It was like fingernails on a chalk board had erased the writing on the wall. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I planned to act cooler than a cucumber, and be twice as careful. Lemar thought he had an ace up his sleeve, but all bets were off. His Achilles Heel was that he was all thumbs, and I made sure all hand were on deck for what was about to go down. He had put all his eggs in one basket, and that's when all hell broke loose. I tried to tell him all that glitters isn't gold, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. There was no turning back. He'd cashed in his chips and sent me down the river. It seemed I was at the end of my rope when I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The answer to my problems spread out like a map before me, as clear as day. I knew what I had to do. It cost me an arm and a leg, but in no time I was free and clear. Lemar wouldn't get off as easy.
This meant war.
It was the 11th hour, and I had made it to the wharf as the crow flies. I had thought my partner was about as useful as a lead balloon, but he was there at the drop of a hat, and armed to the teeth. There were thugs as far the eye could see, but as luck would have it, they all seemed to be asleep at the wheel. Still, we were about to walk into the lion's den and I hadn't even told my partner the whole story. Quicker than a New York minute, I gave him the long and short of it, and when he saw the big picture, it sent him over the edge! He turned into a loose cannon! But we kept our heads, and went in, quiet as a mouse.
As we neared the office, I wondered if we had bitten off more than we could chew. But when I saw Lemar I knew I had to give it to him, both barrels. I thought we should take it by the book, but one look at my partner and I knew it was time to bring down the house.
The door burst open and I yelled, "Reach for the sky!" Lemar looked like he'd just seen a ghost, and rightfully so since I was back from the dead. "Looks like I caught you with your pants down Lemar. You've been burning the midnight oil, eh? Been busy as a bee. Well, the jig is up! It's time for us to bury the hatchet." Lemar was tense; he knew his back was against the wall.
"Listen, Monroe, you got it all wrong--"
"Save your breath."
"We can get you back in the saddle in no time!"
"Are we really going through the same old song and dance, Lemar? You left me for dead! But now I've seen the light. I see which way the wind blows, and I don't need any more skeletons in my closet. Say your prayers."
And that's the way the cookie crumbled. I wasn't gonna string him along. I needed to be short, sweet and to the point. Get in and get out. My partner and I made quick work of the wharf, and got the hell out of Dodge. You tend to stick out like a sore thumb with blood on your hands, but I felt like my hands were clean. I rode off into the sunset with my head held high. My work there was done.