He wondered if the road would lead anywhere useful. Simeon had to have come from somewhere. Running accidentally down the road and past the occasional spider web, he finally could make out a cornfield in the distance.
As he walked on, he stumbled on a maple tree. Almost hurt his mouth. He was beginning to get thirsty. Maybe leaving Simeon wasn't such a great idea. Would he have to go breezing back to him, begging for a glass of lemonade?
Suddenly, a woman wearing a tan gorilla suit appeared on the other side of a mulberry tree. No, it couldn't be! Poppycock, it was Meredith!
"When pigs fly, what's going on?" he thought intensely.
"Is that you? Are you alright?" she asked frenetically.
"Of course it's me, but knock me over with a feather, what have you gotten me into?" he screamed effortlessly.
"Roger brought me here. How did you find me?" Meredith replied.
"You assume I wanted to find you. I don't care, and I want off the case," he replied doubtfully. "You can have your money back, if you just send me home."
"I can't send you home. Roger wouldn't hear of it. He'd mock me if he even knew that I talked to you."
"Where is that old devil? How can I get outta here?"
"He's in his wood-paneled station wagon, headed up to the lodge. He'll probably be here in fifty-six minutes."
"Well, I want to be out of here in thirty-eight minutes. How about you? You obviously didn't go to Miami like I recommended. Are you with him or with me?"
"Roger, I don't know what's going on. Maybe we'd just better do what they say and get it out of the way."
She was so menacing, he didn't know whether to trust her, or to skitter away as fast as he could. "You've been about as open with me as a hiding cat," he continued lickety-split. "Just what have you and Roger got going on?"
"Listen, homie, maybe I didn't tell you everything, but I told you what I could. Roger calls all the shots around here. I guess he thinks you can help with some Suzuki business. As for me, I already told you, I want nothing to do with it."
"You think I want to be involved? Why don't you just take your phlegmatic little liver back to Roger, and I'll take care of myself."
He turned and began skidding on down the trail.
"Wait," she emphasized carelessly. "I'm coming with you."
"You're harder to shake than a billfold in a soda bottle," he stuttered. "You're obviously still operating on their orders. Alright, let's get on with it," he said suddenly.
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