored andunimpressed.
‘What seems to be the problem here?’ the womanpolicemansays.
I peek at her badge. OfficerParker.
‘Officer Parker, there is an explanation for everything, I swear.’ I hold my hands up in innocence. ‘You’ve got to understand, these past few days have been a little tricky and everything isnotas itseems.’
‘Wait…’ the male cops says slowly, leaning forward to get a proper look at me. ‘I know you! You’re the Menace ofManhattan!’
‘We thought it was her,’ Lisa says superiorly. ‘We restrained her for you.’ She’s sucking up to the cops like a real goody-two shoes. I should introduce her to Donna, they’d got alonggreat!
‘I amnota menace!’ I protest. ‘I am Olive Maudine Brewster. Fishmonger. From Manchester. God, This stupid city! It’s been a nightmare from start to finish! I’m just trying to deliver a letter, that’s all! I’m just trying to help myfriend!’
Officer Parker grimaces. ‘We don’t take kindly to foreigners calling our city stoopid. New York is the best city in theworld.’
‘Yeah!’ the crowd agree. ‘GoKnicks!’
‘Actually it is not,’ I say, my temper now wildly out of control… ‘That’s so arrogant to say that. Have you been to all the cities? Have you? No. I bet youhaven’t.’
‘Miss, did you expose yourself inGramercyPark?’
‘No! I was hitching mytights.’
‘Did you steal mail from a public mailbox on 106thStreet and West EndAvenue?’
‘No! I accidentally posted a very important letter. This letter!’ I wave Birdie’s letter in the air. ‘I was just trying to get it back! Please. I really need to go. I have a flight at 3 a.m. and I really need to findaman!’
‘Don’t we all,’ Fake Chuck mutters to himselfwistfully.
‘Miss, did you steal a Gramercy Park key?’ the maleofficerasks.
Shit. I did do that. I could deny it but… That key is in my satchel right now. Wait… is it in the bum bag at home? Argh! What if they search me? Take all of my private belongings out of my bag one by one, in front of all of the eighty-fourth floor Chimes Investments. I can’t have that happen. Oh god. There’s a joint in there. Phyllis’s joint! They can’t find that. Maybe they’ll let me off lightly if I’m honest about the key. Cut meadeal.
‘Yes,’ I say, looking down at my feet. ‘And I am truly sorry. I panicked. I can give it back to you right now. And then you have to let me go!Seriously!’
Officer Parker snorts. ‘We don’t have to do anything.’ She turns to the male officer. ‘Let’s bringherin.’
I look at the male cop’s badge – Officer Gallo. And I can only watch as – oh shit – he magics up a pair of handcuffs and before I can even protest he’s snapped them around mywrists.
‘Olive Brewster, you are underarrest.’
OceanofPDF.com
ChapterTwenty-Five
Text from Colin:Hey Olive! You didn’t reply to my last text. Is all okay? I am hung-over after the beach party, but it is very warm today. Poolside chill-out day,methinks!
