Play to the End by Robert Goddard Page B

Toby," he said through a mock smile. "And fuck you."

    "I'm sorry about last night, Brian," I responded.

    He stared at me, then cupped a hand round one ear. "Is that the end of the speech?"

    "What else can I say?"

    "You could try telling me your absence was something I just dreamt; that your unexplained, unannounced, utterly inexcusable failure to do what we pay you to do and pay very generously at that was merely a figment of my imagination."

    "Fraidnot."

    "Alternatively, you could offer what I personally suspect you're not going to be able to concoct: a decent excuse for letting us all down.
    Or, failing that, maybe you could just try the truth, Toby. Yes. On balance, I'd favour that."

    "It was a personal matter, Brian. A critical situation. I had no choice but to be somewhere else."

    "Are you going to tell me what this critical situation was?"

    "No. But it's over now. Permanently resolved. You have my word on that."

    "A word from you is what I'd have welcomed yesterday afternoon, Toby. A word of warning that you were going to run out on us."

    "I warned Denis."

    "You don't work for Denis. You work for Leo. And as Leo's representative, I was entitled to an explanation."

    "Yes. Like I say, I'm sorry. I don't expect to be paid for last night's '

    "You won't be, believe me. In fact' he tossed his head and gave the railing a thump with the heel of his hand "Leo was all for laying you off for the rest of the week. I talked him round in the end, not because I was anxious to go easy on you, quite the reverse, but '

    "Because you'd sell fewer tickets."

    "Yes," Brian reluctantly agreed.

    "Which Leo would have been quick enough to realize himself once he'd stopped spitting nails. I do understand. We're locked in a commercial embrace." As grovelling went, this sounded defiant even to my own ears. I tried at once to soften the message. "I'll give it a hundred per cent for the rest of the week."

    Brian sighed. "That's something, I suppose."

    "It's the best I can do."

    "Just don! expect any offers from Leo in the near future."

    "I won't."

    Brian frowned at me. Good-hearted fellow that he basically is, he'd worked off his anger, leaving space in his mind for gentler thoughts.
    "You're not in any kind of trouble, are you, Toby?"

    "None you can help me with."

    "What's that supposed to mean?"

    "I don't know." I summoned a smile. "Generalized mid-life crisis.
    Plus pending divorce from a woman I'd very much like to stay married to. Troubles enough, without pissing off one of the West End's leading impresarios for good measure."

    "You said it." Brian pondered my litany of woes for a moment before continuing. "Does this have anything to do with Jenny? I gather she lives in Brighton now."

    "So she does."

    "And?"

    "And nothing. Tell me how the show went .. . without me."

    "Since you ask, Denis rose to the challenge magnificently. He turned in an excellent performance."

    "Maybe I did him a favour, then."

    "Maybe. But let's be clear. This was a one-off. Any repetition .. .
    and I couldn't answer for what Leo might do."

    "There'll be no repetition."

    "Officially, it was twenty-four-hour flu."

    "I've recovered ahead of schedule, then."

    "Just make sure there isn't a relapse. I'd like you at the theatre early tonight. Let's say six thirty."

    "Fair enough."

    "Until then .. ."

    "Yes?"

    "Stay out of critical situations."

    "I'll be sure to."

    "OK." He began a tentative jog on the spot. "You should take up running, Toby. It might help with those troubles."

    "I'll think about it."

    "See you later, then." He turned and started off towards Hove.

    "You will," I shouted after him.

    My evening performance as James Elliott was in truth the only certainty in the day that lay ahead of me. Last night, light-headed after whisky on an empty stomach and overtired to boot, I confidently asserted that I'd prise my way into Roger Colborn's secrets in the hope of finding some that would sour Jenny's relationship with him. Easier