Knots

“Just before your friend Andy came up here,” Alturis said, peeling an apple with meticulous attention, “he shot and killed someone.  Did he tell you that?”

Meg watched the long, thin blade slice through the apple.  She then answered, “No.”

“Well he did,” Alturis replied.  His tone was no longer light.  “Even more unfortunate, that person happened to be my brother.”

Meg just looked at him.

“Apparently your Andy had never killed someone before," he continued.  "It disturbed him.  So he took a leave of absence and came here.  Which is where we found him.  And you,” Alturis added, as if it were impolite to not mention her place in his diabolical scheme.  “Bad information led me to—what was their name?—the Gergens or the Bourbons or whoever those old people were.  It’s hard to find good help nowadays.”

“I wouldn’t know," Megan returned.  Her eyes welled with tears, as an image of the Bergens bloodied and dead in their living room assaulted her memory yet again.  "I’m not in the market for henchmen.”

Alturis gave a little nod.  “And a good thing for you, too.”

“But that doesn’t explain what you want with me.”

“Doesn’t it?” he asked, smiling again.