Shadow Walker

Missing

Fifty sols. It would be enough to buy a fortnight's groceries if he shopped in the about-to-go-stale section at the supermarket. If he was lucky, he might be able to scrounge some bread out the baker's waste bin, soak it in powdered milk and water, and make a pudding. If he was really lucky, he might be able to pull some wild blackberries from the brambles at Blackpoint lookout, so long as they hadn't been poisoned. Wait. No. It was too early for Blackberries.

He checked his Palm Pod and gave a sigh of relief. His pay had come in as well. Two hundred and sixty-five sols for two weeks' work. And Stanley had even included the remainder of his last shift. Maybe he'd had a flash of guilty conscience after Dec's outburst.

He tapped the screen and dragged the funds directly into the City Hospital account. A gentle ting and a notice of receipt flashed in his inbox, along with an invitation to bring Adele back for observation. He brought up Mel's number. Before he could hit connect, the LED backlight flashed with an incoming call. It was Mel.

"Hey," he said, descending the emergency stairs two at a time. "I was just about to call —"

"When did you leave home?" Mel said. He could tell from the tone of her voice, something was wrong.

He ducked under the exposed scaffolding and picked up his pace. "I didn't. I'm on my way home now."

There was silence on the other end.

"Mel?" he said. "What's wrong?" But he didn't catch her answer because at that moment, he rounded the corner of the new university building and saw Chook up ahead, getting out of his ute. "Shit," he muttered.

"Dec?" Mel said, urgency rising in her voice. "Are you even listening?"

Dec ignored her and increased his pace, heading for the street before Chook could bail him up. Too late.

"Fuck's sake," Chook said, blocking Dec's escape. He looked between Dec and Teegan's apartment. "You."

Mel spilled a stream of frantic words in Dec's ear, to which he ignored. "I'm going to have to call you back," he said.

"Wait! De—"

He hung up. By this time, Chook was within grappling distance, his expression taught.

"I walked her home. That's all," Dec said.

Chook looked him up and down. "You expect me to believe that?"

Dec took a step towards the road. Chook shoved him back onto the footpath. "Did you hear me?"

Dec held up his hands. His palm pod was alight with another call from Mel. He ignored it. "We had a cup of tea."

"If I find out you've fucked my girlfriend." He made a pulverising motion with his fist, grinding one hand into his other palm.

Dec knew what would come next if he said or did anything too ___TV worthy. "Do I look like I could pull off a quick tea and a fuck?" Dec gestured down at his baggy t-shirt, threadbare canvas shoes. "Don't flatter me."

Chook narrowed his eyes, and for a second, seemed as though he might go ahead with his threat to pulverise Dec's face. Then, his lip curled. "You're right. She'd never go for a dust collector like you."

He turned and sauntered towards the old science block, taking the rickety scaffolding stairs adjacent to the emergency stairwell to Teegan's apartment and her open window on the third floor. Dec watched him go, relieved to have forgone a beating in exchange for a rather interesting insult. Dust collector. He hadn't heard that one before. He had to give it to Chook, it was more creative than he'd expected from the grappler.