| Written by Richard S Levine / Artwork by Holly Eddy |
| Liar |
Snake looked up to see the sign above the door read “Curt’s Lie Bar.” Because city officials frowned
upon the shady, yet legal, practice of betting on lies, the saloon did business in a dilapidated historical
area south of downtown.
Snake had never lied for money before, but she needed the cash. She stepped closer to the entrance.
A voice activated. “What’s your name?”
She replied, “Snake Preston.”
“Are you over twenty-one?”
“Yes.”
A wide beam of light shot out from above the door and highlighted Snake’s face.
“The Unbeatable Lie Detector is evaluating your response.”
This professional grade lie detector, with advanced brain scan technology, was supposed to be one
hundred percent accurate. That made her nervous, since she had only ever tested on her less sensitive
portable unit.
She was tall and sharp for an eighteen year old, but she still had childhood self doubts to conquer. Her
adopted parents wouldn’t tell her anything about her birth parents. Besides making money, she hoped
to find her biological father in the bar.
A few seconds passed. “Reply validated. Would you like to open an account with us?”
“Sure.”
“Please place the money in the slot or enter your banking identification.”
Snake grabbed cash from her back pocket and slid a few fresh fifties into the slot.
The machine responded. “One hundred and fifty deposited. You may enter now.”
She gritted her teeth, flung the door open, and walked in as if she owned the place. There were several
tables scattered around the room. Two women, one with heavy makeup and the other with bags under
her eyes, were seated near the door. Men filled the rest of the place. Not one looked younger than
twenty-five.
A huge man with a cowboy hat stood up, carried his drink, and walked away from the stainless steel bar.
He approached Snake near the door and spoke with a touch of Texas southern. “How’d you get in here
little darlin’?”
“What’s it look like? I walked in.” Snake shrugged. She noticed another man at the table next to her. He
was thumbing his digital wallet.
“You all don’t look over twenty-one.”
“The computer at the door thinks so.”
The guy stood there scratching his head.
The man at the table tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Curt, she’s here to see me.”
“Victor, is that right? A little young for you, isn’t she?”
“It’s not like that. She’s my daughter.”
Snake took a step back. She wasn’t sure what to make of Victor. Is he my biological father?
Curt eyed her. “Is he your dad?”
“Yep.” She wanted to get rid of Curt.
“All right. The detector let you in. Enjoy yourself.” He turned and went back to the bar.
Snake was happy to be rid of him, but Victor leaned up along side of her to whisper in her ear. “I know
your secret.”
Snake looked back at the door, but changed her mind. She was determined to earn the money she
needed. “What are you talking about?” Does he know I’m here to find my biological father? She took a
deep breath.
“We’re all just fakes here, but you’re the real thing. I only knew one other person in the world who could
beat the Unbeatable Lie Detector.”
Snake relaxed. “Who’s that? You? You lied about being my father.”
“I got lucky. Curt didn’t have the detector turned on me.”
“So now what?”
“Let’s make some money. Have you ever been to a Lie Bar?”
“No.”
“It’s easy. Just follow me and do what I do. You’ll learn.”
He walked over to the table near the door and grabbed a chair. Snake sat opposite him.
Victor started a conversation. “Good evening, ladies. Got a story for me?”
The woman with heavy makeup had a large tattoo on her arm that read “I lie for money.” The other
stared at Snake as if she were measuring her potential. She sat with the fingers of her right hand
stroking her cheek and said, “Sure, hon. I’ll be glad to take your money, ‘cause I’ve got six kids and a
husband to take care of at home. I bet ten.”
Victor stared into the woman’s face. He must have been looking for a twitch. The woman didn’t budge,
didn’t make a sound. He replied, “That’s a lie. I accept the bet.”
The woman smiled. A wide beam of light shot out from the center of the table and highlighted her face.
A female computer voice emanating from the table said, “Lecreta told the truth. Ten has been transferred
from Victor’s account.”
Snake wondered if Victor had lost on purpose.
Victor squirmed in his seat. “Can’t argue with the damned thing. It’s always right.” He was still looking at
Lecreta. “Pretty good. How about giving the girl a try?” He looked across to Snake.
Lecreta looked at Snake too. Then she had a private conversation with her friend. It took her a minute to
decide. Then she said, “Sure, doll. Tell us a story.”
