Coral Sea Affair

by Drew Lindsay

Brenda pulled her eye shades off and looked across the aisle at Elizabeth. ‘I can’t sleep.’

  ‘I told you to take a pill when we left LA.’

  ‘I hate sleeping pills.’

  ‘And I hate you waking me up every half hour telling me you can’t sleep.’

  Brenda pulled the Qantas blanket up over her face. ‘Why can’t they invent planes that fly faster, like put more engines on them or something?’

  ‘Well they have but in those, you wouldn’t be sitting in a huge luxury seat like yours, sipping champagne and eating three course meals with silver service.’

  Brenda pulled the blanket down and stared at her companion. ‘You making fun of me?’

  ‘You want to fly faster, then join the air force and fly a combat jet. The pilot has a seat that straddles very big engines. No silver service. No toilet either come to think of it.’

  Brenda pulled the blanket back over her face. ‘How long to go?’

  ‘You sound like a 12 year old.’

  ‘How long?’

  ‘I think we just passed Vanuatu, so about 3 hours into Sydney.’

  Brenda groaned. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Our time or Sydney time?’

  ‘Sydney time. I have no idea what our time means any more. I can see light around the blind.’

  ‘5 am or something. They’ll be putting the lights up soon baby. Why don’t you read a book or watch some video?’

  Brenda was quiet for some time. Finally she slipped the blanket off her face again. ‘How are we going to find him?’

  Elizabeth dropped the book she was reading. ‘I knew it.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You are serious about trying to meet up with that damn Detective.’

  ‘So?’

  Elizabeth sat back and clasped her hands over the top of her head. ‘How many emails, letters, gift boxes, courier deliveries and Lord knows what do you get each week Brenda?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Of course you don’t know because we don’t show you most of them. There are a lot of twisted people out there. I’m sorry I ever showed you that email.’

  ‘Then why did you?’

  Elizabeth was silent.

  ‘Liz?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she snapped back.

  Brenda stared across the aisle at her friend. Elizabeth avoided her gaze for a few moments and then turned to face her. ‘What?’

  ‘I’m asking the questions here. Why?’

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. ‘He sounded a bit different to the others.’

  ‘Crap.’

  ‘What do you mean, crap? He sounded different.’

  ‘He got to you, didn’t he?’

  ‘NO!’

  A passenger in the seat in front of Brenda, leaned out and looked back down the aisle.

  ‘He didn’t get to me at all,’ she whispered. ‘Now shut up.’

  ‘You told me you were off men for good. I even thought you might be turning…..you know?’

  ‘Turning?’ Elizabeth picked up her book and pretended to read.

  ‘You know….?’

  Elizabeth dropped the book again and glared at Brenda. ‘Gay? You saying I’m gay!’

  ‘Shhhh.’

  ‘For your information Miss movie star; I’m not gay. Have I ever come onto you?’

  ‘You’re paid to protect me.’

  ‘Have I ever tried to come onto you?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then shut up. I wish I’d never seen that email.’

  The two were silent for a while.

  Brenda pulled the blanket over her face again. “How long before we land?’

  ‘I swear Brenda. I’m going to kill you.’

  “****”

  Chapter Eighteen