‘What do you think I’m gonna do?’ I blurt. ‘Text my way outofjail?’
My sarcasm does notsitwell.
‘You are arrested,’ Officer Leeland says sternly. ‘You do not get your mobile phone,capiche?’
I nod, willing my ratty temper to simmer down. Now is not the time to getsnappy.
With Officer Leeland looking at me expectantly, I realise that I don’t actually have a large pool of people to call. I’m in a different country after all. Then I get an image of Seth giving me his number in the hallway at Trickys this morning. He will help me! ‘Seth,’ I cry. ‘Call Seth. It’s in the contacts app,underSeth.’
‘You don’t say,’ Leeland deadpans, pulling up the number and tapping it into hislandline.
He passes the handset to me and I press it to my ear, my stomach flipping at a) the prospect of talking to Seth again after this morning’s kiss fest and b) having to tell him I’m in freaking jail. Very attractive. Olive. Not that Icareabout how attractive he thinksIam.
Except Itotallydo.
Olive Brewster, you are adamnfool.
Seth’s phonerings.
Andrings.
Andrings.
When it eventually disconnects, Ipanic.
‘He didn’t answer! My one phone call and he didn’t answer! He doesn’t even have avoicemail.’
And then, I can’t help it, I burst into tears. What the hell will I do now? I only get one phone call and he didn’t bloody answer!Ohdear.
‘Calm yourself, English!’ the officer says sternly. ‘It’s not true that you only get one phone call. That’s just in the movies. We’re not total monsters. Just call someone elsealready.’
A river of relief runs over me. But then it occurs to me… I don’t have anyone else Icancall. Birdie or Alex and Donna can’t do anything from the UK. And I don’t have Mrs Ramirez’snumber.
Officer Leeland is scrolling through my contacts list. ‘You don’t got manyfriends,huh?’
How rude. ‘I have friends,’ I say, blowing my hair out of my face. ‘I’mverywell thought of in Manchester,England.’
But the truth is I have a great friend. Birdie. And soonshe’ll…
Nope. Do not think about that. This is not the time to thinkaboutthat.
‘Anders von Preen?’ Officer Leeland snorts. ‘Sounds like a made-up name. You makin’ yourself up somefriends,kid?’
Anders! The hair-obsessed socialite ofGramercyPark…
Icouldn’t…
Could I? I’ve only met him once. And he was really verystrange…
But I don’t have manyoptionshere.
‘You want me to call someone or not,English?’
‘Call Anders von Preen,’ I instruct Leeland with afirmnod.
Sohedoes.
But to my dismay, Anders doesn’t answer either! Unlike Seth, though, he does have a voicemail facility on hisphone.
