Phoebe's Performance

The Cast

Chapter 18

The next day after our regular morning rendezvous, Otto and I are back in the car. Fool him. The cast is scheduled to come off at University College of London Hospital in Euston. Once again I'm behind the wheel of the brown bomb.

Otto's voice is hoarse from shouting directions and his face is deathly pale.

"Calm down," I retort. "You're going to upset my zen."

"I just don't understand why we couldn't have gone left at that set of traffic lights."

"We could have but if you gave me directions well in advance then I wouldn't have to swerve through traffic."

"You completely ignored my directions."

"I've done laps of the same area following your directions," I huff. "I thought I was safer reading the signs."

Identifying a free spot right near the hospital I press the accelerator with zest, racing another vehicle for it.

"Who would have thought you were the same girl who was previously in a horrific collision," Otto groans.

"Don't tempt fate." The other car beats us and I hit the steering wheel. "Bloody hell that spot was so ours."

"My God you're stubborn."

"Says you? He who won't let me drive his precious Ferrari. Don't talk to me about safety when we're driving your favourite car rather than a dream car."

He rolls his eyes and points through the dashboard at a spot past a set of traffic lights. "We're practically late," he fumes.

"But we're not late yet. Your Mum has been dialling my mobile phone constantly for the last fifteen minutes. Call her back would you? I also need to call my brother Jack."

"Well call Jack first. Should I put him on speaker phone?"

"Why not Annika first?" I cast him a fleeting glance and he stares momentarily out the window, gazing at the pedestrians.

"I don't want her hysteria," he finally says. "She's panicking that she won't get to the appointment in time; she's rushing from the airport."

If on cue my mobile phone sends a piercing noise through the car and Otto jumps into action, digging through my handbag in search for my phone as I race yet another car toward the spot Otto identified. I slow down as I approach the empty space, lean over Otto and squint and read the street sign.

"Drat! Not again," I curse. "It's a loading zone."

Otto's hand emerges from the depths of my handbag, I'm surprised the phone's still ringing. "Are you right to talk and drive?" he asks sceptically.

I refrain from rolling my eyes. "Answer it," I instruct and I press the accelerator, directing the vehicle round the block yet another time.

Otto holds the phone up in the air and there's a hiss and a crackle. "Phoebe?" It's Jack's voice.

Excellent. I needed to speak with Jack! Killed two birds with one stone.

"Jack!" I respond enthusiastically.

"I've spoken to Artie."

"So what did he say?" I pause. "By the way I'm in the car with my boss Otto."

"Hi Otto," Jack calls over the line.

"Hi Jack."

I glance over at Otto and suddenly feel disconcerted because he winks at me. What have I done? My brother is on speaker phone with Otto.