~~*~~~~~~~*~~~
Chapter Two
~~~~~*~~~~~
"Robert Norse?"
The man behind the counter was wearing a name badge
with the name 'Bob' on it. Without any description of the
man from the paper, Gary had to assume this was the guy.
The man looked up from his paper work to peer at the
one who had called him by his full name. "May I
help you?"
"E-Excuse me." Gary said. "You are Robert
Norse..a-aren't you?"
"What can I do for you?" the man answered, laying
the pen down he had been writing with. Clasping
his fingers together, he leaned forward on the counter
giving Gary his full attention.
"I...I have a message for you...from your doctor," Gary
lied trying to think a reason to give the man for bothering
him.
"Excuse me...but do I know you?" the man asked,
appearing a little irritated with Gary and his questions.
Gary thought feverishly. He could use the old "Dr.
Keenan" excuse again. He had used it years ago to
stop a man from being killed in a crash up on the
interstate expressway. There was no better way of
getting someone's attention than to tell them that
their doctor was wanting to see them.
"I...I work with Doctor Keenan." Gary lied running his
fingers through his hair.
Puzzle, the man eyed him suspiciously. "Dr. Keenan?"
he asked, "Who's Dr Keenan--and who the hell are you!?"
Oh boy. Gary glanced off across the restaurant,
trying to think of a answer. Luckily at that moment
a fellow coworker interrupted them to converse with
Mr. Norse about something having to do with the
business of the restaurant, giving Gary more time to think.
While the two men talked, Gary scanned the crowded restaurant bustling with the evening dinner crowd. Waitresses and busboys hustled about carrying trays loaded down with food. Several more employees stopped to ask Mr. Norse questions concerning their duties for the evening, and Gary waited patiently until the last worker departed and they were alone.
"I-I work with Dr. Keenan," Gary continued, "Dr. Keenan's an acquaintance of your doctor. Doctoer..ahh..." he paused, thumping his forehead with the palm of his hand pretending to have forgotten the name of the doctor.
"Dr. Matthews....?" the man asked, looking perplexed.
"Yeah....Dr Matthews!" Gary laughed nervously. He was getting to be pretty good at this. "He-told me-to tell you, that he needed to talk to you right away."
Mr. Norse seemed to be very distracted at the moment. He was looking pass Gary across the crowded restaurant and appeared
to be trying to make eye contact with someone. Gary turned around to see what had sparked his interest.
Across the restaurant sat a woman with flaming red hair. Gary couldn't see her face but noticed that she was smartly dressed. She was sitting in such away that her face was blocked from his view. The pair made nonverbal communication for a while. Suddenly, the woman, as if upset, got up and stormed out of the restaurant her fiery red hair flopping behind her.
"Wait here!" Robert Norse said frantically as he gave Gary's coat sleeve a tug. "I'll be right back." With that he hurried out of the restaurant after the woman.
Shaking his head Gary slipped the paper from his back pocket to see if anything had changed in the headline. The headline had been replaced.
'Clinton Avoids indictment'.
"Great," he muttered as he glanced up from the paper to
scan the restaurant again.
It wasn't long before Robert Norse reappeared red faced and out of breath. A look of disappointment clouded his face as he made his way back towards Gary.
"Can we talk?" he asked breathlessly, pulling Gary over to the side. "It-It's about my tests results....isn't it?" he asked, his voice now a worried whisper.
"Howzat?" Gary asked.
Beads of perspiration appeared on the man's top lip and he nervously wiped his mouth. My test results....my wife..has doctor....?"
"I....I..don't know." Gary interrupted, cutting him off quickly. He was beginning to know more about Mr. Robert Norse than he really cared to. "I-I'm just here to give you the message th-thats all I know." He explained shaking his head. The danger was over, and all he wanted to do was to get out of there. Any trouble Mr. Norse was in, or *thought* he was in, was nothing compared to what was to have been that night.
"Do you need a ride home?" Gary offered, remembering from the paper, that Mr. Norse had chosen to walk that night.
Mr. Norse glanced down at his watch. "It just so happens that I didn't drive my car tonight. If you don't mind...I...I somehow feel the need to get home to my wife. The sooner the better." he grinned sheepishly.
Gary couldn't agree more.
Grabbing his jacket Robert Norse motioned his departure to some
fellow workers as he and Gary stepped out into the frigid night. As they walked towards Gary's Bronco, neither one of the men noticed the dark car parked in the shadows beneath a large willow tree, on the side of the restaurant.
