Lemons Never Lie

'At the farmhouse?'

'Or possibly in the Rambler. That might be trickier to do, but it would more surely eliminate everybody.'

Morton frowned at the opposite wall. 'It makes sense,' he said. 'It really makes sense that way.' He looked at Grofield. 'I don't know what your part is in all this, but I'm glad you grabbed me out of it.'

'My motivations were selfish,' Grofield said.

Morton peered at him. 'You're after Myers.'

'I have a grudge against our friend Myers that goes back before you were born,' Grofield said.

'Well, I got a grudge against him, too.'

'As they say in bankruptcy court, get in line. And as they also say in bankruptcy court, they're isn't going to be much left by the time he gets to you. You want that bath now?'

'Yeah, thanks.'

Grofield got to his feet. 'It would be dumb to make me use the gun I have in my pocket.'

'Don't worry, I'm not gonna try to do anything.'

Grofield went over and squatted behind him and went to work untying the shoelace holding Morton's thumbs together. Morton, speaking over his shoulder, said, 'I could throw in with you. You could use a second man.'

'Not to insult you,' Grofield said, 'but I think I'll be better off on my own. Tough knot, this… There! Do the toes yourself.'

'Sure.'

Grofield sat down in the chair again, and watched Morton pick at the other lace. He said, 'Maybe I'm too suspicious, Perry, but I'm not going to trust you entirely. You can take your time in the bath, and afterward I'll loan you some dry clothes, but then I'm going to have to tie you up again and lock you in the closet while I get some sleep.'

'If I gave you my word-'

'I'd regretfully have to give it back. I have no use for it. Go take your bath, Perry.'

Morton had finished untying the lace holding his toes together, and now he got awkwardly to his feet. 'I'm in something over my head,' he said. 'I know I am. I won't give you a tough time. I don't know how you operate, but you don't have to kill me. I mean, I keep seeing in my mind you coming into the bathroom and holding my head under.'

'Don't worry,' Grofield said. 'I'm not a nut. Myers is the nut.'

Morton said, 'I mean, that crack I made about the piano salesman and like that-'

'To tell you the truth,' Grofield said, 'it didn't worry me. Go take your bath.'

5

Grofield parked the Chevy in the slot facing his motel room, picked up the paper bag from the seat beside him, and got out of the car.

The weather forecast had been on the button – rain ending by morning, a cool and cloudy day. The air was damp, with that post-rain chill that cuts right through clothing and flesh to strike at the bone, and the cloud- cover seemed low enough to reach up to from an attic window, but the rain had stopped, and that was the important thing.

The Do Not Disturb sign on the door had not been disturbed. Grofield unlocked the door, went into the room, kicked the door shut behind him, put the paper bag down on the writing desk, and went over to unlock the closet door. Morton was asleep in there, half- sitting and half-lying on the floor, head nestled on Grofield's empty suitcase. The clothing Grofield had loaned him was a little too large, and made him seem more rumpled than necessary.

Grofield leaned down and rapped his knuckles on Morton's knee. 'Rise and shine, Perry,' he said. 'It's tomorrow.'

Morton started, opened his eyes, looked around in momentary panic, saw Grofield standing over him, and relaxed as memory returned. 'I couldn't figure out where I was,' he said, and rubbed a hand over his face. Since it had turned out the closet door could be locked from the outside and couldn't be unlocked again from the inside, Grofield hadn't bothered to tie him up any more.

'Come on out,' Grofield said. 'I got us some breakfast.'

'What time is it?'

'Almost noon. Check-out time here is twelve, time for you and me to get moving.'

Morton got stiffly to his feet, and suddenly sneezed. 'I'm coming down with something,' he said.

'Probably,' Grofield agreed. 'Use the bathroom if you want. But don't take too long, I've got coffee here. You'll want it before it gets cold.'

'I'm stiff all over,' Morton said. He went off to the bathroom, walking like an old man.

Grofield called after him. 'Your stuff is hanging up in there. It's dry now, change into it. I've got to pack.'

'All right.'

Grofield went over to the writing desk and took the things out of the paper bag. Two containers of