Free Playing James by Sarah Mason Page B

first and then mine. 'It was nice to meet you, Holly. Again. I mean on a non-professional basis.'
    James Sabine and I walk towards the car.
    'So last week wasn't just a one-off, I take it?' he asks.
    'I'm in there more than most. I'm just accident-prone.' I grin inanely, buoyed up by Dr Kirkpatrick.
    'Terrific,' he mutters.
    We zoom away from the hospital and I ask, 'So, what do you think?'
    Til send uniform down to question the staff. They might have been involved. And I want to see your copy before it goes into the paper. I don't want you cocking this enquiry up.'
    'You've already made that perfectly clear.'
    'Well, you know reporters. However often you say something, they always think they hear something else.'
    We stop for coffee en route to the police station. James Sabine goes into a café to get a takeaway, after grudgingly asking me if I would like one. I sit in the car and wait for him but the radio is talking to me. It keeps on talking to me. Is this like a sub-section of rule one (that's where I'm not allowed to talk to anyone)? On the other hand, he might be cross if we miss something.
    It's still talking to me.
    I tentatively press a button and say, 'Hello?'
    'Is that unit seventeen?' it says fuzzily.
    'Er, maybe.'
    'You're the reporter, right?' There are big pauses between each reply.
    'That's me!'
    'Where's unit seventeen?'
    'Er, gone for coffee.'
    'Tell unit seventeen there has been a code five at eleven Hanbury Road.'
    'Yep, will do, er, ten-four,' I say, lapsing into TV crime-show speak.
    My first radio call! I am so excited! James Sabine gets back into the car and hands me a steaming and welcome cup of coffee. I take it from him and say, 'We've just had a call on the radio!'
    'We have not had a call,
I
have had a call, and what are you doing answering the radio? What was rule number one again? Don't. Talk. To. Anyone. And what the hell were they doing talking to you over the radio? It's supposed to be classified!'
    I think I will wait until he has had some caffeine before I say anything more. I sip my coffee and stare determinedly out of the window. I can feel him looking at me.
    'Well? What did they want?' he asks impatiently. I quell my childish urge to ask what the magic word is.
    'They said there was a code eleven at five Hanbury Road.'
    'A code eleven? Oh shit! Drop the coffee! Drop it! Out of the window!'
    Our first call! Oh my God! We're on our way, the siren is blaring, we're ducking and diving in and out of traffic. Whoaaa! We just took out a traffic cone! This is fantastic! People are moving to one side as we … A tiny thought filters through my consciousness. Do you think that was …? I flip my brain back to the ride but the feeling of discomfort persists until the thought finally surfaces. It wasn't code eleven, was it? Do you think the number bit is important? Do I tell him now? I say, in a really, really small voice, quite hoping he won't hear me, 'Er, Detective Sergeant Sabine? It wasn't code eleven. It was code five.'
    'WHAT?!'
    I'm in the queue at McDonald's to order some more coffee. He was pretty annoyed. I might have to introduce him to the fruit and veg swearing system. He practically had a whole guide dog going there.

Chapter 6
    O ne of the smaller prerequisites of the arrangement between the Chief and my paper is that I keep Robin completely abreast of all the diary's developments. So with this in mind, I drop by her office at lunchtime. We walk down the now-familiar route to the canteen together to collect a sandwich.
    'Can I have a tuna, no mayonnaise, on focaccia with rocket leaves please?' she snaps out to the lady behind the counter, fixing her with a stare that you could slice a ten-inch piece of steel with. 'What would you like, Holly?' Robin asks.
    'Just a tuna sandwich, thanks. However it comes.'
    We sit down at one of the Formica tables and await our sandwiches. While we wait, Robin asks; 'So, how has your first day gone?'
    'OK.' I tell her about the radio incident and she