To be continued..................
Chapter Two
~~~~~*~~~~~
"Robert Norse?"
The man behind the counter was wearing a name badge
with the name 'Bob' on it. Without any description of the
man from the paper, Gary had to assume this was the guy.
The man looked up from his paper work to peer at the
one who had called him by his full name. "May I
help you?"
"E-Excuse me." Gary said. "You are Robert
Norse..a-aren't you?"
"What can I do for you?" the man answered, laying
the pen down he had been writing with. Clasping
his fingers together, he leaned forward on the counter
giving Gary his full attention.
"I...I have a message for you...from your doctor," Gary
lied trying to think a reason to give the man for bothering
him.
"Excuse me...but do I know you?" the man asked,
appearing a little irritated with Gary and his questions.
Gary thought feverishly. He could use the old "Dr.
Keenan" excuse again. He had used it years ago to
stop a man from being killed in a crash up on the
interstate expressway. There was no better way of
getting someone's attention than to tell them that
their doctor was wanting to see them.
"I...I work with Doctor Keenan." Gary lied running his
fingers through his hair.
Puzzle, the man eyed him suspiciously. "Dr. Keenan?"
he asked, "Who's Dr Keenan--and who the hell are you!?"
Oh boy. Gary glanced off across the restaurant,
trying to think of a answer. Luckily at that moment
a fellow coworker interrupted them to converse with
Mr. Norse about something having to do with the
business of the restaurant, giving Gary more time to think.
While the two men talked, Gary scanned the crowded restaurant bustling with the evening dinner crowd. Waitresses and busboys hustled about carrying trays loaded down with food. Several more employees stopped to ask Mr. Norse questions concerning their duties for the evening, and Gary waited patiently until the last worker departed and they were alone.
"I-I work with Dr. Keenan," Gary continued, "Dr. Keenan's an acquaintance of your doctor. Doctoer..ahh..." he paused, thumping his forehead with the palm of his hand pretending to have forgotten the name of the doctor.
"Dr. Matthews....?" the man asked, looking perplexed.
"Yeah....Dr Matthews!" Gary laughed nervously. He was getting to be pretty good at this. "He-told me-to tell you, that he needed to talk to you right away."
Mr. Norse seemed to be very distracted at the moment. He was looking pass Gary across the crowded restaurant and appeared
to be trying to make eye contact with someone. Gary turned around to see what had sparked his interest.
Across the restaurant sat a woman with flaming red hair. Gary couldn't see her face but noticed that she was smartly dressed. She was sitting in such away that her face was blocked from his view. The pair made nonverbal communication for a while. Suddenly, the woman, as if upset, got up and stormed out of the restaurant her fiery red hair flopping behind her.
"Wait here!" Robert Norse said frantically as he gave Gary's coat sleeve a tug. "I'll be right back." With that he hurried out of the restaurant after the woman.
Shaking his head Gary slipped the paper from his back pocket to see if anything had changed in the headline. The headline had been replaced.
'Clinton Avoids indictment'.
"Great," he muttered as he glanced up from the paper to
scan the restaurant again.
It wasn't long before Robert Norse reappeared red faced and out of breath. A look of disappointment clouded his face as he made his way back towards Gary.
"Can we talk?" he asked breathlessly, pulling Gary over to the side. "It-It's about my tests results....isn't it?" he asked, his voice now a worried whisper.
"Howzat?" Gary asked.
Beads of perspiration appeared on the man's top lip and he nervously wiped his mouth. My test results....my wife..has doctor....?"
"I....I..don't know." Gary interrupted, cutting him off quickly. He was beginning to know more about Mr. Robert Norse than he really cared to. "I-I'm just here to give you the message th-thats all I know." He explained shaking his head. The danger was over, and all he wanted to do was to get out of there. Any trouble Mr. Norse was in, or *thought* he was in, was nothing compared to what was to have been that night.
"Do you need a ride home?" Gary offered, remembering from the paper, that Mr. Norse had chosen to walk that night.
Mr. Norse glanced down at his watch. "It just so happens that I didn't drive my car tonight. If you don't mind...I...I somehow feel the need to get home to my wife. The sooner the better." he grinned sheepishly.
Gary couldn't agree more.
Grabbing his jacket Robert Norse motioned his departure to some
fellow workers as he and Gary stepped out into the frigid night. As they walked towards Gary's Bronco, neither one of the men noticed the dark car parked in the shadows beneath a large willow tree, on the side of the restaurant.
To be continued..................