To Snake, the game seemed simple enough. All she had to do was make something up. If the lie detector
couldn’t tell if she lied, it would always sound like the truth. “My mom’s sick, real sick. If I don’t leave
tonight with enough money to pay for her operation in the morning, she’s going to die. I bet fifty.”
Lecreta smiled a half smile, her lips parting just enough for her tongue to lick them moist. “That’s a lie. I
accept the bet.”
Seconds passed before the detector responded. “She told the truth. Fifty’s deducted from Lecreta’s
account and awarded to Snake.”
Lecreta looked at Victor. “At least I know she needs the money. Now move on, both of you.”
Victor stood up and bowed.
Snake didn’t bother to thank Lecreta. She quickly stepped away from the table. Her skill was proven, but
she still worried the detector might catch her.
Victor grabbed her by her arm and led her to the bar. They sat on red stools and he whispered. “I knew
you could do it. Remember, half that money’s mine.”
Snake pulled away from his grip. “What makes you think you deserve half?”
“I taught you how to play.”
“The game is easy. I don’t owe you anything.”
“If you don’t promise me half your earnings, I’m going to tell everyone here about your secret.”
Snake considered her options. She could leave with what she had earned already and never return, or
bet that he wouldn’t tell. Or else she could pay Victor to keep his mouth shut.
Victor tapped his fingers on the bar.
Snake looked up at the large flat screen televisions on the walls. The nightly news was playing on one
screen. She giggled when she saw a bunch of guys were gathered around betting on whether people on
the news were telling the truth or not.
Snake said, “You’ll get half, so long as you promise to answer some questions when we’re done.”
“What kind of questions?”
She sneered. “Nothing a dad couldn’t answer.”
Victor sat up straight. “Very funny. You’ve got a deal. Let’s hit another table.”
Snake looked around the room and spotted two guys, probably in their late twenties, celebrating a
recent win as an older man walked off with his head down. She pointed her finger. “That table. Let’s play
them.”
Victor followed her over to the table. Half way there, he grabbed her and said, “I know those two. They
almost never lose.” Then he managed a smile. “You can take them.”
One of the guys noticed her approach. He pulled out a chair and motioned for Snake to sit down. She
grabbed another chair instead.
Victor sat across the table from her. He spoke first. “You both know me. This is Snake. She wants to
play.”
The guy who had offered a seat spoke. “Hello Snake. I’m Bo and this is Baker. That’s his last name, but
it’ll do.”
Baker looked at her. He wasn’t just looking, he was scanning. His head went up, then down, then back
up again. Then he said, “Your eyes are different. You don’t react like anyone else I’ve ever seen.”
Snake noticed that Bo leaned over towards Baker and said something to him. She felt nervous. “What
does that mean?”
Bo replied. “Don’t mind him. He’s weird that way. Doesn’t mean a thing.”
Victor whispered in Snake’s ear. “Let them win the first one. Tell them an easy truth.”
Snake looked at Bo and said, “This is my first time in a lie bar. I bet fifty.”
Bo opened his mouth to speak, but Baker tapped him on the shoulder. Then Baker said, “That’s the
truth. I accept the bet.”
A woman’s voice from the table said, “Mr. Baker is correct. Fifty is deducted from Snake’s account.”
Snake frowned and looked over at Victor. He said, “I told you these guys are good.”
She impulsively turned back to face Baker. “Victor is my father. I bet one hundred and fifty.” Snake was
sure he would think that was a lie.
She didn’t know if it was a lie or not. No one else in the bar looked the right age or had any identifying
features. At least Victor had a Roman nose like hers, and he said he was her father.
Baker did his up-down scanning thing again. He fidgeted in his seat but didn’t take long to make his
guess. “She told the truth again. I accept the bet.”
“Snake told the truth. Baker wins one hundred and fifty.”
“Crap.” Snake banged her fist on the table.
Victor said, “Snake can use my account.” Then he whispered in Snake’s ear, “Well done. Now tell a really
obvious lie this time and bet big.”
The voice responded. “Confirmed. Snake will use Victor’s account.”
Snake smiled at Bo and sneered at Baker. She looked back at Bo and said, “I’ll be twenty-eight years old
tomorrow. I bet a thousand.”
Victor nodded.
Bo turned to Baker. Baker whispered something to him. They argued for almost a minute. Bo put his
hand over Baker’s mouth, shook his head, and turned back to face Snake. He said, “She lied. Victor’s
good for the money. I accept the bet.”
