Monkey Business Read Free Page B

No details though.’
    â€˜No details.’ I nodded once, serious. ‘When do you want me to go?’
    â€˜Tonight.’

CHAPTER THREE
    Okay, so I told Lucy I was on a case for the Team and, yes, that was more than I’d intended saying, but it was easier if she knew I had something important to do. Otherwise she’d make me get drunk and dance. But Lucy is also sensible and trustworthy – she saved Jack’s life after all – so when she suggested we go in disguise, because it was an undercover thing, I agreed straightaway. Lucy arrived at my place looking exactly like Lucy.
    â€˜I thought you wanted to go in disguise,’ I said.
    â€˜I
am
in disguise. Do you ever see me in anything other than a nurse’s uniform?’
    Good point. ‘What have you got for me?’ I indicated the bag she was carrying.
    â€˜This!’ She whipped a wig from the bag. A straight, shoulder-length blonde one. It couldn’t have been more different to my unmanageable brunette mane.
    â€˜Why do you own a wig?’ I said.
    â€˜Remember when I had that nightmare haircut? I wore this until it grew out.’
    â€˜That’s right. I remember.’
    â€˜It’s a good wig.’
    And so it was. We looked like the Bobbsey Twins except I was a lot taller. I liked myself as a blonde.

    The plan was that Jack would be around. He was going to park somewhere nearby and we’d be in touch by phone. He was worried about me, I could tell, and I thought that was sweet.
    There was a long queue at the club. I shivered, hopping from foot to foot, rubbing my bare arms. I was dressed like a hooker because from what I’d seen – usually driving past on my way home from a movie or dinner – that’s how you were supposed to dress for a place like this. I was wearing a skirt that sat just under my bum, a strappy top and frighteningly high heels. Anyway, I knew I was wearing the right thing because every other girl in the line was dressed the same. Although mostly they looked a lot younger than me.
    My phone buzzed in my bag. A message from Jack:
Are you there yet? I’ve been looking for you
.
    I glanced around. Couldn’t see him. I messaged back:
In the q
.
    Where?
    Nr the back. I’m blonde!
I smiled when I thought about him reading that. Where was he? Sitting in a car somewhere with binoculars?
    Walk to the front of the queue, tell security your first names and he’ll let you in.
    I told Lucy and as we walked I messaged:
Ur sposed 2 abrev8.
I gave the guy our names and he let us in.
    Jack replied:
We’ve had this conversation. I refuse. And you look . . . Jesus, be careful.
    Now that made me smile. The zoo had been a fizzer. Not in a zoo sense but in a romantic sense. After our conversation beside the monkey den, with Jack showing me photos of the guy in question, we’d had our picnic, which could have led to something smoochy and nice, but all I could think about was my assignment, and I’d found I was checking my watch all the time, knowing I needed to call Lucy and go shopping for something to wear.
    Inside the club we elbowed our way through the crowd and my phone vibrated again. Another message from Jack, this time with a photo attached:
He’s just arrived.
    Okay, so now I knew what the guy was wearing. I looked around but didn’t see him.
    Lucy yelled, ‘Let’s have champagne!’
    â€˜I can’t. It’ll make me drunk and I need to be alert.’
    â€˜Spoilsport.’
    â€˜I’ll have beer,’ I said. ‘Jack’s buying our drinks, by the way.’
    â€˜Well, in that case I’ll have real champagne!’
    â€˜He’d expect no less.’ I handed her a fifty. Jack had given me three hundred dollars. I don’t know what the hell he thought I’d be doing with all that money.
    While she was at the bar, I saw the guy. He wasn’t hard to spot with his