Monkey Business by Kathryn Ledson Page B

text – 
Pls call Erica. Urgent.
I waited. And waited. Another hour. I needed to get ready to meet Lucy for breakfast. But should I be going for breakfast if Jack was missing in action? What else should I be doing?
    I opened the fridge door and stood there, not really seeing anything. Would JD do something?
I
needed to do something. What? Axle wanted to come in, Lucy was meeting me for breakfast at ten. Washing needed doing. The bathroom needed cleaning. Jack would be all right. Surely he would. This was what he was good at, whatever he was doing. Maybe he ended up taking the redhead and Mick Jansen after all. No, definitely not Mick Jansen.
    Another cup of tea and I turned on the TV, sitting on the sofa, flicking around the stations to see if there was anything on the news. On Channel 9 racial violence had turned Sydney into something unrecognisable. On CNN bullets rained down on American soldiers somewhere and I watched hard to see where it was and if anything rang a bell. Somewhere in the Middle East. Not where Jack would be. No. His mission was secret and this didn’t look very secret. Channel 7 reported on the recent flood of house break-ins. Great to know when you live alone. I flicked over to Foxtel. On
Bewitched
, Samantha kissed Darren goodbye as he left for work. Lucky Samantha – at least Darren would be coming home. I turned off the telly and put my face in my hands.

CHAPTER TEN
    I met Lucy on Bridge Road. The plan was to have breakfast and then head to Lucy’s to watch movies all day. Yesterday we’d scoured our favourite shops. We went to Ikea because Lucy loves it. I hate it. Well, I don’t hate it but I can’t
see
anything in there. My brain can’t process all the shapes and colours. I can’t see the difference between a bedroom and a living room. I get lost and panic that I won’t find my way out. I like Freedom Furniture, where all the blue cushions are together, all the pink ones, with clearly defined, colour-coded rooms. Jack wouldn’t go to either store. He probably goes to Italy to buy his furniture.
    I pushed my breakfast aside.
    â€˜So I’m thinking about getting it all cut off,’ said Lucy.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Are you listening to me? I said I’m thinking about getting my hair cut. Something radical.’
    â€˜You tried that and hated it.’
    â€˜I know.’
    Lucy ate. I didn’t.
    â€˜There’s nothing else you can do, you know,’ she said between mouthfuls of omelette.
    â€˜About what?’
    She sighed. ‘Jack. JD will call when he gets the message.’

    After breakfast I followed Lucy in my car to Hawthorn and we climbed the one flight to her apartment. Empty champagne bottles sat on the kitchen bench.
    â€˜Are those bottles still there from your Tupperware party?’ The memory of it made me feel sick.
    â€˜I’ve worked every day and night since. I’m thinking about getting a cleaning lady.’
    â€˜Why don’t we just take the bottles downstairs now?’
    â€˜Nah.’
    I sat at her kitchen counter. ‘Has my stuff come in yet?’ I said.
    â€˜Your Tupperware? Not yet. One of your things is on back order. I’ll let you know.’
    â€˜I forgot to order stuff for Mum.’
    â€˜Really? What did she want? I could probably add it.’
    â€˜I can’t find her list.’
    â€˜Call and ask her now,’ said Luce.
    â€˜You call her.’
    â€˜I’m not calling her.’
    â€˜Maybe she’ll forget,’ I said. ‘You know, I don’t even remember what I ordered for myself.’
    â€˜You ordered a lot of fabulous things and I’m getting a fantastic gift from Tupperware because of it.’
    I blew out a big sigh.
    â€˜Tea or coffee?’ she said, walking into the kitchen.
    â€˜I need more coffee.’
    Lucy put some cake on a plate.
    â€˜Luce, I think something really awful has happened to Jack.’
    She