Tell No Tales

Bill develops a sting against an old friend that's gone bad 300 words

Tell No Tales

"Stop lying to me,"Earl shouted.

"I'm not!" Bill shouted back.

"How do I know that," Earl said more calmly.

"How long you known me? Have I ever lied to you?"

Earl thought.

"Only when I asked you to."

"Did you ask me to lie about this?"

"I didn't."

Bill stared at Earl. Earl stared back. Then abruptly, he stepped toward him and held out his hand. Bill took it and shook it.

"Now, tell me what happened again."

Bill told him once more the story of what happened the night before. Earl listened closely.

"So, you're saying that the cops were there before you were?"

"Yep, I spotted them right off. That's why I hightailed it away from there as quietly and quickly as I could. I have no idea how they got onto our plans, honest!"

"I think I do. Did you tell that broad you been seeing?"

"No!"

"She never heard you making plans or anything?"

Bill began to shake his head no, but hesitated. Earl whistled and one of his henchmen came through the door with Bill's girl, tied and gagged to a chair. He set it down and left, closing the door behind him.

Bill stepped forward. Earl drew a gun.

"I want the truth!" he said as he pointed the weapon at the woman's head.

A knife winged its way toward Earl with deadly accuracy, hittng him in the heart. As he dropped, Bill was untying and ungagging his girl.

Bill radioed the police and simply held his girl until they came.

"Thanks for helping me, Patrol woman Codex. Sorry you had to put up with all this hassle," Bill said as the place was swarmed by cops.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world," she said with a grin.