Free The Truth of the Matter by John Lutz Page B

as everything was wrapped. “Tell me,” he said, “where’s the best fishing around here?”
    “There’s Lake Manitoshi,” the clerk answered, busily fighting the rustling brown paper. “Then there’s the Great Horney River and Lake Chippewa about fifteen miles east of here.”
    “Where’s Lake Manitoshi?” Roebuck asked. “I think we’ll go there.”
    “It’s about five miles west,” the clerk said. “Good bass this time of year.”
    “Thanks,” Roebuck said, taking the wrapped packages. Ellie carried the rods and he took the tackle box.
    “You won’t regret buying that Wonder Worm!” the clerk called after them as they walked away.
    They got in the car, made a wide U-turn, and headed back the way they had come.

Part Two

1
    L AKE CHIPPEWA WAS more than Roebuck had expected. It was a large lake, with many coves, banked by hills of tall and full-branched trees. The water was a deep greenish blue, and there were a few motionless boats on it, with motionless fishermen. Some of the small boats were tied up at the bank across the wide lake, near cabins that could be seen here and there at the edge of the woods.
    “It’s beautiful,” Ellie said, as a stocky, red-faced man in a T-shirt walked toward them smiling. He was wearing an old gray hat covered with fishing flies. As he got closer Roebuck noticed a spotted dragonfly like the two he’d just bought.
    “They all say that,” the red-faced man said with a wider grin. “It sure enough is a pretty spot. I’m Hobey. Can I help you folks?”
    “We’d like to see a cabin,” Roebuck said.
    “Sure enough. Just the two of you?”
    Roebuck nodded.
    “If you get in your car an’ follow me in the jeep,” Hobey said, “we can scoot right over to the best cabin on the lake. Just vacated yesterday mornin’.”
    “Lead the way,” Roebuck said.
    It was a small pine cabin, with a kitchen, a comfortable-looking bed and, to Ellie’s delight, a real fireplace.
    “Ain’t too fancy,” Hobey said. “But then the price ain’t either.”
    “How much?” Roebuck asked.
    “Fifty dollars a week suit you folks?”
    “Suits us fine.”
    “How long you gonna be stayin’ with us?”
    “About two weeks,” Ellie cut in.
    Roebuck made no objection. “We’ll pay in advance,” he said, “if it’s all right with you.”
    “I’ll make you folks out a receipt,” Hobey said with a smile. “What’s the name?”
    “Watson,” Roebuck said without hesitation. “Mr. and Mrs. Lou Watson.” He drew ten ten-dollar bills from his wallet as Hobey scribbled on a yellow piece of paper.
    “Hope you folks enjoy your fishin’,” Hobey said, handing the receipt to Roebuck and slipping the ten bills in his breast pocket without bothering to count them.
    Roebuck and Ellie walked with him back to his jeep.
    “You folks done much fishin’ around here?”
    “No,” Roebuck said, “mostly up north. Michigan, Canada.”
    “Say,” Hobey said, “I’d like to go to Canada.”
    “It’s great fishing,” Roebuck said. “I caught one of the biggest catfish on record there. Had to fold it to get it into the trunk of the car.”
    “It was a little sports car,” Ellie said.
    Hobey laughed. “Still big enough.” He pointed to various parts of the wide lake. “Over there near them dead trees is where they been gettin’ a lot of bluegill; over there by them boats they’re fishin’ for bass and carp; your catfish you’ll find in the channels and coves. We got some pretty good-size trout, too. That green rowboat tied up down their goes with the cabin.”
    “Thanks,” Roebuck said.
    Hobey squinted at them. “What kind of bait you folks usin’?”
    “I had great luck with the Wonder Worm up north,” Roebuck said. “Caught a nine pound bass with it last summer.”
    “Say,” Hobey said, “that’s a bait they use a lot around here this summer. Guess it takes a while for the word to get around.”
    Roebuck smiled. “I guess it does.”
    “Well, catch some big