He wondered if the road would lead anywhere useful. Jules had to have come from somewhere. Leaping steadily down the road and past the occasional stone, he finally could make out a beach in the distance.
As he walked on, he stumbled on an apple tree. Almost hurt his aorta. He was beginning to get thirsty. Maybe leaving Jules wasn't such a great idea. Would he have to go sailing back to him, begging for an Alka-Seltzer?
Suddenly, a woman wearing a violet dress appeared on the other side of a tree stump. No, it couldn't be! Teehee, it was Virginia!
"Drop dead, what's going on?" he complained suspiciously.
"Is that you? Are you alright?" she asked gracefully.
"Of course it's me, but suffering sassafras, what have you gotten me into?" he reasoned warmly.
"Luther brought me here. How did you find me?" Virginia replied.
"You assume I wanted to find you. I don't care, and I want off the case," he replied angrily. "You can have your money back, if you just send me home."
"I can't send you home. Luther wouldn't hear of it. He'd banish me if he even knew that I talked to you."
"Where is that old rat? How can I get outta here?"
"He's in his Hyundai Elantra, headed up to the lodge. He'll probably be here in thirty minutes."
"Well, I want to be out of here in fifty-seven minutes. How about you? You obviously didn't go to Washington DC like I recommended. Are you with him or with me?"
"Tarnation, 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 frantic, he didn't know whether to trust her, or to tramp away as fast as he could. "You've been about as open with me as a glowering hyena," he purred victoriously. "Just what have you and Luther got going on?"
"Listen, cutie-patootie, maybe I didn't tell you everything, but I told you what I could. Luther calls all the shots around here. I guess he thinks you can help with some Corona 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 queer little tooth back to Luther, and I'll take care of myself."
He turned and began leaping on down the trail.
"Wait," she interpreted haughtily. "I'm coming with you."
"You're harder to shake than a photograph in a canister," he vowed. "You're obviously still operating on their orders. Alright, let's get on with it," he said hopelessly.
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