By Felipe Brenny
‘Alex, do you know what you have to do?’ I say as Alex continues to stare blankly at the tack board. ‘Alex.’ I raise my voice a little.
‘Huh?’ she responds.
‘Do you know what you have to do?’
‘Of course. Just trying to run it through my head, breaking into an estate’s pretty difficult, you know.’
‘Think about it while you drive. It’s a long trip.’
‘Fine, don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.’
‘Don’t worry about me, it’s just some meeting with an insider at June Corp. How bad could it–’
*
Be? Pretty bad. No other words could pop into my head as I saw a motionless man in an alley. He’s not dead, after all his heart’s still beating, but something’s not right. I check on the body, and all I find is a crumpled piece of paper. On it is a phone number and a message.
We should talk, Harry Monroe.
Damn, they even got my last name. Well, it’s not like I’ve got a choice. After all, this is the only lead I have, and if I don’t go through with it, then we may never solve the mystery. Heading over to the nearest payphone, I make a call and let it ring, and ring, and ring. Just before I hang up, someone picks up the phone, and I listen very carefully.
‘June Mason, who’s this?’ Damn it, the bastard himself is calling me. This could work in my favour though. In the background, there’s the sound of machinery, perhaps from a factory?
‘Harry Monroe,’ I reply. After all, it’s just a hunch, but playing along could lead us right to closing this case.
‘Ah, Harry Monroe. How very expected of you.’
‘It’s a piece of paper with a phone number, what else am I meant to do?’
‘Of course, but you could’ve just ignored it.’
‘I like to plunge into the hornet’s nest, Mr June.’
‘Please, call me Mason,’ he says.
‘No, Mr June. I think I’m perfectly happy calling you as is.’ But to say that Mr June was beginning to lose his patience is an understatement.
‘We should meet up, Mr Monroe.’
‘When and where?’
‘How about the June Corp building down on Albert Street? After all, it’s the closest to your dilapidated office. Let’s see, it’s nine thirty in the morning right now. Then let’s agree on a meeting at ten thirty?’
‘So the generous CEO gives me an hour. I’d thank you…’
‘But?’
‘Well, maybe I’ll tell you in person.’ I hang up the phone and stay in the booth. I feel like I’m cornered. On one end, I don’t have to go, but on the other, there really isn’t anything else to chase, and who knows when another clue will pop up. Of course, it’s a trap, but a trap is only useful when the enemy doesn’t know it’s there… I can prepare. Oh yes, I can prepare. Even if I wind up in something unexpected, it should all work out just fine.
Sorry, Alex, but I can’t just ignore this.
Author Bio
Hi, my name is Felipe Brenny (He/Him), and I am a third-year student at QUT studying creative writing. I have a passion for writing various kinds of fiction, and for my creative project unit, I am working on a dystopian novella, which I hope to complete after the unit. I enjoy playing a variety of video and board games, as well as reading books like “The King in Yellow” and “House of Leaves”.