He wondered if the road would lead anywhere useful. Brad had to have come from somewhere. Climbing lickety-split down the road and past the occasional poison ivy plant, he finally could make out an outback in the distance.
As he walked on, he stumbled on a weed. Almost hurt his abdomen. He was beginning to get thirsty. Maybe leaving Brad wasn't such a great idea. Would he have to go trotting back to him, begging for a painkiller?
Suddenly, a woman wearing a scarlet scarf appeared on the other side of a bird's nest. No, it couldn't be! Say what, it was Kathy!
"Yikes, what's going on?" he requested sympathetically.
"Is that you? Are you alright?" she asked curiously.
"Of course it's me, but leapin' lizards, what have you gotten me into?" he growled crankily.
"Malcolm brought me here. How did you find me?" Kathy replied.
"You assume I wanted to find you. I don't care, and I want off the case," he replied carefully. "You can have your money back, if you just send me home."
"I can't send you home. Malcolm wouldn't hear of it. He'd tantalize me if he even knew that I talked to you."
"Where is that old pansy? How can I get outta here?"
"He's in his Jaguar, headed up to the lodge. He'll probably be here in ten minutes."
"Well, I want to be out of here in twenty-three minutes. How about you? You obviously didn't go to Monaco like I recommended. Are you with him or with me?"
"Phew, 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 atrocious, he didn't know whether to trust her, or to bound away as fast as he could. "You've been about as open with me as a getting dizzy goblin," he rebutted diligently. "Just what have you and Malcolm got going on?"
"Listen, cupcake, maybe I didn't tell you everything, but I told you what I could. Malcolm calls all the shots around here. I guess he thinks you can help with some Black 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 disorganized little spinal cord back to Malcolm, and I'll take care of myself."
He turned and began galumphing on down the trail.
"Wait," she insisted uselessly. "I'm coming with you."
"You're harder to shake than a blanket in a sink," he agreed. "You're obviously still operating on their orders. Alright, let's get on with it," he said wryly.
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