The voice said, “Snake told the truth. A thousand is deposited to Victor’s account.”
Victor said, “Transfer half to Snake’s account.” He stood up and motioned Snake to come with him.
Baker yelled at Bo, and then he turned his attention towards Snake. “You set us up. You can’t leave yet!”
She looked him in the eye and said, “Watch me.” Snake turned and followed Victor who was already
walking away from the table and straight towards the front door. She caught up to him before he left.
She said, “Where are you going?”
“I’ve had enough for one night. Five hundred each is a good night.”
“But I need almost a thousand.”
“You agreed to half. Remember?” Victor started towards the door again.
“Wait!” Snake stepped to Victor’s side and whispered in his ear. “You can’t leave until you’ve played a
round with me.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
Snake still whispered. “No, I’m not. You promised to answer some questions. If you don’t play, I’m going
to tell Curt you lied about me.”
Victor looked at the door. He might have been thinking of running. There was an empty table in the
corner of the room. He pointed at it and said, “Over there. Let’s get this over with.”
The moment they both sat down at the table, she said, “I hate you. I’ve hated you all my life. I bet fifty.”
Victor looked puzzled, but he stared at her angry eyes. He said, “This is too easy. I’m happy with half
the money. I know the computer will think you told the truth. I accept the bet.”
A woman’s voice from the table said, “Snake told the truth. Victor wins fifty.”
Victor stood up.
“Sit down! I said we’d play a round. That means it’s your turn to lie or tell the truth.”
Victor sat down. “We’re done after this, right?”
“Maybe. It depends on how long you take to tell me the truth.”
Victor looked at her for a long moment. He suddenly looked sad, defeated by a distant memory. “You’re
a lot like your mother. She could fool the detector too.”
“Could?”
“She got into trouble with the owners of a lie bar in the tough part of Chicago when they figured her out.
The next day, her body was found floating in a river.”
Snake felt like crying, but she didn’t want to share that moment with Victor. “Why did she give me up for
adoption?”
“Your mother was addicted to drugs. She was also addicted to lie bars, because that’s how she afforded
her habit. That wasn’t a life she wanted you to grow up in.”
“Did she ever think about me? Did you?”
“I’ve known about you for a long time, but I didn’t have the nerve to contact your adopted parents.
You’re my daughter, but I’ve never been a father to you. I bet four hundred and fifty.”
He was offering a gift, she knew that. Now, after so long not knowing him, Snake thought she might pity
him. “He told the truth. I accept the bet.”
The voice said, “Victor told the truth. Snake wins four hundred and fifty.”
She looked at Victor and forced a smile. “Thanks. I’m going now.”
“Please stay.”
“Maybe some other time.” Snake stood up and walked out the door. She didn’t look back.
~ * ~
Snake Preston came home late.
The dilapidated old home was the same as ever. Trashy on the outside, but on the inside it looked quite
comfortable and had a pleasant welcoming smell.
It was already well past Snake’s usual bedtime. Her mother looked worried.
“Where were you?”
“Mom, you know I love you, right? You’re my adopted mother, but you’ll always be mom to me.”
“Snake, what’s this all about?”
“Your brother told me he heard my biological father hangs out at Curt’s Lie Bar. I went there tonight to
talk to him.”
Snake’s mom seemed to be searching for words as she fiddled with the buttons on her robe. “My
brother should keep his big mouth shut. Did it go well?”
“I still hate him. Maybe I always will. At least I got the gift to fool the lie detector from my biological
mother. I won enough so we can take that vacation for your birthday.”
“That’s sweet of you, dear. But promise me you won’t go back to that lie bar. That’s not a nice place for
a good girl like you.”
Snake answered, “Don’t worry. I won’t go back.” She knew that might be a lie. She thought she might
go back sometime, at least to see Victor again.
| THE LORELEI SIGNAL |
Richard S. Levine has had short stories published in OG's
Speculative Fiction, Emerald Tales, Raygun Revival, The
Fifth Di, The Lorelei Signal, and other online and print
magazines.
To learn about Mr. Levine's e-books for purchase and his award
winning classic video game, "Microsurgeon", please visit
http://www.rickslevine.com.
Speculative Fiction, Emerald Tales, Raygun Revival, The
Fifth Di, The Lorelei Signal, and other online and print
magazines.
To learn about Mr. Levine's e-books for purchase and his award
winning classic video game, "Microsurgeon", please visit
http://www.rickslevine.com.