someone might be following him had not occurred to Dennis, so he did not notice Chuck.
Dennis went into a restaurant and had dinner with two business associates. Sitting on a bench outside the restaurant, Chuck patiently waited. He enjoyed people-watching as hundreds of persons went in and out of shops along this popular shopping and dining district. Chuck made a brief phone call to Jenny as they coordinated their plans.
When he finally emerged from the restaurant, Dennis said good-bye to his two colleagues and strolled casually down toward the park that ran along the riverfront.
Dennis paused to look at a statue honoring Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their historic Lewis and Clark expedition that traveled along the Missouri River, going against the current the entire way.
There were a few fishermen scattered along the banks of the river. After looking at the Lewis and Clark statue, Dennis had strolled over to speak with one of the fishermen.
Chuck slowly walked toward Dennis. After he finishes his conversation with the fisherman, he will be alone, and it will be the perfect time to approach him, Chuck realized.
“I’m probably scaring off all the fish with all my talking,” Dennis told the older man to whom he had been speaking. “I’d better be on my way. Good luck with your fishing.”
The two men said goodbye, and Dennis wandered away from the riverbank toward a copse of trees. Now is my chance, Chuck thought as he walked rapidly toward Dennis.
“Hello, Mr. Sandhaven,” Chuck said. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
As Chuck’s right hand reached into his jacket, he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against his back.
“That hand better be empty as you take it out,” Marcus warned from behind Chuck. “Keep both of your hands at your side and walk slowly toward that tree.”
“Who are you?” Chuck asked.
“I am Marcus. Your boss might have mentioned me to you. I’m the guy that she hired before she hired you. I will be interested to hear what lies she told you.” Marcus reached into Chuck’s jacket and took Chuck’s pistol out of his shoulder holster. “You won’t be needing that gun.”
“I wasn’t reaching for the gun,” Chuck said calmly. “I was reaching for my identification in order to show it to Mr. Sandhaven. I did not intend to harm him.”
“Right. Tell me some other stories,” Marcus said.
“I’m a good storyteller,” Chuck said. “What story would you like to hear?”
“You’re Mister Funnyman. I actually don’t need any stories right now.” Marcus glanced over at Dennis. “Mr. Sandhaven, you did a good job drawing this guy out into the open.”
“Thank you for calling me when I was in the restaurant,” Dennis said. “And thank you for helping Fatima.”
“I’m glad to be of service.” Marcus returned his attention to Chuck. “Tell me, Mr. Funnyman, what is your real name?”
“My name is Charles Valentine.”
“Okay, Charles, besides killing people, what do you do for a living?”
“Is that what you think I’m here to do?”
It suddenly occurred to Marcus that this Charles Valentine was stalling. The idea occurred to him a moment too late to take action. Jenny had been moving swiftly and silently along the grass of the riverside park. Marcus had not heard her approach.
“Drop your gun,” she said as she pressed the barrel of her own gun against Marcus’s neck.
“What goes around comes around, I suppose,” Marcus said. He quickly calculated his odds of successfully knocking her gun aside without being shot. Even though he could move very fast, Marcus did not like the odds.
As if reading his mind, Jenny said, “I have never shot anyone, and I would prefer not to shoot you. It would be better for both of us if you drop that gun.”
“If you kill me, I will kill your friend,” Marcus said, keeping his pistol against Chuck’s back.
“He is my friend and my
Dennis went into a restaurant and had dinner with two business associates. Sitting on a bench outside the restaurant, Chuck patiently waited. He enjoyed people-watching as hundreds of persons went in and out of shops along this popular shopping and dining district. Chuck made a brief phone call to Jenny as they coordinated their plans.
When he finally emerged from the restaurant, Dennis said good-bye to his two colleagues and strolled casually down toward the park that ran along the riverfront.
Dennis paused to look at a statue honoring Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their historic Lewis and Clark expedition that traveled along the Missouri River, going against the current the entire way.
There were a few fishermen scattered along the banks of the river. After looking at the Lewis and Clark statue, Dennis had strolled over to speak with one of the fishermen.
Chuck slowly walked toward Dennis. After he finishes his conversation with the fisherman, he will be alone, and it will be the perfect time to approach him, Chuck realized.
“I’m probably scaring off all the fish with all my talking,” Dennis told the older man to whom he had been speaking. “I’d better be on my way. Good luck with your fishing.”
The two men said goodbye, and Dennis wandered away from the riverbank toward a copse of trees. Now is my chance, Chuck thought as he walked rapidly toward Dennis.
“Hello, Mr. Sandhaven,” Chuck said. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
As Chuck’s right hand reached into his jacket, he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against his back.
“That hand better be empty as you take it out,” Marcus warned from behind Chuck. “Keep both of your hands at your side and walk slowly toward that tree.”
“Who are you?” Chuck asked.
“I am Marcus. Your boss might have mentioned me to you. I’m the guy that she hired before she hired you. I will be interested to hear what lies she told you.” Marcus reached into Chuck’s jacket and took Chuck’s pistol out of his shoulder holster. “You won’t be needing that gun.”
“I wasn’t reaching for the gun,” Chuck said calmly. “I was reaching for my identification in order to show it to Mr. Sandhaven. I did not intend to harm him.”
“Right. Tell me some other stories,” Marcus said.
“I’m a good storyteller,” Chuck said. “What story would you like to hear?”
“You’re Mister Funnyman. I actually don’t need any stories right now.” Marcus glanced over at Dennis. “Mr. Sandhaven, you did a good job drawing this guy out into the open.”
“Thank you for calling me when I was in the restaurant,” Dennis said. “And thank you for helping Fatima.”
“I’m glad to be of service.” Marcus returned his attention to Chuck. “Tell me, Mr. Funnyman, what is your real name?”
“My name is Charles Valentine.”
“Okay, Charles, besides killing people, what do you do for a living?”
“Is that what you think I’m here to do?”
It suddenly occurred to Marcus that this Charles Valentine was stalling. The idea occurred to him a moment too late to take action. Jenny had been moving swiftly and silently along the grass of the riverside park. Marcus had not heard her approach.
“Drop your gun,” she said as she pressed the barrel of her own gun against Marcus’s neck.
“What goes around comes around, I suppose,” Marcus said. He quickly calculated his odds of successfully knocking her gun aside without being shot. Even though he could move very fast, Marcus did not like the odds.
As if reading his mind, Jenny said, “I have never shot anyone, and I would prefer not to shoot you. It would be better for both of us if you drop that gun.”
“If you kill me, I will kill your friend,” Marcus said, keeping his pistol against Chuck’s back.
“He is my friend and my
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